Trading Day: Shrugging off a volatile September, markets shuffle into Q4

US stocks experienced fluctuations on Wednesday as mixed signals emerged. Lower-than-anticipated inflation data lessened concerns about a potential Federal Reserve rate increase, while positive GDP, consumer spending, and job growth figures highlighted the strength of the U.S. economy. However, higher crude prices maintained inflation uncertainties, and long-term U.S. Treasury yields rose for the seventh consecutive day.

The S&P 500 and Dow Jones both declined over the past week, while the Nasdaq saw gains. For the quarter, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reported growth, but the Dow ended the July-September period with a decline.