MarketBeat Week in Review – 09/14 - 09/18

Key Points

• Blue chips fell this week while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ posted small gains amid volatility tied to inflation, interest rates, oil prices, and AI regulation concerns.
• Investors are awaiting the August PCE index reading on Sept. 30 and the September jobs report on Oct. 2 for further economic direction.
• MarketBeat contributors covered a wide range of stocks this week, including Micron, Nike, Tesla, Qualcomm, Intel, Rocket Lab, Alphabet, Broadcom, Adobe, and NVIDIA, among others.

Inflation, interest rates, and oil prices made this a volatile week for investors. Blue chips were down for the week. But the S&P 500 and NASDAQ indexes were poised to make small weekly gains.

The week started with concerns over the need to regulate artificial intelligence (AI). Chip stocks were hit the hardest, but the entire sector recovered as investors placed greater weight on earnings growth and the scale of investment in AI infrastructure. Both numbers are expected to increase in the upcoming earnings season.

In the upcoming week, investors will get the latest read on consumer confidence. But the big news comes on Sept. 30 when the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index reading for August will be released, with the September Jobs report due out on Oct. 2.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

Thomas Hughes highlighted three of the most downgraded stocks in the third quarter. Downgrades are often seen as a bearish signal, but Hughes pointed out that two of those stocks have positive trends, while one should give investors reason for caution.

Shares of Micron Technology Inc. NASDAQ: MU wobbled, then rallied, this week over concerns about AI regulation. Hughes highlighted the broader picture, which means the infrastructure buildout and memory boom are still in their early stages. Micron is at the center of the AI buildout and could be massively undervalued.

Aeluma NASDAQ: ALMU is on the other end of the AI infrastructure story. It’s a small, unprofitable startup transitioning into the growing photonics space. Hughes explained why investors may want to focus more on bullish analyst sentiment than on recent bearish price action.

Articles by Sam Quirke

The latest blow for Nike Inc. NYSE: NKE is its pending removal from the S&P 500. While this is a bearish headline, Sam Quirke points out that the warning can present an opportunity for risk-tolerant investors.

Amid reports of an AI apocalypse, investors may have missed the news that Tesla Inc. NASDAQ: TSLA has to respond to federal regulators regarding the design of its Cybercab. Quirke explained what the regulators are after and whether it’s a hurdle or a roadblock.

At around 22x earnings, Qualcomm Inc. NASDAQ: QCOM looks undervalued compared to other chip stocks. However, Quirke wrote this week that the company’s recent pivot into supplying chips for AI infrastructure could make that discount vanish.

Articles by Chris Markoch

For small-cap biotech investors, a single date on the calendar can matter more than a quarter's worth of earnings reports. That’s the catalyst Chris Markoch identified for three small-cap biotech stocks with upcoming clinical trial milestones that could move each stock higher.

A market-moving story this week came from SK hynix NASDAQ: SKHY, which is in early talks with Intel NYSE: INTC about manufacturing memory chips in the United States. A move like this would go a long way to validating the bull case for Intel, but Markoch explained why an announcement and a deal are different things.

Blue-chip stocks are generally known for stable, but not market-beating growth. However, Markoch pointed investors to three blue-chip stocks that are outperforming the market with dividends that promote long-term compounding.

Articles by Ryan Hasson

Rocket Lab NASDAQ: RKLB has tested investors’ patience in 2026. The company keeps notching wins, but the stock remains under pressure. Ryan Hasson explained the state of play for Rocket Lab, why its Neutron reusable rocket holds the key, and why the bottom may not yet be in.

Hasson also focused on Alphabet Inc. NASDAQ: GOOGL, and specifically, that GOOGL is trading around 17x earnings, a discount to the S&P 500. Despite near-term AI fears, Hasson explained why that kind of discount may be too attractive to pass up.

Last week’s reading on consumer inflation, the CPI, came in as expected. Several stocks moved sharply higher after the report. This week, Hasson highlighted five of those stocks and assessed the bull case going forward.

Articles by Leo Miller

Planet Labs PBC NYSE: PL is another space stock that’s been under pressure in 2026. Leo Miller explained that, despite dropping more than 60%, the stock carries a high valuation that some analysts believe the company can grow into.

Could Broadcom Inc.’s NASDAQ: AVGO growth be moving from chips to software? That’s what the company says is happening. Miller explored that claim and gave investors some guideposts that would validate the company’s claims.

Capital expenditures (CapEx) on AI infrastructure may not be slowing down. But it is reigning in stock buybacks among the hyperscalers. At times like this, Miller explains why the exception is worth noting.

Articles by Nathan Reiff

Consumer spending has stayed relatively strong, particularly among higher-income consumers. Nathan Reiff wrote that the trend is why investors should pay attention to three luxury-brand stocks that continue to forecast consistent demand among their core consumers.

The latest funding from the CHIPS Act will provide an influx of cash for three of the leading quantum computing companies. Reiff what it means for each of those companies, as well as one name that was left out of the funding.

Bitcoin has started to recover in the second half of 2026. That’s stirring renewed interest in Bitcoin ETFs. This week, Reiff highlighted three of the top names that are benefiting from what could be a new crypto cycle.

Articles by Dan Schmidt

Adobe Inc. NASDAQ: ADBE declined to offer forward guidance for its 2027 fiscal year (FY2027) after its fiscal Q3 2026 results. Dan Schmidt noted how that action drew a mixed response from analysts, which dragged ADBE lower, as many analysts are punting their opinions into Q4.

After a stellar 2025, European defense stocks have found the going a little rough in 2026. However, Schmidt highlighted three European defense stocks that are bucking that trend with future catalysts that show the sell-off is not a broader demand problem.

Many investors are focused on what the U.S. Federal Reserve is doing about interest rates. But the European Central Bank (ECB) has made its intentions clear by hiking rates in June and again in September. Schmidt wrote about the opportunity rate hikes are creating in three European banks.

Articles by Jeffrey Neal Johnson

European natural gas inventories are at 67%, which is too close for comfort with winter coming. Jeffrey Neal Johnson explained why the shortfall exists, and three European energy companies that will play an essential role in getting the continent restocked.

SpaceX NASDAQ: SPCX has been added to the Nasdaq-100 index. However, Johnson explained that while the initial stock response may have been muted, the increase in the public float as lockups expire will drive institutional buying.

NVIDIA Corp. NASDAQ: NVDA took a step that should silence quantum computing doubters. Johnson highlighted NVIDIA’s release of CUDA-Q, an open-source software layer that shows how interdependent quantum technology is becoming with legacy chip makers.

Articles by Peter Frank

Gen Z is driving demand for traditional watches, and that’s bullish for Movado Group NYSE: MOV. Peter Frank explained how the company has gone from a tariff laggard to a trendy winner, with analysts rating it a Strong Buy.

There’s still a long runway for energy stocks. This week, Frank pointed investors towards SM Energy NYSE: SM. The company just completed a merger with Civitas Resources, making it a top-10 independent U.S. oil producer.

Frank also wrote about Marex Group NASDAQ: MRX, which has been transforming its business over the last 24 months. Investors have rewarded those efforts with 100% growth in the last 12 months, but analysts still see upside ahead.