Global markets opened the final week of September with a broadly weaker tone on September 28, as major equity benchmarks in the United States, Asia, and Tel Aviv closed lower. European markets were comparatively resilient, with the Euronext 100 and CAC 40 little changed, while the broader MSCI Europe index declined 0.38%. Trading conditions were also affected by scheduled market closures in the Czech Republic and Taiwan.

America: Major U.S. Indices Move Lower

U.S. equities ended September 28 lower across the major benchmarks. The Nasdaq fell 0.92% to 26,820.38, while the S&P 500 declined 0.77% to 7,683.69. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.67% to 51,481.50, and the Russell 2000 declined 0.69% to 2,817.91.

Weakness extended beyond the United States. The S&P/TSX Composite fell 0.87% to 35,489.86, while Brazil’s IBOVESPA declined 0.26% to 182,991.12. The U.S. Dollar Index was nearly unchanged, rising 0.01% to 101.21. The VIX stood at 16.07, up 8.07%.

Europe: Limited Moves Across Major Benchmarks

European equities showed relatively limited moves on September 28. The Euronext 100 gained 0.11% to 1,897.36, while the CAC 40 edged up 0.01% to 8,078.48. The EURO STOXX 50 declined 0.02% to 6,301.28, and the FTSE 100 fell 0.10% to 10,684.88.

The DAX declined 0.13% to 25,374.42, while the MSCI Europe index fell 0.38% to 2,762.70. The Euro Index declined 0.20% to 113.69, while the British Pound Index gained 0.07% to 132.56. The Prague Stock Exchange was closed on September 28 for Statehood Day in the Czech Republic.

Asia: Sharp Losses in Korea, China and India

Asian markets recorded the strongest concentration of losses on September 28. The KOSPI Composite Index fell 2.70% to 6,889.74, while the Shanghai Composite declined 1.67% to 3,823.62. The S&P BSE SENSEX fell 1.51% to 72,780.75, and the Nikkei 225 declined 0.73% to 65,877.62.

The Hang Seng moved in the opposite direction, rising 0.54% to 24,642.51, while the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.17% to 8,679.70. The Japanese Yen Index rose 1.05% to 63.57, and the Australian Dollar Index gained 0.14% to 70.25. The Taiwan Stock Exchange was closed on September 28 for Teacher’s Day and therefore did not contribute a trading-session performance to the regional data.

Tel Aviv: Major Israeli Benchmarks Close Lower

Tel Aviv equities followed the broader weakness on September 28, with all major reported benchmarks closing lower. The TA-35 declined 0.49% to 4,221.26, while the TA-125 fell 0.57% to 4,077.21. The TA-90 dropped 0.92% to 3,644.14.

Broader Israeli benchmarks also declined. The TA-200 fell 0.80% to 3,885.05, the TA 90 and Banks index declined 0.72% to 3,914.51, and the TA-SME60 fell 0.52% to 1,301.59. The TA Sector-Balance index declined 0.61% to 4,631.13, while the TA-20 fell 0.40% to 4,061.03.

Outlook for September 29: Central Banks and U.S. Economic Data in Focus

Trading on September 29 will center on a busy macroeconomic agenda, with the Reserve Bank of Australia scheduled to announce its interest-rate decision. The market expectation is for the Australian central bank to leave its policy rate unchanged at 4.00%. U.S. data will also be closely watched, with CB Consumer Confidence forecast at 90.1 and JOLTS Job Openings expected at 7.220 million.

Investors will assess the data against the broader monetary-policy outlook as markets move toward the end of the third quarter. The direction of government bond yields, foreign-exchange markets, and equity valuations will remain sensitive to evidence on economic resilience and the labor market.

Attention will also turn toward the remainder of the week, including China’s Manufacturing PMI, preliminary German CPI, U.S. Core PCE inflation, the U.S. ISM Manufacturing PMI, and Friday’s U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls report. With quarter-end positioning underway, incoming economic data, central-bank expectations, and corporate earnings developments are likely to remain key drivers of global market sentiment and volatility.