Weekly Market Summary – October 2, 2026: Stocks Finish Higher as Soft Jobs Data Reframes Fed Outlook -( $AMD $AVGO $F $GOOGL $HPP $LPL $NVDA $SER $SOC $TSLA )

U.S. equities ended Friday, October 2, 2026, with broad gains after a softer-than-expected September jobs report reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve may keep interest rates unchanged at its upcoming meeting.The Nasdaq Composite led the advance as investors rotated back toward technology and artificial-intelligence beneficiaries, while Treasury yields rose modestly and crude oil prices retreated.

Market performance

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq Composite and Russell 2000 all closed higher on Friday. Technology shares provided the strongest leadership, with the Nasdaq’s 1.19% gain outpacing the broader market.

The drop in the VIX to 15.40 signaled a meaningful reduction in near-term equity-market anxiety. At the same time, the 10-year Treasury yield’s move to 5.28% showed that bond investors remain focused on inflation, fiscal supply and longer-term interest-rate uncertainty—even as equities welcomed signs of a cooling labor market.

Macroeconomic report commentary

The September employment report was the week’s defining macroeconomic catalyst. U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by just 29,000 in September, while the unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%. The report also included sizeable downward revisions to the prior two months, reducing previously reported payrolls by a combined 60,000 jobs. Average hourly earnings increased 0.1% for the month and 3.0% from a year earlier, indicating that wage growth is slowing. Health care, construction and manufacturing were among the areas adding jobs, while the overall data showed a labor market that is cooling rather than accelerating. For many, the report reduced the immediate pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise rates. Markets interpreted slower payroll growth, a higher unemployment rate and restrained wage gains as factors supporting a policy pause. That shift helped lift stocks and supported a rebound in growth-oriented names, particularly companies tied to AI infrastructure and semiconductor demand. The report does not eliminate economic risk. Payroll growth below trend, downward revisions and weaker wage momentum require close monitoring in the months ahead. However, Friday’s market reaction suggested investors believe weaker employment data may improve the balance between growth, inflation and monetary policy, provided the slowdown does not deteriorate into a more material contraction.

Technology, autos and corporate themes

Technology and AI-linked stocks regained leadership on Friday, helping push the Nasdaq Composite to 27,192.87. NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) reached a fresh intraday high, while other large-cap technology and semiconductor names, including Broadcom Inc. (AVGO), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) and Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), benefited from declining expectations for an immediate Fed rate increase. The market’s continued preference for AI-exposed companies reflects a larger investment narrative: corporations, cloud providers and governments are still deploying capital toward accelerated computing, data centers, networking and large-scale AI infrastructure. Lower perceived policy risk can support valuations for these longer-duration growth businesses, though elevated Treasury yields remain an important counterweight. In the automotive sector, Ford Motor Company (F) retained its No. 3 position in U.S. third-quarter vehicle sales, reporting 507,395 light-duty vehicles sold. That total represented a 6.6% decline from the prior-year period but narrowly exceeded the combined 506,200 vehicles reported by Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) also remained in focus after reporting third-quarter deliveries of 486,532 vehicles, topping expectations near 461,000 to 463,000. The delivery result illustrated resilient near-term demand relative to consensus forecasts, even as the company faces intense global EV competition, pricing pressure and a shifting policy environment. Consumer-sector results were more mixed. NIKE, Inc. (NKE) faced selling pressure after reporting fiscal first-quarter revenue of $11.21 billion, down 4% year over year and below Wall Street expectations. The company’s forecast for a high-single-digit fiscal 2027 revenue decline underscored persistent challenges in global consumer demand and its China business.

Energy, rates and commodities

Energy remained a major macro focus during the week. Crude oil for November delivery fell 1.54% on Friday to $91.44 per barrel, offering a modest reprieve after recent geopolitical and supply-related pressure. The decline followed news that G7 nations agreed to release 100 million barrels of crude and diesel reserves over four months in an effort to ease fuel-market tightness. Diesel supply has become particularly important because it affects freight costs, industrial activity, agriculture and consumer-price trends. The G7 release is intended to soften near-term fuel inflation, but it does not remove the underlying risks tied to geopolitical conflict, refinery constraints and international shipping disruptions. Gold fell $30.60 to $4,171.70 as investors shifted toward equities and volatility eased. Bitcoin slipped modestly to $84,338, suggesting that risk appetite improved selectively rather than uniformly across all alternative assets. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 5.28%, a reminder that fixed-income markets remain concerned about the longer-run path for inflation, government borrowing and term premiums. This divergence, strong equities alongside elevated long-term yields, will remain one of the most consequential cross-asset signals for investors to watch in October.

A takeaway

Friday’s advance improved market sentiment heading into the new week, but the broader investment environment remains defined by competing forces: easing rate-hike expectations, softening job growth, elevated bond yields and lingering energy-market risk.

• The S&P 500 gained 0.73% to 7,722.77, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.19% to 27,192.87, reinforcing technology’s market leadership.
• The Dow rose 0.49% to 51,176.96 and the Russell 2000 climbed 0.94% to 2,832.90, showing that Friday’s rally extended beyond mega-cap growth stocks.
• The VIX fell 6.03% to 15.40, pointing to lower near-term investor concern after the jobs report.
• The September payroll gain of 29,000 and 4.2% unemployment rate strengthened the case for a near-term Fed policy pause.[bls]
• A 5.28% 10-year Treasury yield remains a valuation risk for growth stocks and a key indicator of whether inflation and fiscal concerns are truly receding.
• Lower crude oil prices and the G7 fuel-reserve release may ease near-term inflation fears, but the underlying energy supply outlook remains vulnerable.

The coming week will test whether Friday’s rally can extend. Many will be watching inflation indicators, Treasury-market conditions, oil and diesel prices, and further earnings or guidance from major technology, consumer and industrial companies.

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 $12.41.

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 Therapeutics (NYSE: SER)

Serina Theraeuptics (NYSE: SER, $1.96, +.51%) 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.

On Thursday, September 24, 2026, Serina CEO Steve Ledger discussed discuss Serina’s programs’ progress during Tribe Public’s “A New Approach to Advanced Parkinson’s Disease: Serina Discusses SER-252’s Clinical Progress”webinar, followed by a live Q&A. You may view it below.

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, $11.47, +.39%) 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, $7.24), a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging its proprietary Diffusphere™ technology designed to optimize local, controlled drug delivery for applications with significant unmet need, has added a potentially important chapter to its eosinophilic esophagitis, or EoE, story: a single administration of its investigational localized therapy, EP-104GI, continued to show clinical-remission signals at 52 weeks in the highest-dose cohorts of the ongoing RESOLVE study. For a chronic disease in which swallowing can become a calculated exercise rather than an automatic human function, durability is more than a tidy line on a clinical slide. It is central to the value proposition. The latest data suggest Eupraxia’s localized, extended-release approach may be building toward a differentiated position in a market already led by a formidable incumbent: Sanofi S.A. (NASDAQ: SNY) and its biologic franchise, Dupixent. The clinical data remain early, open-label, and small in patient count, biotech investors should keep both feet on the ground, even when the data seem to float, but the one-year observations give EPRX a meaningful argument for continued investor attention ahead of interim randomized Phase 2b results expected in December 2026.

Modular Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: MODD)

Modular Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: MODD, $2.03), 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.

LG Display Co., Ltd. (LPL)

LG Display Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LPL, $3.12, +2.97%) 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, $2.64), 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, $27.93) 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, $3.51, +6.69%) 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.

Nvidia (NVDA, $233.95, +1.34%)

NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) seemingly has given many a two-part bullish signal: a record-sized $150 billion increase to its share-repurchase authorization and a new AI-agent safety platform aimed at making autonomous software more secure for enterprise deployment. The combination suggests a company using extraordinary financial strength not merely to reward shareholders, but to expand its influence from AI computing into the governance, security and operating layer of the AI economy. The timing is notable. Markets are beginning the week with a cautiously constructive tone, even as investors brace for jobs, inflation and manufacturing data that could reset the outlook for interest rates. In that environment, NVIDIA is making a familiar but potent argument: its AI franchise is generating enough cash to finance innovation, deepen its ecosystem and return meaningful capital to shareholders, all at once. That is not an everyday corporate trick. It is closer to juggling bowling balls while also building the bowling alley.

The Sources

Sources

1. CNBC Stocks rise after soft jobs data; Nasdaq hits record led by Nvidia
2. CNBC Ford fends off Hyundai to retain No. 3 U.S. sales position in third quarter
3. CNBC G7 nations to release diesel stocks as wars in Europe and Middle East constrain fuel supplies
4. CNBC Labor market faltered in September as jobs increased by just 29,000, unemployment rate rose to 4.2%
5. Yahoo Finance Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq jump as traders pare Fed rate-hike bets after September jobs miss
6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation Summary, September 2026
7. Reuters Soft September jobs report sends markets higher
8. Reuters Wall Street futures gain as yields and oil prices ease ahead of jobs report
9. Reuters Equities rebound to close higher as Treasury yields ease