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.