U.S. stocks close lower ahead of Labor Day weekend but still book August gains
The U.S. stock market closed lower Friday, weighed down...
The U.S. stock market closed lower Friday, weighed down by Big Tech as all three major benchmarks saw weekly losses but still finished August with monthly gains.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 92.02 points on Friday, or 0.2%, to close at 45,544.88.
The S&P 500 fell 41.60 points, 0.6%, to end at 6,460.26.
The Nasdaq Composite dropped 249.61 points, or a sharp 1.1%, to finish at 21,455.55.
The big event on the U.S. economic calendar Friday was the fresh inflation data from the personal-consumption-expenditures price index, which was in line with Wall Street’s expectations.
“There’s no new justification” for the stock market’s selloff on Friday, except for maybe investors wanted to dodge September as the historically worst month for returns, said José Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers, in emailed comments. On the last trading day of August, investors were “grabbing profits,” following the S&P 500’s rally so far this year, he said.
The S&P 500 has rallied 9.8% in 2025, including an August gain of 1.9%. The Dow climbed 3.2% in August while the tech-heavy Nasdaq finished with a monthly gain of 1.6%. The U.S. stock market will be closed on Monday in honor of Labor Day.
U.S. EIA Natural Gas Storage Surprisingly Low, Below Forecast: Implications for Energy-Sensitive Sectors and the Chemical Industry
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) latest Natural Gas...
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) latest Natural Gas Storage Report for August 2025 has sparked market volatility, revealing a 13 Bcf net injection for the week ending August 15—below the consensus forecast of 18 Bcf and significantly lower than the five-year average of 35 Bcf for this period. While total working gas inventories remain 174 Bcf above the five-year average, the slower-than-expected build signals a critical inflection point for energy-sensitive sectors. This deviation from expectations underscores growing risks of price compression, supply chain disruptions, and cost inflation, particularly for the Chemical Products industry, which relies heavily on natural gas as a feedstock and energy input.
The EIA's data has reinforced a bearish sentiment in the natural gas futures market. Henry Hub spot prices have averaged $2.92/MMBtu, with the September 2025 NYMEX contract settling at $2.83/MMBtu. These levels reflect oversupply pressures, driven by record production (106.44 Bcf/d in July 2025) and robust LNG exports (12.6 Bcf/d). However, the recent slowdown in injections—despite a 20% higher average refill rate compared to the five-year norm—suggests that demand-side factors, such as power generation and export-driven consumption, are beginning to counterbalance the injection season's momentum.
Oil settles higher as traders await Trump statement on Russia-Ukraine
Oil prices settled higher on Thursday, bouncing off early...
Oil prices settled higher on Thursday, bouncing off early losses after the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump was not happy when he learned that Russia attacked Ukraine with missiles and drones overnight.
Brent crude futures settled up 57 cents, or 0.8%, at $68.62 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 45 cents, or 0.7%, to close at $64.60 a barrel.
Russia hit Ukraine with deadly missiles and drone strikes early on Thursday, killing at least 21 people in Kyiv, city officials said. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said it used drones to hit two Russian oil refineries overnight.
Trump will make a statement on the situation later on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Both oil benchmarks were down about 1% earlier in the session, but turned positive after her comments.
Traders are also watching for India's response to pressure from the U.S. to stop buying Russian oil, after Trump doubled tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50% on Wednesday.
After expanding at an annualized rate of 12% from 2020 to 2024, US jet...
After expanding at an annualized rate of 12% from 2020 to 2024, US jet fuel consumption growth has slowed in 2025 as air travel demand eases and efficiency improves, according to the Energy Information Administration. The slowdown reflects weaker passenger volumes, economic headwinds and more fuel-efficient aircraft fleets, with the trend expected to continue through 2026.
