Market Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a decline in overall market sentiment, remaining in the "Greed" zone with a reading of 61.7, down from 62.3 [5] - U.S. stocks settled lower, with the Nasdaq Composite falling more than 200 points and the S&P 500 ending a three-day winning streak [1] Economic Indicators - The S&P Global U.S. Composite PMI slowed to 53.6 in September from 54.6 in August, indicating softer growth in services and manufacturing [2] - The U.S. current account deficit decreased by 42.9% to $251.3 billion in the second quarter [2] Sector Performance - Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed positively, with energy, real estate, and utilities stocks showing the biggest gains, while information technology and consumer discretionary stocks closed lower [3] - The Dow Jones closed lower by approximately 89 points to 46,292.78, the S&P 500 fell 0.55% to 6,656.92, and the Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.95% to 22,573.47 [3] Upcoming Earnings - Investors are anticipating earnings results from Cintas Corp., Thor Industries Inc., and KB Home [4]

Core Points - The U.S. current account deficit contracted by a record $188.5 billion, or 42.9%, to $251.3 billion in the second quarter, reversing the previous month's increase [1] - The current account deficit represented 3.3% of GDP, the smallest share since Q3 2023, down from 5.9% in Q1 2023 [2] - The goods trade deficit narrowed to $270 billion, the smallest since Q4 2023, from $465.8 billion in Q1 2023 [5] Imports and Exports - Imports of goods decreased by a record $184.5 billion to $820.2 billion, with declines in nonmonetary gold, consumer goods, and industrial supplies [4] - Goods exports increased by $11.3 billion to $550.2 billion, driven by nonmonetary gold shipments [5] - Exports of services rose by $2.1 billion to $301.6 billion, supported by financial services and intellectual property charges [5] Income Receipts and Payments - Primary income receipts increased by $17.8 billion to $376.1 billion, while payments rose by $22.8 billion to $383.8 billion [6] - Secondary income receipts decreased by $2.6 billion to $45.9 billion, and payments fell by $1.0 billion to $99.2 billion [6]