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US equity markets fell sharply amid volatile end-of-month and quarter rebalancing activity and as inflation concerns continued to weigh on sentiment - Dow dropped -547-points or -1.59% . Boeing Co fell -2.41% despite a broker (Bernstein) upgrade, while Goldman Sachs Group Inc fell -1.78% and Home Depot Inc -2.57%. The broader S&P500 lost -1.19%, with Industrials (down -2.11%) leading all eleven primary sectors lower overnight. Eight primary sectors recorded declines of over >1%. The Nasdaq -0.44%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 fell -0.94%. In merger and acquisition (M&A) news, Merck & Co Inc (up +0.03%) struck a deal to buy drugmaker Acceleron Pharma (down -1.86% at US$172.10) for US$180 per share in cash or US$11.5B. It had been reported earlier this month that Acceleron was close to a sale agreement, and reports earlier this week had named Merck as the suitor.

US equity markets posted a modest rebound overnight a day after the S&P500 booked its worst daily percentage decline (-2.04%) since 12 May despite longer dated US Treasury yields climbing for a seventh straight session - Dow rose +91-points or +0.26%. Boeing Co rose +3.18% after winning a follow-on contract from the US Department of Defense valued at up to US$23.8B to provide services to a fleet of C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft over a 10-year period. Separately, Boeing’s 737 MAX test flight for China’s aviation regulator was successful last month and the planemaker hopes a two year grounding will be lifted this year, according Boeing China President Sherry Carbary. The broader S&P500 edged +0.16% higher, with the more defensive Utilities (up +1.30%), Consumer Staples (+0.87%) and Health Care (+0.77%) sectors leading the rebound. Materials (down -0.39%) and Information Technology (-0.10%) were among the worst performing primary sectors overnight. The Nasdaq slipped -0.24%, booking its fourth straight session decline as a broader rebound faded in the closing hour of trading. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 eased -0.20%.

US equity markets fell sharply on Tuesday, with tech names dragging down the broader markets as Treasury yields traded near three-month highs and lawmakers in Washington continued their budget stalemate. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost -569 points, or -1.63%, to close at 34,299. The S&P 500 shed -2.04% to finish at 4,352. The Nasdaq Composite was belted down 2.83% to 14,546 for its worst day since March. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 fell -2.2%. The VIX surged 24% to 23.26. In terms of stock moves, Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corporation and Google-parent Alphabet Inc lost more than -3%, while Amazon.com Inc dropped -2.64%. Large chip stocks struggled, with NVIDIA Corporation sliding -4.44%.

U.S. stocks were split on Monday as a rise in treasury yields pressured growth names and traders braced for the final week of a volatile September. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by +71 points or +0.20% to 34,869 as energy stocks and bank shares pushed higher. The broader S&P 500 slipped by -0.28% and the Nasdaq shed -0.52% as major tech stocks including Alphabet (-0.10%), Apple (-1.05%), Microsoft (-1.8%) and Nvidia (-1.91%) struggled. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 Index rose +1.5%. The rise in yields appeared to boost financial stocks. Shares of Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase rose more than +2%, making them some of the best performers in the Dow. Another bright spot for the market was energy, with stocks like Exxon Mobil and Occidental Petroleum climbing +3% and +7% respectively, as crude continued its September run, topping $75 a barrel.

US markets rose for a third straight session on Friday, clinching weekly gains despite uncertainty over the fate of indebted property giant China Evergrande Group. The Dow gained +33 points, or +0.10%, to 34,798. The broader S&P 500 edged +0.15% higher and the Nasdaq ticked down just -0.03%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 fell -0.49%. For the week, the Dow was up +0.60%, the S&P 500 gained +0.50% and the Nasdaq was near flat.

US equity markets jumped for a second day as fears around a crisis in China’s property market eased somewhat and as the Federal Reserve kept current monetary stimulus in place. The Dow Jones gained +506.50 points, or +1.48%, to 34,764.82, with steady buying throughout the day. Thursday’s rally adds to a 338-point gain in the prior session. The S&P 500 rose +53.34 or 1.21% to 4,448.98 and the Nasdaq Composite added +155.40 or 1.04% to 15,052.24. After Thursday’s gains, the S&P 500 is down just 1.6% for September. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 up +1.82%.

US equity markets rallied on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve indicated it doesn’t see an imminent rollback of the monetary stimulus that has been supporting the economy throughout the pandemic. The Dow Jones advanced +338.48 points, or 1%, to 34,258.32, snapping a four-day losing streak. However, the blue-chip Dow closed well off its high, as it jumped 520 points earlier in the day. The S&P 500 added +41.45 points or nearly 1% to 4,395.64 amid a 3.2% jump in the energy sector. The index also posted its first positive day in five. The Nasdaq Composite gained 1% to 14,896.85. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 up +1.48%.Commodity-related stocks led the comeback Wednesday as fears eased about ripple effects from Evergrande. Devon Energy surged 6.8%, while APA jumped nearly 7.2%. Diamondback Energy, Hess and Marathon Oil all popped more than 5%. China-exposed Wynn Resorts bounced about 2.6%.FedEx shares fell again tumbling more than 9% after profit fell at the logistics company last quarter because of rising labor costs. FedEx also cut its forecast for the full year.

US equity markets fought to rebound from Monday’s rout, but failed as the Dow Jones trended lower for most of the session and closed in the red. The Dow Jones lost -50.63 points, or -0.15%, to 33,919.84. The S&P 500 shed about 0.1% to 4,354.19, following its worst day since May on Monday. However, the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2% to 14,746.40 as investors bought some major tech shares like Apple on the dip. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 up +0.18%.

US equity markets retreated to close out a volatile week of trading, with Friday night (17 September) a “quadruple witching” session - the simultaneous expiration of individual stock options, stock-index options, stock-index futures and single-stock futures – which brought some additional volume and volatility - Dow fell -166-points or -0.48% . The broader S&P500 lost -0.91% to 4,432.99, with the index slipping below its 50-day moving average of ~4,436.37 for the first time since 18 June. Materials (down -2.06%) led ten of the eleven primary sectors lower, with Utilities (down -1.59%), Information Technology (down -1.52%), Communication Services (-1.27%) and Industrials (-1.05%) all down over >1%. Health Care (up +0.07%) was the only primary sector to eke out a gain. The Nasdaq -0.91%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 edged +0.18% higher.

US equity markets began the week deeply in the red as investors continued to flock to the sidelines in September amid several emerging risks for the market. The Dow Jones lost -614.41 points, or -1.8%, to 33,970.47 for its biggest one day drop since July 19. The 30-stock average was down 971 points at one point during the day. The S&P 500 fell -75 points or -1.7% to 4,357.73, posting its worst daily performance since May 12. It was a broad sell-off with each of the main 11 sectors of the benchmark registering losses. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped -2.2% to 14,713.90. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 down -2.44%.