Daily Market Summary – Sept. 17, 2026: Stocks Rally as Oil Retreats and Investors Reassess the Fed -( $AMWL $AMZN $DOCS $EPRX $FCX $GNRC $HPP $INTC $LCID $LPL $MSFT $NVDA $SER $TE $YSG Rise! )

U.S. equities finished sharply higher on Thursday, September 17, 2026, as lower oil prices and a pullback in Treasury yields helped investors look past Wednesday’s Federal Reserve-driven selloff. Technology, AI-infrastructure and selected industrial names led the rebound, while the day’s economic data continued to show a resilient labor market alongside a softer housing backdrop.

U.S. Market Close

The Nasdaq Composite was the clear leader, rising 1.69%, as renewed buying returned to large-cap technology and semiconductor shares. The S&P 500 added 1.14%, while the Dow gained 316.14 points. The Russell 2000’s more modest 0.55% advance suggests investors remained selective in smaller, more rate-sensitive companies following the Federal Reserve’s latest policy move. The VIX fell nearly 13% to 15.42, indicating that some of the immediate anxiety sparked by the Fed’s rate increase eased during Thursday’s session. Still, a lower volatility index should not be mistaken for the disappearance of macro risk: markets remain highly sensitive to energy prices, inflation data, Treasury yields and the outlook for further policy tightening.

What Drove Thursday’s Rebound

Thursday’s rally followed Wednesday’s decline after the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by 25 basis points, its first increase in three years, and left the door open to another hike later this year. Many appeared to find reassurance that policymakers were directly confronting sticky inflation, even though the prospect of higher rates still creates valuation and financing pressure for rate-sensitive assets. Lower energy prices also supported risk appetite. WTI crude oil settled near $101.31 per barrel, down 1.27%, while Brent crude moved lower as concerns over Middle Eastern supply disruptions moderated and Saudi Arabia moved toward restoring capacity on its East-West pipeline. Even with Thursday’s pullback, crude remains elevated enough to keep gasoline, diesel and broader inflation risks in focus. Treasury yields declined as well, with the 10-year Treasury yield falling back below 5% during the session. That combination, softer oil and declining yields, provided relief to growth-stock valuations and helped fuel the technology-led advance.

Macroeconomic Report Commentary

The day’s U.S. economic releases offered a mixed but broadly constructive picture:

• Initial jobless claims fell to 196,000 for the week ended September 12, down 10,000 from the previous week and below the 207,000 consensus estimate. Continuing claims declined to 1.73 million. The data point to continued labor-market resilience, which supports household income and spending but gives the Federal Reserve limited room to declare victory over inflation.
• Housing starts fell 2.6% in August to an annualized 1.275 million rate, below the 1.3 million forecast.
• Building permits declined 2.7% to 1.394 million, slightly below expectations.
• Pending home sales rose 0.3% month over month in August but were down 4.7% from a year earlier, underscoring that higher mortgage rates remain a material constraint on housing demand.

The macro takeaway is straightforward: employment conditions still look firm, but housing is absorbing the consequences of higher borrowing costs. For many, that combination reinforces the Fed’s difficult balancing act. A strong labor market reduces recession fears, yet persistent inflation and costly energy leave policymakers inclined to keep financial conditions restrictive. The risk is that higher oil and fuel costs seep into transportation, goods and services prices. Recent gains in wireless-service costs also contributed to inflation pressure, illustrating how price persistence can extend beyond food and energy. T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) and AT&T Inc. (T) had adjusted pricing on some legacy plans, which contributed to a sharp month-to-month increase in the wireless-services component of consumer inflation data.

Stocks and Sectors in Focus

Technology and AI-linked names were among the market’s strongest performers. NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) and Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) gained about 2% during the session, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) rose about 1%, Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) advanced roughly 2%, and Intel Corporation (INTC) surged about 9% intraday. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) also rose more than 2%, reflecting stronger interest in industrial and infrastructure-linked equities. Semiconductor enthusiasm was reinforced by commentary around tightening memory supply. Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) rose more than 5%, while NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA), Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) and SK hynix Inc. (SKHY) also participated in the chip-sector strength. The opportunity for memory producers is clear: constrained capacity can support pricing. The offsetting risk is that sustained increases in memory costs could pressure margins for major device makers and data-center customers in 2027. Generac Holdings Inc. (GNRC) was a major individual winner after announcing an agreement to supply backup generators for Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) data centers. The arrangement, reportedly worth up to $8 billion over time, highlights a defining investment theme of the AI buildout: power availability and backup generation are becoming as strategically important as chips, servers and networking equipment. CNBC reported expected initial deliveries of approximately $2.4 billion in 2027 and 2028, along with Amazon’s warrant rights tied to the relationship. Other notable movers included:

• Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) advanced after news surrounding its European autonomous-vehicle ambitions and a partnership with Bolt; Yahoo Finance reported plans involving at least 25,000 vehicles..
• Workday, Inc. (WDAY) climbed about 5% amid reports that financing efforts for a potential take-private transaction were continuing.
• SiTime Corporation (SITM) rallied nearly 10% after Morgan Stanley initiated coverage with an overweight rating and a $730 price target.
• Fluence Energy, Inc. (FLNC) tumbled after lowering full-year guidance, including revenue expectations and its projected EBITDA result.
• Lennar Corporation (LEN) declined after reporting third-quarter results below analyst expectations, providing another reminder of the strain higher mortgage rates are placing on housing-linked businesses.

Commodities, Crypto and Market Outlook

Gold finished at $4,382.00 per ounce, down $5.50, or 0.13%, while Bitcoin rose 0.68% to $76,619.78. The divergent moves reflect a session in which investors were willing to add equity and crypto exposure as Treasury yields and oil eased, even as the inflation narrative remained unresolved. Copper also strengthened, supported by expectations tied to data-center construction, grid investment, electrification and defense spending. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) and Southern Copper Corporation (SCCO) were among miners moving higher.

Looking ahead, the market’s next major tests are whether oil continues to retreat, whether inflation expectations remain contained, and whether upcoming data confirm that the economy can withstand higher rates without a sharper slowdown. Thursday’s rally was constructive, but leadership remained concentrated in technology, semiconductors and AI infrastructure. CNBC noted that just over half of S&P 500 constituents were trading below their 200-day moving averages, a reminder that index-level strength does not necessarily mean broad-based market participation. For now, the message from Thursday’s session is that many welcomed lower yields, lower crude prices and evidence of labor-market durability. The more difficult question is whether those conditions can persist if energy-market disruption or inflation pressure reaccelerates.

VP Watchlist Updates

Amwell® (NYSE: AMWL)

Amwell® (NYSE: AMWL), a leading provider of a comprehensive SaaS-based software platform for technology-enabled healthcare, closed at $13.63, +2.25%.

AMWL announced (Sept 8) announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has declared its intent for the Company to deploy its virtual health platform within the VA enterprise and help power the modernization of the VA’s digital health infrastructure. The VA anticipates the Amwell platform will support a broad range of clinical services, enhance care coordination, and improve access for our Veterans across the VA enterprise. The Letter of Intent follows a comprehensive evaluation process by the VA, in which it determined that Amwell’s virtual health platform aligns with the Department’s strategic objectives to expand access to high-quality, secure, and reliable virtual care services for Veterans nationwide through the VA’s current electronic health record modernization efforts. Specifically, the capabilities Amwell demonstrated in scalable video consultations, interoperability, cybersecurity compliance, and support for integrated care delivery were significant factors in this determination.

Amwell® has received Frost & Sullivan’s 2026 United States Technology Innovation Leadership Recognition in the Technology-Enabled Care Platforms Industry. The recognition validates Amwell’s ability to address healthcare fragmentation through a unified platform that orchestrates consumer experiences, clinician workflows, care programs, and partner solutions.

The Company also reiterated recently its objective to achieve positive cash flow from operations in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Serina Theraeuptics (NYSE : SER)

Serina Theraeuptics (NYSE : SER, $2.22, +2.78%) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of wholly owned drug product candidates to treat neurological diseases and other indications. Serina’s POZ PlatformTM provides the potential to improve the integrated efficacy and safety profile of multiple modalities including small molecules, RNA-based therapeutics and antibody-based drug conjugates (ADCs). Serina is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama on the campus of the HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology.

SER announced (Sept. 9) that the independent Safety Monitoring Committee (SMC) has completed its blinded review of Cohort 1 of the ongoing Phase 1b registrational study of SER-252 in patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease and recommended that the study advance to Cohort 2. Cohort 1 evaluated the lowest dose level in the single-ascending-dose portion of the study. In addition to supporting continued dose escalation, blinded Cohort 1 observations showed a pharmacokinetic profile consistent with the sustained apomorphine exposure SER-252 is designed to provide and included sustained periods of improvement in motor function in individual patients on exploratory clinical measures.

Hudson Pacific Properties (NYSE: HPP)

Hudson Pacific Properties (NYSE: HPP, $11.60, +1.58%) is a real estate investment trust serving dynamic tech and media tenants in global epicenters for these synergistic, converging and secular growth industries. Hudson Pacific’s unique and high-barrier tech and media focus leverages a full-service, end-to-end value creation platform forged through deep strategic relationships and niche expertise across identifying, acquiring, transforming and developing properties into world-class amenitized, collaborative and sustainable office and studio space. HPP turned in a quarter ( Aug. 5) that suggests the office malaise is not over, but it may finally be meeting resistance. Revenue came in above Wall Street’s expectations, occupancy moved higher for a fourth straight quarter, and management raised full-year guidance, a combination that does not make for a triumphant victory lap, but it does make for a more credible turnaround narrative. Learn more.

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (EPRX)

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (EPRX, $8.38, +3.58%), a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging its proprietary Diffusphere™ technology designed to optimize local, controlled drug delivery for applications with significant unmet need, announced (Aug. 13) positive results from a new analysis of the RESOLVE study examining the effect of EP-104GI on symptom severity, including for the first time an analysis of the effect of EP-104GI on odynophagia (pain when swallowing). This is important because odynophagia scoring is a component of Dysphagia Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ), a commonly used patient reported outcome used in pivotal clinical trials in EoE patients.

Modular Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: MODD)

Modular Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: MODD, $2.15), a commercial-stage medical device company preparing for the commercial launch of its next-generation Pivot™ tubeless patch pump, announced (September 4) that it has secured a contract with a national U.S. pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) in the United States. Pursuant to the contract, the Company’s Pivot insulin delivery system is now available through the national PBM. The Company believes the engagement with this national PBM represents a significant step forward in broadening patient access to the Company’s Pivot tubeless patch pump and will further validate the Pivot pump as an accessible therapeutic option for people living with diabetes.

MODD announced (September 3) that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a set of software enhancements to its Pivot insulin delivery system, further expanding the system’s functionality and providing users with greater flexibility and customization options in bolus dosing, an enhanced user-interface (UI), and other software upgrades.

MODD CEO, Jeb Besser, co-hosted a Tribe Public’s CEO Presentation and Q&A Webinar Event titled “The Road To Revenue: Modular Medical’s Strategy For Launching Pivot,” that was held Friday, September 4, 2026 (8:30am PT / 11:30 am ET). You may watch the event video below now if you missed it below now.

MODD announced (Aug. 3) plans to initiate the first phase of commercialization of its Pivot tubeless patch pump across five strategically selected U.S. markets beginning in October 2026. The initial rollout will include Atlanta, Cincinnati/Lexington, Dallas, Houston, and Philadelphia, representing a foundational step in the Company’s capital efficient commercialization strategy with its mission to expand access to simplified insulin delivery solutions for all people living with diabetes.

MODD recently (July 22) announced the formation of its Pivot Innovation Council, a cross-functional group of leading clinicians and healthcare experts established to help guide the company’s clinical and commercial strategy. Diabetes care expert Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, FACP was appointed as chair of the Pivot Innovation Council. The council will provide insights on target patient populations, support optimization of clinical workflows, inform evidence-generation initiatives, and help refine the Pivot product roadmap and go-to-market approach, as the Company continues to scale its differentiated offering.

Modular released findings (July 15) from an independent market research study demonstrating positive receptivity to its FDA-cleared Pivot™ tubeless patch pump due to its differentiated design, streamlined user experience, and potential for reimbursement through the pharmacy channel.

Similarweb Ltd. (NYSE: SMWB)

Similarweb explores the many ways AI, apps, and other transformational forces are changing online shopping in its State of Ecommerce 2026 report, published on Sept 10. They reported that despite increasing more than 200% over the past year, direct referrals from dedicated AI platforms don’t produce a large volume of traffic to ecommerce marketplaces and online stores. In other words, compared with search, AI conversations don’t result in as much immediate click-through traffic. However, AI buying recommendations exert an outsize influence on purchases – in some cases, giving the recommended brand a 2-to-1 advantage over its competitors. Consumers are also making ChatGPT, Gemini, and other conversational AI tools a routine part of the buying process. However, that doesn’t mean they are abandoning search, 89% of the time, consumers who use AI in their shopping research also use search. “Consumers are not switching tools, they are stacking them,” said Daniel Reid, Principal Insight Analyst, Consumer Goods & Retail at Similarweb and the lead author of the report. “People are using AI to explore and narrow options while still turning to Search to move toward a decision. The most complex journeys, the ones that use both, convert the best. Retailers and brands who figure out how to master these new paths to product discovery stand to benefit.”

Similarweb Ltd. (NYSE: SMWB) and NIQ (NYSE: NIQ) have recently announced their planned Agentic Commerce Measurement solution aims to connect AI-based product discovery with consumer intent, traffic, conversion and verified sales outcomes. The first version is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, initially across selected categories and markets. For many, the strategic appeal is simple: as AI becomes an increasingly consequential front door to commerce, the value may accrue not only to the companies building AI assistants, but also to the data-and-measurement providers that tell enterprises whether all that artificial intelligence is generating actual revenue, or merely very articulate window-shopping.

SMWB also recently delivered the sort of second-quarter report investors tend to enjoy: revenue and profitability exceeded guidance, full-year expectations moved higher, and AI demand translated into contracts rather than merely conference-call poetry. SMWB closed at $8.34. Learn More.

LG Display Co., Ltd. (LPL)

LG Display Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LPL, $2.98, +.68%) has spent the last few years doing something many hardware companies talk about but few execute well: turning a technology pivot into a full‑blown business transformation that everyday investors can actually follow. Instead of chasing commoditized LCD TV panels in a race to the bottom, LPL is leaning into Gaming OLED, CES‑worthy innovation, and premium automotive displays – and the press trail tells a surprisingly investor‑friendly story.

Yatsen Group (NYSE: YSG)

Yatsen Group (NYSE: YSG, $2.63, +.77%), a leading China-based beauty group, delivered the sort of quarter that can make a turnaround investor sit up straighter: reported revenue grew, its strategically important skincare operation accelerated sharply, and the company is increasingly built around clinical and premium brands rather than a pure color-cosmetics play. The results are not yet a victory lap, losses widened and third-quarter guidance is cautious, but YSG’s transformation is beginning to look less like a cosmetic touch-up and more like a genuine renovation.

YSG announced (July 8) a landmark collaboration to bring its flagship brand, Perfect Diary, to Sephora in China. This partnership integrates Yatsen’s rigorous scientific infrastructure with the world’s leading prestige beauty retailer, marking a significant milestone in Yatsen’s continuing evolution into a global beauty technology powerhouse.

Doximity, Inc. (NYSE:DOCS)

Doximity (NYSE: DOCS, $26.57, +2.43%) is the leading digital platform for U.S. medical professionals. The company’s network members include more than 85% of U.S. physicians across all specialties and practice areas. Doximity provides its verified clinical membership with digital tools built for medicine, enabling them to collaborate with colleagues, stay current on medical news and research, manage their careers and on-call schedules, streamline documentation and administrative paperwork, and conduct virtual patient visits.

Doximity, Inc. (NYSE: DOCS) announced (Aug. 6) results of its fiscal 2027 first quarter ended June 30, 2026. Jeff Tangney, co-founder and CEO of Doximity, “We’re proud that our clinical AI assistant, Doximity Ask, was the top-performing U.S.-based model in the NOHARM benchmark while we delivered another quarter of record engagement. In Q1 we had accelerated revenue growth along with workflow active prescriber growth of more than 30% year-over-year and AI Search query growth of over 25% quarter-over-quarter.”

Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Financial Highlights

All comparisons, unless otherwise noted, are to the three months ended June 30, 2025.

• Revenue: Revenue of $156.6 million, versus $145.9 million, an increase of 7% year-over-year.
• Net income and non-GAAP net income: Net income of $24.3 million, versus $53.3 million, representing a margin of 15.5%, versus 36.5%. Non-GAAP net income of $55.0 million, versus $71.9 million, representing a margin of 35.1%, versus 49.2%.
• Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA of $74.8 million, versus $79.8 million, a decrease of 6% year-over-year, representing adjusted EBITDA margins of 47.7%, versus 54.7%.
• Diluted net income per share and non-GAAP diluted net income per share: Diluted net income per share was $0.13, versus $0.27, while non-GAAP diluted net income per share was $0.29, versus $0.36.
• Operating cash flow and free cash flow: Operating cash flow of $42.0 million, versus $62.1 million, a decrease of 32% year-over-year, and free cash flow of $39.6 million, versus $60.1 million, a decrease of 34% year-over-year.

Financial Outlook

Doximity is providing guidance for its fiscal second quarter ending September 30, 2026 as follows:

• Revenue between $170 million and $171 million.
• Adjusted EBITDA between $80.5 million and $81.5 million.

Doximity is updating guidance for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2027 as follows:

• Revenue between $671 million and $681 million.
• Adjusted EBITDA between $309 million and $329 million.

Sable Offshore Corp. (SOC)

Sable Offshore Corp. (NYSE: SOC, $4.58) has moved from the awkward “pre-revenue restoration project” phase into something much more recognizable to Wall Street: a company selling meaningful volumes of oil, generating operating cash flow, and building momentum into a potentially larger 2027 earnings base. The second-quarter report on Monday was not a polished victory lap—midstream bottlenecks and one-time costs made sure of that—but it offered something potentially more valuable: proof that the Santa Ynez Unit restart is translating into barrels, revenue, and operational traction. Learn more.

T1 Energy Inc. (NYSE: TE)

T1 Energy Inc. (NYSE: TE, $4.30, +5.13%) offers a different type of growth story: one rooted in domestic production, trade-policy tailwinds and execution on solar manufacturing capacity. T1 announced (Aug. 27) that local officials in Mo i Rana, Norway, have rezoned a portion of the company’s Giga Arctic campus, allowing for the development of a data center. T1 is pursuing multiple pathways to monetize this brownfield facility as part of a value optimization initiative.

T1 recently reported second-quarter net sales of $250.1 million, produced 935 megawatts of solar modules at its G1_Dallas facility and generated adjusted EBITDA of $10.7 million. The company also monetized $39.1 million of 2025 Section 45X tax credits and ended the quarter with $156.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, including $79.1 million unrestricted. The headline loss should not be ignored: T1 reported a $36.9 million net loss from continuing operations, while its adjusted EBITDA benefited from $24.4 million in tariff refunds recognized in cost of sales. Yet the more interesting investor question is whether the company is creating a viable U.S. solar-manufacturing platform at a time when supply-chain security and domestic energy capacity carry unusually high strategic value. The company expects its first solar cells from a planned 2.1-gigawatt manufacturing facility in the first quarter of 2027. With 3 gigawatts of firm contracts, a 641-megawatt offtake agreement with Clearway and 2026 output expected toward the upper end of its 3.1-to-4.2-gigawatt range, T1’s story is increasingly about turning production capacity into contracted revenue. For investors, TE is less a conventional earnings multiple story than an execution-and-optionality story. If domestic solar demand remains durable and manufacturing milestones stay on schedule, the market may ultimately value the company less like a troubled commodity producer and more like a strategically positioned industrial platform.

Nvidia (NVDA, $219.34, +2.54%)

NVDA announced plans (Sept. 3) to acquire open-AI platform Hugging Face for approximately $13 billion, with closing expected in 2027. The move reinforces NVIDIA’s effort to deepen its position across AI infrastructure, development tools, and the open-source AI ecosystem. Learn More.

Nvidia once again delivered (Wed., August 26) results that made Wall Street’s estimates look rather conservative. After the bell on Wednesday, NVIDIA, for its fiscal second quarter, the AI-chip leader reported adjusted earnings of $2.22 per share, ahead of the $2.10 consensus forecast, while revenue reached $96.22 billion, comfortably above expectations of $92.17 billion. The performance underscores Nvidia’s central role in the global AI buildout, where demand for its computing hardware continues to turn ambitious data-center plans into exceptionally large purchase orders. In short: the company remains one of the market’s preferred ways to bet on artificial intelligence, and, judging by the numbers, the machines are still very much hungry.

The Sources

Sources

1. Yahoo Finance Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq rise as oil slips, Fed rate hike pacifies markets’ inflation worries
2. CNBC Stock market today: Live updates
3. Federal Reserve Implementation Note Issued September 16, 2026
   Primary source for the Federal Reserve’s 25-basis-point rate increase, the 3.75%–4.00% target range, interest paid on reserve balances and related policy implementation details.
4. Reuters Fed Raises Rates in Search of “Timelier” Drop in Inflation, Sees Further Increases
   Independent reporting and policy context on the Fed’s decision, inflation pressures, energy-market developments and updated rate projections.
5. The New York Times Warsh and Fed Officials Raise Interest Rates to Fight Inflation
   Coverage of the unanimous Federal Open Market Committee decision and its significance as the first rate increase since 2023.
6. CNBC Fed Rate Decision September 2026: Rates Rise to 3.75%–4%
   Coverage of the Fed’s September policy statement, the 12–0 vote and the outlook for a potential additional rate increase.
7. USA Today Fed Raises Rates for First Time Since 2023: What It Means for You
   Consumer- and economy-focused context on the implications of higher short-term interest rates for borrowing, savings and the broader economy.
8. KPMG Economics September 2026 FOMC Meeting Analysis
   Economic analysis of the Federal Reserve’s shift to a renewed tightening cycle and the policy outlook following the September meeting.
9. Investopedia Fed Officials Don’t Think They’re Done Hiking Interest Rates
   Plain-language analysis of the September rate decision, the inflation rationale and the potential implications for investors and financial markets.