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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →U.S. stocks rose on Friday, Oct. 2, after a weaker-than-expected September jobs picture helped ease some inflation and interest-rate concerns. But one strong session did not erase earlier losses: the Dow fell 1.3% and the S&P 500 slipped 0.3% for the week, while the Nasdaq gained 0.5%. The Nasdaq reached an intraday record; it did not set a record closing level.
How stocks performed Friday and for the week
The major indexes finished higher on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. The weekly results differed because the Friday gains were not large enough to reverse the losses accumulated earlier in the week. The figures below are from the Associated Press’s report of the closing session.
| Index | Friday, Oct. 2 close | Friday change | Change for the week |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,722.72 | +56.27 points (+0.7%) | -20.69 points (-0.3%) |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 51,176.96 | +250.40 points (+0.5%) | -651.66 points (-1.3%) |
| Nasdaq Composite | 27,190.86 | +319.27 points (+1.2%) | +122.15 points (+0.5%) |
| Russell 2000 | 2,832.90 | +26.27 points (+0.9%) | -4.66 points (-0.2%) |
A daily return measures the move from the prior close to Friday’s close; a weekly return compares the week’s closing level with the previous week’s close. They describe different periods, so a positive Friday and a negative weekly result can both be true. Point changes also reflect each index’s different scale; percentages are more useful for comparing the size of the moves.
What the September jobs report said
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nonfarm payroll employment changed little in September, increasing by 29,000. That was below the prior 12-month average monthly gain of 45,000. The official unemployment rate was 4.2%. Most major industries changed little, while health care added 17,000 jobs, construction 11,000 and manufacturing 9,000. The BLS Employment Situation release for September 2026 was published Oct. 2.
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Revisions to the two preceding months also made the employment picture weaker than previously reported. BLS revised July from a gain of 21,000 to a loss of 10,000, and August’s gain from 162,000 to 133,000. Together, those months were revised down by 60,000 jobs.
Other details put the payroll headline in context: average hourly earnings for private nonfarm employees were $37.81, up 5 cents (0.1%) for the month and 3.0% over the year. The average workweek remained 34.4 hours.
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Why stocks rose after a weak jobs report
A weak jobs report can move markets in more than one direction. Investors may see slower hiring as a sign of economic risk, but they may also interpret it as reducing the chance that a too-hot economy will intensify inflation or prompt the Federal Reserve to raise rates. The Associated Press attributed Friday’s rally in part to that second interpretation; it is a market explanation, not proof that one data release caused every index move.
AP reported that traders reduced the perceived odds of an October rate hike. CME Group data cited in the report put those market-implied odds below 23%, down from 64% a week earlier. Those figures describe traders’ expectations at the time, not a Federal Reserve decision or a guarantee of what policymakers would do.
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Adam Schickling, a senior economist at Vanguard, told AP: “This report strengthens the case for the Federal Reserve to remain patient. The labor market has not deteriorated sharply, but there is also little evidence that it has meaningfully strengthened, giving policymakers reason to wait for additional data.”
Nasdaq’s record was intraday, not at the close
The Nasdaq Composite touched an intraday record on Friday, according to AP. That means it reached a record level during trading; it does not mean it closed at a record. The S&P 500, by contrast, ended the day within 1% of its August record, but AP did not describe Friday’s close as a new record.
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Other market moves behind the session
The jobs report was not the only factor in Friday’s trading. AP reported that Nvidia rose 1.3%, making it the single strongest force lifting the S&P 500. Nike fell 3.6% after reporting weaker-than-feared revenue and a profit outlook below analysts’ expectations. These are examples of individual stock contributions, not a complete measure of how many stocks rose or fell.
Bond trading also shifted during the session. AP reported that the 10-year Treasury yield briefly fell below 5.17%, after reaching a Thursday peak near 5.35%, then rebounded to 5.28% as oil recovered most of its early decline. Those are intraday figures reported on Oct. 2, not current yields.
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For broader context, AP reported year-to-date gains through Friday of 12.8% for the S&P 500, 6.5% for the Dow, 17% for the Nasdaq and 14.1% for the Russell 2000. Those cumulative returns do not change the separate Friday and weekly results.
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