The Economic Times·2025-09-17 18:07Market Overview - The Dow Jones increased by 450.24 points, or 0.98%, reaching 46,208.14, while the S&P 500 rose by 7.91 points, or 0.12%, to 6,614.70, and the Nasdaq decreased by 57.05 points, or 0.26%, to 22,276.91 following a 25 basis point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve [1][7] - Defensive sectors such as consumer staples and healthcare saw gains of 1.2% and 0.6%, respectively, which helped mitigate declines in tech stocks on the S&P 500 [4][7] Company Performance - New Fortress Energy surged by 26.5% after securing a liquefied natural gas supply agreement with the Puerto Rican government [6][8] - Workday's stock rose by 8% after activist investor Elliott Management disclosed a stake exceeding $2 billion in the company [6][8] - Lyft's shares jumped by 13.8% following news of a collaboration with Alphabet's Waymo to launch autonomous cab rides in Nashville next year, while rival Uber's stock fell by 5% [6][8] Sector Analysis - The financial sector rebounded with a 1% increase, highlighted by American Express's 2.7% rise to a record high [4][7] - A broader semiconductor index was poised to end a nine-session winning streak, the longest since September 2017, influenced by Nvidia's 3.1% decline due to regulatory actions in China [3][7] Economic Context - Concerns regarding the Federal Reserve's independence have eased with the swearing-in of economic adviser Stephen Miran as a Fed Governor and a court ruling against President Trump's attempt to dismiss Governor Lisa Cook [5][7] - Historically, September has been a challenging month for U.S. equities, with the S&P 500 averaging a 1.5% decline since 2000 [5][8] Market Dynamics - Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a ratio of 2.22-to-1 on the NYSE and 1.73-to-1 on the Nasdaq, indicating overall market strength [7][8] - The S&P 500 recorded 14 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq Composite noted 75 new highs and 26 new lows [8]