US open: Stocks climb as easing oil prices, lower yields lift sentiment

21st Sep 2026 15:03

(Sharecast News) - Major indices were in the green early on Monday as falling oil prices and easing Treasury yields helped Wall Street rebound from a mostly losing week.

As of 1500 BST, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.17% at 51,770.73, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.62% to 7,698.02 and the Nasdaq Composite came out of the gate 0.99% firmer at 26,786.01.

The Dow opened 88.09 points higher on Monday, extending gains recorded in the previous session after a volatile week marked by big swings in the oil and bond markets and three major central bank decisions, including the Federal Reserve's first rate hike in three years.

A pullback in crude prices boosted sentiment early on Monday, with West Texas Intermediate down 3.82% to $96.47 a barrel and Brent crude down 3.07% to $100.68. The moves followed a renewed flare‑up in Middle East tensions after Iran‑backed Houthi forces claimed missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia over the weekend, prompting Washington to advise Americans to reconsider travel to the region as both sides exchanged warnings over potential further strikes. Even so, Donald Trump told Fox News he would likely be open to meeting Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian during this week's UN General Assembly.

Treasury yields eased alongside the drop in crude, with the 10‑year falling more than two basis points to 4.972% and the 30‑year note down two basis points at 5.305%.

Traders were also looking ahead to a key summit between Trump and China's Xi Jinping later in the week, with discussions expected to cover artificial intelligence, tariffs, critical minerals and broader economic ties. Ahead of the meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held talks with Chinese vice‑premier He Lifeng.

On the macro front, US economic activity softened in August, according to new data from the Chicago Federal Reserve, with its national activity index slipping back into negative territory. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index fell to -0.04 from +0.08 in July, with two of the four broad indicator categories weakening on the month and one making a negative contribution.

However, the three‑month moving average still managed to edge up to +0.01 from -0.01, suggesting underlying activity was broadly flat. The diffusion index, also a three‑month measure, eased to +0.02 from +0.04. Of the 85 individual indicators tracked, 39 made positive contributions in August and 46 negative, while 34 improved on the month and 49 deteriorated.

No major corporate earnings were slated for release on Monday.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

Dow Jones - Risers

Intel Corp. (INTC) $116.35 6.45%

International Business Machines Corporation (CDI) (IBM) $231.74 1.21%

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) $948.00 1.16%

JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $352.73 1.04%

Walt Disney Co. (DIS) $103.71 1.02%

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $272.18 0.95%

Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $147.94 0.94%

Amgen Inc. (AMGN) $388.26 0.90%

Boeing Co. (BA) $199.02 0.65%

McDonald's Corp. (MCD) $247.99 0.43%

Dow Jones - Fallers

Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) $28.25 -1.34%

Chevron Corp. (CVX) $206.68 -1.28%

Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $109.26 -1.08%

Apple Inc. (AAPL) $334.42 -0.99%

Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $87.61 -0.47%

Home Depot Inc. (HD) $296.65 -0.35%

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $47.70 -0.23%

Visa Inc. (V) $366.61 -0.14%

Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $145.74 -0.01%

S&P 500 - Risers

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) $604.92 9.46%

Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $457.89 8.50%

Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $1,055.45 7.47%

Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $885.45 7.23%

KLA-Tencor Corp. (KLAC) $182.04 6.70%

Intel Corp. (INTC) $116.35 6.45%

Lam Research Corp. (LRCX) $293.54 6.23%

Accenture Plc (ACN) $187.92 6.00%

International Paper Co. (IP) $35.74 4.08%

United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) $111.33 4.04%

S&P 500 - Fallers

Coterra Energy Inc. (CTRA) $32.56 -8.62%

QUALCOMM Inc. (QCOM) $182.76 -4.49%

Mohawk Inds Inc. (MHK) $120.55 -4.25%

Equity Residential (EQR) $63.66 -3.50%

Diamondback Energy Inc. (FANG) $188.60 -2.97%

Intuit Inc. (INTU) $295.84 -2.70%

Devon Energy Corp. (DVN) $47.73 -2.46%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) $503.73 -2.43%

Capri Holdings Limited (CPRI) $14.27 -2.24%

Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) $125.79 -2.22%

Nasdaq 100 - Risers

Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $457.89 8.50%

Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $1,055.45 7.47%

Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $885.45 7.23%

KLA-Tencor Corp. (KLAC) $182.04 6.70%

Intel Corp. (INTC) $116.35 6.45%

Lam Research Corp. (LRCX) $293.54 6.23%

Western Digital Corp. (WDC) $447.98 3.81%

Asml Holdings N.V. (ASML) $1,696.09 3.41%

Microchip Technology Inc. (MCHP) $73.19 3.09%

Meta Platforms Inc. (META) $702.93 3.04%

Nasdaq 100 - Fallers

Qvc Group Inc Series A (QVCGA) $0.34 -13.49%

QUALCOMM Inc. (QCOM) $182.76 -4.49%

Intuit Inc. (INTU) $295.84 -2.70%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) $503.73 -2.43%

Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) $125.79 -2.22%

CSX Corp. (CSX) $46.16 -2.14%

eBay Inc. (EBAY) $109.89 -2.13%

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO) $205.74 -2.04%

Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (BMRN) $63.96 -1.93%

Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) $29.02 -1.80%