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For the week ending Friday, October 2, 2026, the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Russell 2000 finished lower, according to The Associated Press. All four indexes rose on Friday after a September jobs report eased concerns about interest rates. The available reporting does not establish that chip or software stocks drove the Nasdaq’s weekly gain, or that the Nasdaq reached a record.
How the major indexes performed
AP’s figures show a split between the full week and its final trading day: the Nasdaq was up for the week, but all four indexes advanced on Friday.
| Index | Week ending Oct. 2, 2026 | Friday, Oct. 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Nasdaq Composite | +0.5% | +1.2% to 27,190.86 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | -1.3% | +0.5% to 51,176.96 |
| S&P 500 | -0.3% | +0.7% to 7,722.72 |
| Russell 2000 | -0.2% | +0.9% to 2,832.90 |
These are AP’s reported index changes for the week and Friday session, not returns for individual stocks or a measure of every company in each index. The Dow is not a broad-market index, and the Russell 2000 does not represent every small-cap stock.
Why stocks rose on Friday
The Associated Press linked Friday’s gains to a September jobs report showing that U.S. employers had slowed hiring. That helped cool concern that an overheated economy could worsen inflation. AP also reported that traders pared bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike later in October.
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Treasury yields initially fell after the report, then recovered some of their losses as oil prices bounced from an early decline. This describes the session’s reported context; it does not show that one data release explains the entire week’s performance.
Did chip and software stocks lead the Nasdaq?
The index returns do not answer that question. AP’s recap reports index-level moves but does not identify semiconductor or software stocks as the drivers of the Nasdaq’s weekly gain. A Stock Preachers release distributed by PR Newswire describes a rally led by “big technology names,” but its visible text does not substantiate the more specific chip-and-software attribution. Without dated stock-level evidence, that claim should be treated as unverified.
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Did the Nasdaq hit a record?
The available reporting does not confirm a new Nasdaq record. AP said the S&P 500 was within 1% of its all-time high; that statement is about the S&P 500, not the Nasdaq Composite. A weekly gain alone does not establish either a record close or broad participation across Nasdaq stocks.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why published weekly percentages may differ
AP reported weekly changes of +0.5% for the Nasdaq, -1.3% for the Dow, -0.2% for the Russell 2000 and -0.3% for the S&P 500. Stock Preachers’ October 3, 2026, PR Newswire release gives slightly different weekly figures: +0.44%, -1.42%, -0.13% and -0.31%, respectively. These are two sources’ reported values; use one source consistently rather than mixing the figures.
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Sources: The Associated Press, “How major US stock indexes fared Friday 10/2/2026” (Oct. 2, 2026); Stock Preachers via PR Newswire, “Nasdaq Hits Fresh Ground on Chip and Software Strength as Dow, Small Caps Lag for the Week” (Oct. 3, 2026).
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