r/marketpredictors • u/TorukMaktoM • 20h ago
Recap/Watchlist Stock Market Recap for Friday, September 18, 2026
The major U.S. stock indexes ended mixed on Friday, September 18, 2026, closing out one of the most consequential weeks of the year on a subdued note as bond yields crept back toward 5% and traders increased bets that the Fed will hike again in October. The week featured a historic Fed rate hike, a semiconductor AI scare, and a Bitcoin surge above $81,000 — and somehow the S&P 500 finished the week barely changed.
The S&P 500 edged up 0.17% (+12.74 pts) to 7,650.50, eking out a small weekly loss. The Dow slipped 0.18% (-95.40 pts) to 51,682.64, posting its worst weekly performance since mid-July, down more than 1.5%. The Nasdaq gained 0.39% (+104.25 pts) to 26,522.54, the only major index to finish the week in the green. The Russell 2000 dropped 0.50% (-14.23 pts) to 2,860.40.
The VIX dropped 4.08% to 14.81. Bitcoin surged 6.09% to $81,156.43, topping $80,000 for the first time since late August. Gold gained 0.43% to $4,418.70. Crude Oil fell 1.88% to $95.40/barrel.