How major US stock indexes fared Tuesday, 9/16/2025

Key Points

• U.S. stocks closed slightly lower on Tuesday, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq composite all retreating after reaching record highs.
• The Federal Reserve's anticipated interest rate cut is influencing market trends, as the job market shows signs of slowing down.
• For the week, the S&P 500 is up 0.3%, while the Dow is down 0.2%, illustrating varied performance among major indexes.
• Year-to-date, the S&P 500 has increased by 12.3%, while the Nasdaq has surged by 15.7%, highlighting strong overall market growth.

U.S. stocks drifted a bit below their record heights.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% Tuesday, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%.

Stocks have run to records on expectations that the Federal Reserve will announce on Wednesday its first cut to interest rates of the year. The job market could use such a boost after slowing sharply. Treasury yields eased a bit after a report showing stronger sales at U.S. retailers did little to change expectations for the Fed to cut interest rates several times through this year and into 2026.

On Tuesday:

The S&P 500 fell 8.52 points, or 0.1%, to 6,606.76.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 125.55 points, or 0.3%, to 45,757.90.

The Nasdaq composite fell 14.79 points, or 0.1%, to 22,333.96.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 2.10 points, or 0.1%, to 2,403.03.

For the week:

The S&P 500 is up 22.47 points, or 0.3%.

The Dow is down 76.32 points, or 0.2%.

The Nasdaq is up 192.86 points, or 0.9%.

The Russell 2000 is up 5.97 points, or 0.2%.

For the year:

The S&P 500 is up 725.13 points, or 12.3%.

The Dow is up 3,213.68 points, or 7.6%.

The Nasdaq is up 3,023.17 points, or 15.7%.

The Russell 2000 is up 172.87 points, or 7.8%.