Nasdaq Closes at Record High as Chipmakers Rally and Bitcoin Tops $87,000
The Nasdaq Composite closed at a record 27,122.09 on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, up 2.26% for the day, according to The Motley Fool. The S&P 500 rose 1.49% to finish at 7,764.70, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.71% to close at 52,048.83.
Semiconductor stocks led the advance. Advanced Micro Devices jumped almost 10%, briefly pushing its market value past $1 trillion during the session, the Fool reported. Falling crude prices helped the tech-heavy indexes offset losses among energy shares.
Meta's AI App Drives an 11% Jump
Meta Platforms shares soared 11.4% to close at $741.25, adding $76.02 on the day. The move followed news that Meta's Muse AI agent took the top download spot on Apple's app store, and that Wells Fargo raised its price target on the stock, the Fool reported.
Falling Oil Prices Underpin the Rally
Renewed hope for an Iran peace deal helped push crude prices down Monday, according to Barron's. West Texas Intermediate fell 3.88% to $96.41 a barrel, while Brent crude dropped 3.16% to $100.59.
Diesel prices moved in the opposite direction. Barron's reported that U.S. diesel hit a fresh record above $6.50 a gallon Monday, a divergence from crude that follows the pattern described in networth.com's earlier coverage of diesel price records.
Barron's also cited a Bank of America survey showing investors expect AI-driven growth to continue.
Bitcoin's Rally Continues Despite a Senate Setback
Bitcoin traded above $87,000 Monday for the first time since January, the Fool reported, lifting shares of crypto-linked companies Robinhood Markets and Coinbase Global.
Gold fell 0.9% to $4,340.51 at the U.S. market close, and the 10-year Treasury yield edged down 0.04 percentage point to 4.96%.
Bitcoin's gains this month have come despite a hawkish tone from the Federal Reserve. They have also survived the failure of crypto market-structure legislation in the Senate, according to the Fool.
Morgan Stanley Warns of Downside Risk
Analysts at Morgan Stanley cautioned that the S&P 500 could fall by as much as 7% if energy prices rise further and the 10-year Treasury yield stays near 5%, the Fool reported.
That warning echoes the yield concerns discussed in networth.com's coverage of the Fed's recent rate decision.
Recent weeks have shown that AI-related jitters can unsettle investors quickly, the Fool noted. Inflation remains a concern for markets, even though Monday's session ended with gains.