{"id":12922,"date":"2026-09-18T11:05:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T11:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advisors3.bradcable.com\/hazelbakerfinancial\/weekly-market-performance-september-18-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T11:05:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T11:05:02","slug":"weekly-market-performance-september-18-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advisors3.bradcable.com\/hazelbakerfinancial\/weekly-market-performance-september-18-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Market Performance | September 18, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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LPL Research provides its Weekly Market Performance for the week of September 14, 2026.<\/b> U.S. stocks finished a choppy week little changed, as investors navigated a surge in oil prices above $100 per barrel, renewed geopolitical tensions, and the Federal Reserve\u2019s first rate hike since 2023. While markets initially struggled to gain traction amid higher oil prices and following the Fed\u2019s hawkish messaging, stocks trimmed losses later in the week on clarity that policymakers remain committed to controlling price pressures. International equities were mixed amid rising yields, higher energy costs, and geopolitical uncertainty, while U.S. bond markets ended little changed after swinging between gains and losses.<\/p>\n

Stock Index Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Index<\/b><\/td>\nWeek-Ending<\/b><\/td>\nOne Month<\/b><\/td>\nYear to Date<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S&P 500<\/b><\/td>\n-0.18%<\/td>\n-0.63%<\/td>\n11.65%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dow Jones Industrial<\/b><\/td>\n-1.63%<\/td>\n-3.05%<\/td>\n7.60%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nasdaq Composite<\/b><\/td>\n0.52%<\/td>\n0.69%<\/td>\n13.89%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Russell 2000<\/b><\/td>\n-1.68%<\/td>\n-5.40%<\/td>\n15.03%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MSCI EAFE<\/b><\/td>\n-1.65%<\/td>\n-2.17%<\/td>\n9.28%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MSCI EM<\/b><\/td>\n-1.39%<\/td>\n2.38%<\/td>\n22.27%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

S&P 500 Index Sectors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Sector<\/b><\/td>\nWeek-Ending<\/b><\/td>\nOne Month<\/b><\/td>\nYear to Date<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Materials<\/b><\/td>\n-1.89%<\/td>\n-2.85%<\/td>\n9.48%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Utilities<\/b><\/td>\n-2.72%<\/td>\n-6.57%<\/td>\n-4.03%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Industrials<\/b><\/td>\n-1.66%<\/td>\n-7.72%<\/td>\n9.05%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Consumer Staples<\/b><\/td>\n-0.44%<\/td>\n-2.99%<\/td>\n6.18%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Real Estate<\/b><\/td>\n-1.97%<\/td>\n-4.70%<\/td>\n6.25%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Health Care<\/b><\/td>\n1.90%<\/td>\n-0.74%<\/td>\n8.62%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Financials<\/b><\/td>\n-2.31%<\/td>\n-3.41%<\/td>\n1.80%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Consumer Discretionary<\/b><\/td>\n-1.39%<\/td>\n-3.43%<\/td>\n-4.36%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Information Technology<\/b><\/td>\n0.53%<\/td>\n2.07%<\/td>\n23.82%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Communication Services<\/b><\/td>\n1.83%<\/td>\n4.74%<\/td>\n3.80%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Energy<\/b><\/td>\n-1.31%<\/td>\n0.78%<\/td>\n42.57%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Fixed Income and Commodities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Indexes and Commodities<\/b><\/td>\nWeek-Ending<\/b><\/td>\nOne Month<\/b><\/td>\nYear to Date<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate<\/b><\/td>\n0.36%<\/td>\n-0.74%<\/td>\n-1.07%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bloomberg Credit<\/b><\/td>\n0.50%<\/td>\n-0.37%<\/td>\n-1.02%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bloomberg Munis<\/b><\/td>\n-0.13%<\/td>\n-2.31%<\/td>\n-1.68%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bloomberg High Yield<\/b><\/td>\n-0.08%<\/td>\n-0.44%<\/td>\n1.93%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oil<\/b><\/td>\n-0.53%<\/td>\n17.17%<\/td>\n73.32%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Natural Gas<\/b><\/td>\n2.26%<\/td>\n4.29%<\/td>\n-21.46%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gold<\/b><\/td>\n0.84%<\/td>\n1.18%<\/td>\n1.53%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Silver<\/b><\/td>\n3.28%<\/td>\n5.11%<\/td>\n-7.06%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Source: LPL Research, Bloomberg 9\/18\/26 @ 3:12 p.m. ET
\nDisclosures: Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.<\/i><\/p>\n

U.S. and International Equities<\/h2>\n

U.S. Equities:<\/b> The S&P 500 ended the week not too far off from where it began after a choppy week of trading. Stocks were on the defensive early this week as oil prices rose back above $100 per barrel for the first time since May, as a postponed meeting between Gulf nations fanned supply and inflation worries. Saudi Aramco closing its East-West pipeline (a critical bypass for the Strait of Hormuz) following drone strikes around the Red Sea further dampened risk sentiment. Simultaneously, investors geared up for the September meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), where policymakers fulfilled expectations of a quarter-point rate hike in a unanimous vote Wednesday afternoon. Stocks slipped following the first hike since 2023 as Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Warsh hawkishly framed the rate hike as removing a dose of accommodation and providing support to the committee\u2019s predominant focus of returning inflation to the 2% target. Nonetheless, stocks posted a relief rally on Thursday on the newfound clarity that the Fed will stay on top of the curve.<\/p>\n

Plus, the artificial intelligence (AI) trade was broadly supportive despite facing some up-and-down trading. Shares struggled amid calls to slow investments before chipmakers rebounded over the latter half of the week on dip buying and some positive AI updates, including a data center deal between Generac (GNRC) and Amazon (AMZN), and positive deal and capital raise commentary for CoreWeave (CRWV).<\/p>\n

International Equities:<\/b> Across the pond, European stocks settled lower after reversing week-to-date gains in sharply lower Friday trading. Stocks clawed back into positive territory after being weighed down by higher oil prices, but tensions between Europe and Russia took center stage to end the week after the Kremlin seized the assets of Nestle\u2019s Russian business. At the same time, energy supply worries dampened sentiment after Saudi Aramco informed two European refining customers that they will not receive crude allocations next month following the recent attacks in the Red Sea. Geographically, the U.K. outperformed after the Bank of England held rates steady, supported by a drop in Gilt yields on scrapped long-dated bond sales related to an overhaul of its quantitative tightening program.<\/p>\n

Major Asian markets finished mixed this week amid a growing list of macro headwinds. Rising global yields, higher oil prices, hawkish central banks, and uncertainty over the pace of AI development weighed on most of the region. South Korea was unable to recover from earlier losses despite a late week chipmaker rally, while sentiment across greater China was dampened by weak domestic consumption, fixed investment, and property price data. Japan was among outperformers, lifted by post-Fed decision relief buying and a weaker yen, with the currency sliding despite the Bank of Japan delivering a 0.25% rate hike as markets focused on the number of dissenters opposing tighter monetary policy increased to two. Taiwan led gains on the late-week chipmaker rally.<\/p>\n

Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodity Markets<\/h2>\n

Fixed Income: <\/b>Core bonds, as measured by the Bloomberg Aggregate Index (Agg) were little changed this week. The Agg swung between gains and losses over the last five days as inflationary dynamics propelled the 10-year yield to close above 5.0% for the first time since 2007 as bond market investors digested a rally in oil prices against the backdrop of inflation remaining well above central banker\u2019s targets. At the same time, bond markets geared up for the September Fed meeting, where Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and committee\u2019s rate hike and hawkish tilted presser spurred a rise in Treasury yields. From there, Treasuries churned as Thursday\u2019s dip in crude shored up renewed confidence in the Fed\u2019s ability to tackle sticky inflation before yields resumed their climb to end the week on stoked wagers for additional policy tightening before year-end.<\/p>\n

Commodities and Currencies: <\/b>The broader commodity complex was little changed Friday afternoon, pulling back to the flatline from mid-week peaks. Crude oil trading was top of mind this week as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) held above $100 per barrel after touching a four-month high of $106 intraday on Tuesday. Commodity investors faced volatile headlines around the Saudi East-West pipeline, highlighted by the critical Strait of Hormuz alternative being shuttered as a result of drone strikes sending prices higher before reports that Saudi Aramco stated it may come back online within days. Nonetheless, losses were limited after the oil and gas giant stated it will not provide crude allocations to two European refiners next month, while satellite imagery indicated that three (rather than the initially reported two) pumping stations were damaged along the East-West pipeline following the recent attacks. Gasoline prices rose over 5%. Outside of energy, gold aimed to climb back near $4,400\/ounce, while silver prices also settled higher. In currencies, the dollar strengthened as a result of Wednesday\u2019s Fed rate hike, with some additional support from traders placing downward pressure on the yen after the Bank of Japan\u2019s split vote to tighten monetary policy.<\/p>\n

Economic Weekly Roundup<\/h2>\n

More Hawkish Than Expected: Key Takeaways from Wednesday\u2019s Rate Decision<\/b><\/p>\n