Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The DJIA (+0.1%) has entered positive territory, with the S&P 500 (-0.1%) and Nasdaq Composite (-0.1%) trailing closely behind.

While eight S&P 500 sectors trade lower, breadth figures reflect more modest selling interest, as decliners outpace advancers by just a few dozen names on both the NYSE and Nasdaq.

The September ISM Manufacturing Index checked in at 49.1% for September (Briefing.com consensus: 49.2%), up from 48.7% in August. The dividing line between expansion and contraction is 50.0%, so the September figure, which is the seventh straight month below 50.0%, suggests manufacturing activity contracted at a slower pace than the prior month.

The key takeaway from the report is that the manufacturing sector remains in a state of contraction, with new order activity under pressure from tariff costs and uncertainty.