NextFin news, NEW YORK — On Friday, September 12, 2025, U.S. stock markets closed with mixed results as investors anticipated the Federal Reserve's upcoming decision on interest rates, set for Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined by 0.59 percent, ending the day at 45,834.22 points. The Standard & Poor's 500 index edged down slightly by 0.05 percent to 6,584.29. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.44 percent to close at 22,141.1, marking its fifth consecutive record closing high.
Among the 11 primary sectors of the S&P 500, seven ended the day lower. The health care sector led the declines with a 1.13 percent drop, followed by materials which fell 0.97 percent. Conversely, consumer discretionary and utilities sectors were the best performers, gaining 0.57 percent and 0.56 percent respectively.
Investor sentiment was influenced by the University of Michigan's preliminary survey released on Friday, which showed consumer sentiment fell more than expected in September. The survey also indicated that long-run inflation expectations rose to 3.9 percent, reflecting household concerns about tariffs.
Despite the dip in consumer sentiment, market participants remained confident that the Federal Reserve would implement a quarter-point interest rate cut at its policy meeting next Wednesday. Futures markets, as tracked by the CME FedWatch tool, showed near certainty of this rate reduction.
On the corporate front, Microsoft shares rose 1.77 percent following an announcement of a deal with OpenAI, allowing the artificial intelligence company to transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit model. Tesla's stock surged 7.36 percent, while Apple gained 1.76 percent. Other technology giants including Nvidia, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Broadcom posted modest gains. Amazon was the only major tech stock to decline, slipping 0.78 percent.
The mixed market performance on Friday reflects investor caution ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision, which will be closely watched for guidance on the future path of U.S. monetary policy amid ongoing economic uncertainties.
Sources: Bastille Post (https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/5192293-u-s-stocks-close-mixed-ahead-of-fed-decision-on-interest-rates), APA (https://en.apa.az/america/us-stocks-close-mixed-ahead-of-fed-decision-on-interest-rates-477568), The Straits Times (https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/us-stocks-mixed-as-investors-look-forward-to-fed-meeting)
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