SPY Edges Lower While QQQ Gains; Utilities Lead Sectors
SPY slipped 0.18% on September 29 while QQQ rose 0.19%; Utilities gained 1.17%, and ORCL and META led large caps as AAPL fell 2.66%.
U.S. stock benchmarks diverged on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. SPY, which tracks the S&P 500, slipped 0.18% to 764.20, while the Nasdaq-100 fund QQQ rose 0.19% to 737.93. The Dow-tracking DIA fell 0.22% to 512.88, and the small-cap IWM declined 0.36% to 279.01.
Sector performance was mixed, with four of eleven sector ETFs higher. Utilities (XLU) led with a gain of 1.17% to 39.71. Communication Services (XLC) added 0.26%, Industrials (XLI) rose 0.21% and Consumer Discretionary (XLY) gained 0.14%. Technology (XLK) and Real Estate (XLRE) were little changed. Energy (XLE) was the weakest group, falling 0.90% to 61.54, followed by Materials (XLB), down 0.75%, and Consumer Staples (XLP), down 0.52%.
Among the 62 large-cap stocks tracked, ORCL rose 3.91% to 137.79 and META gained 3.24% to 738.79. UBER added 1.76%, AVGO rose 1.58% to 355.10 and NFLX gained 1.55%. AAPL was the largest decliner, falling 2.66% to 329.40. QCOM lost 1.80%, WMT fell 1.78%, T dropped 1.69% and JNJ declined 1.61%.
Bond yields remained a theme. Barron's closing column was titled "Review & Preview: Yields Beat Doves." In other coverage, a WSJ headline read "Wall Street's Hopes for a Blockbuster IPO Season Are Starting to Fade."
The VIX stood at 16.04 for the day, according to FRED data. The high-yield option-adjusted spread was 3.08 percentage points, and the 10-year Treasury yield was 5.26%.
Data
| Instrument | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| SPY | 764.20 | -0.18% |
| QQQ | 737.93 | +0.19% |
| DIA | 512.88 | -0.22% |
| IWM | 279.01 | -0.36% |
| XLU | 39.71 | +1.17% |
| XLE | 61.54 | -0.90% |
Data: FMP, FRED. Figures are close-to-close unless stated.
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Neutral market summary for information only; not investment advice.
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