US Stock Market Real-time Quotes: September Market Shows Upward Trend with Technology Stocks Leading Rally, Major Indices Hit New Highs

On September 22, 2026, the US stock market continued to show an upward trend, with all three major indices reaching new historical highs. Technology stocks performed exceptionally well, becoming the main driving force behind the market's rise. As the Federal Reserve's September interest rate meeting approaches, the market's increasing expectations for interest rate cuts have also provided strong support for the stock market. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the current real-time situation of the US stock market, performance of major indices, dynamics of popular stocks, and key factors affecting market trends.

Major Indices All Hit New Highs, Market Sentiment Optimistic

As of the close on September 22, 2026, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.82% to close at 38,752.36 points; the S&P 500 index rose 1.15% to close at 6,321.84 points; the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 1.58% to close at 17,284.57 points, with all three indices reaching new historical highs. Market analysts pointed out that this wave of rally was mainly driven by the strong performance of technology stocks and better-than-expected economic data.

Since the beginning of 2026, the S&P 500 index has accumulated a rise of more than 18%, with the technology sector contributing about 40% of the increase. The Nasdaq index performed even stronger, with a year-to-date increase of more than 25%. This performance far exceeds major global stock indices, highlighting the leading position of US technology companies in the global market.

Technology Stocks Lead the Rally, AI Concepts Continue to Strengthen

Among technology stocks, artificial intelligence-related companies performed particularly impressively. NVIDIA (NVDA) stock rose 3.25%, with its market value exceeding $1.2 trillion, becoming the world's most valuable chip company. The company's newly released Blackwell Ultra architecture has received high market recognition, and several Wall Street investment firms have raised their target prices. Analysts expect that as AI application scenarios continue to expand, NVIDIA's leading position in the high-end GPU market will be further consolidated.

In addition to NVIDIA, technology giants such as Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOGL), and Amazon (AMZN) also performed strongly. Microsoft rose 2.18%, Google rose 2.45%, and Amazon rose 1.92%. These companies continue to receive market favor with their leading advantages in cloud computing, AI applications, and other fields.

Notably, other companies in the AI industry chain have also generally risen, including AI chip design company AMD and AI software provider C3.ai. This trend indicates that the market maintains a highly optimistic attitude toward the long-term development prospects of AI technology.

Energy Sector Emerges as a Strong Performer, Rising Oil Prices Boost Related Stocks

While technology stocks performed strongly, the energy sector also emerged as another highlight in the market. As international crude oil prices continue to rise, energy stocks have generally performed strongly. ExxonMobil (XOM) rose 2.85%, Chevron (CVX) rose 2.72%, and ConocoPhillips (COP) rose 3.15%.

Analysts pointed out that the rise of the energy sector was mainly driven by several factors: first, global crude oil supply is tight, especially with OPEC+ countries implementing production cuts beyond expectations; second, the global economic recovery is in good shape, with energy demand continuing to grow; finally, rising geopolitical risks, especially tensions in the Middle East, have boosted oil price expectations.

Notably, the rise of the energy sector has provided strong support to the overall US stock market. In the S&P 500 index, the energy sector has risen by more than 15% year-to-date, becoming one of the best-performing sectors. This performance indicates that the market, in addition to technology stocks, is also beginning to pay attention to other sectors with growth potential.

Economic Data Better Than Expected, Interest Rate Cut Expectations Rise

Recently released economic data has been generally better than expected, providing strong support for the US stock market. US retail sales in August increased by 0.8% month-on-month, better than the market expectation of 0.5%; industrial production in August increased by 0.6% month-on-month, also higher than the expected 0.3%. These data indicate that the US economy continues to maintain a steady growth trend.

At the same time, inflation data has also shown positive changes. US CPI in August increased by 3.2% year-on-year, lower than 3.7% in July, marking the third consecutive month of decline. Core CPI increased by 4.1% year-on-year, also lower than 4.3% in July. This trend indicates that inflation pressure is gradually easing, providing room for the Federal Reserve's subsequent policy adjustments.

The improvement in economic data has further increased market expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September. According to CME Group data, the market currently estimates that the probability of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by 25 basis points at the September meeting has exceeded 80%. This expectation has had a positive impact on the stock market, especially providing support for the valuation of growth stocks and technology stocks.

Institutional Position Changes, Capital Flows to ETFs

In terms of institutional position changes, hedge funds and mutual funds have generally increased their allocations to technology and energy stocks recently. According to the latest disclosed 13F files, hedge funds in the second quarter increased their holdings of technology giants such as Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT), while significantly increasing their holdings of energy stocks such as ExxonMobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX).

In terms of ETFs, capital has continued to flow into technology and energy ETFs. According to the latest data, since September, technology ETFs have seen net inflows of more than $12 billion, while energy ETFs have seen net inflows of about $4.5 billion. This trend indicates that investors are using ETF tools to position themselves in the technology and energy sectors, seizing investment opportunities in related fields.

Market Volatility Decreases, Investor Sentiment Optimistic

As the market continues to rise, the volatility indicator VIX (fear index) has fallen below 15, reaching its lowest level in nearly a year. This data indicates that market risk appetite has increased, and investor sentiment is generally optimistic.

From a technical perspective, all three major indices are in an upward trend, with strong support at key technical levels. The 50-day moving average of the S&P 500 index is around 6,100 points, and the current stock price is far above this level, indicating that the short-term upward trend is intact. The 50-day moving average of the Nasdaq index is around 16,500