Broad Gains Across Major ETF Proxies; Crude Slides on Iran Talks
Major US equity index ETF proxies closed higher on Sept. 25, with the Dow proxy (DIA) up 0.94% and the S&P 500 proxy (SPY) up 0.54%, while the small-cap proxy (IWM) lagged at +0.11%. Headline flow centered on energy, AI policy and media consolidation; the packet contains no macro data releases or Federal Reserve items, so no driver for the session's move can be confirmed from the supplied evidence. Note that these are ETF proxies, not the indices themselves.
Key takeaways
- SPY closed at 771.35 (+0.54%), QQQ at 744.50 (+0.46%), DIA at 517.49 (+0.94%) and IWM at 281.97 (+0.11%) on the Sept. 25 session.
- The Dow proxy outperformed the Nasdaq-100 proxy, and small caps were roughly flat — a modest rotation pattern, though the packet offers no evidence on its cause.
- CNBC reported US crude fell nearly 8% for the week after Iran-US talks at the UN; Saudi exports were reported at their highest since the Iran war began.
- AI-related policy and legal items dominated the news flow: an appeals court upheld the Pentagon's supply-chain-risk designation of Anthropic, and Chinese model adoption abroad is rising.
- Data quality caveat: 180 tickers lacking a prior-session close were excluded from movers, and one newswire returned no eligible headlines. Treat the gainer/loser lists as incomplete and dominated by low-priced, thinly capitalized names.
Some inputs were unavailable for this brief.
- Polygon: 180 tickers without a prior-session close were excluded.
- RSS Yahoo Finance: no eligible recent headlines.
Markets
| Ticker and name | Change | Price |
|---|---|---|
| SPYS&P 500 ETF proxy | +0.54% | $771.35 |
| QQQNasdaq-100 ETF proxy | +0.46% | $744.50 |
| DIADow Jones ETF proxy | +0.94% | $517.49 |
| IWMRussell 2000 ETF proxy | +0.11% | $281.97 |
Indices shown via ETF proxies.
Crude falls sharply on the week as Tehran and Washington meet
CNBC reported US crude oil fell nearly 8% over the week after Iranian and US officials held talks at the United Nations, with Iran's foreign minister saying Tehran has asked Washington to meet conditions from a June 17 memorandum. Separately, CNBC reported Saudi crude exports reached their highest level since the Iran conflict began, despite a pipeline outage and attacks on infrastructure.
Appeals court upholds Pentagon's Anthropic designation
A federal appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, upheld the Department of Defense's designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk, according to CNBC. The packet does not indicate what remedies or next steps, if any, are available to the company.
Chinese AI model adoption expands globally
CNBC reported that business usage of Chinese AI models worldwide has increased substantially in 2026, drawing attention in Washington. The report does not quantify market share or revenue effects on US model providers.
Courts weigh in on sports prediction markets; Paramount details WBD commitments
An appeals court ruled that states can regulate Kalshi's sports prediction markets — the second such decision in under a month, per CNBC. Separately, CNBC detailed the commitments Paramount CEO David Ellison made to Hollywood as part of an antitrust settlement tied to Warner Bros. Discovery, noting continued industry skepticism about what happens after the five-year agreement lapses.
Top movers
US session of 2026-09-25. Close-to-close change. Prices in USD.
Gainers
| Ticker and name | Change | Price |
|---|---|---|
| MSGYMSGY | +309.64% | $8.07 |
| GRMLWGRMLW | +114.27% | $1.05 |
| MGLDMGLD | +93.02% | $1.93 |
| INLFINLF | +72.88% | $5.10 |
| AIFFAIFF | +68.91% | $2.01 |
| TDICTDIC | +60.41% | $3.16 |
| USDEWUSDEW | +50.37% | $6.02 |
| APUSAPUS | +47.36% | $7.25 |
| ASGIrASGIr | +41.51% | $0.02 |
| WHLRWHLR | +39.04% | $5.20 |
Losers
| Ticker and name | Change | Price |
|---|---|---|
| AXGAXG | −84.62% | $0.20 |
| WYYWYY | −50.59% | $5.47 |
| PDYNWPDYNW | −45.45% | $0.00 |
| GWHGWH | −38.16% | $0.21 |
| CDTCDT | −33.88% | $0.08 |
| NXGLNXGL | −33.59% | $0.17 |
| TRUGTRUG | −29.92% | $0.28 |
| GCTKGCTK | −29.46% | $1.82 |
| PFSAPFSA | −28.05% | $2.18 |
| LGOLGO | −22.72% | $0.53 |
Sources
- Chinese AI models surge in global popularity — and Washington is worried · CNBC
- I’m 77, pay rent and live off Social Security, but I help homeless people. Why are so many people going hungry? · MarketWatch
- My friend is terminally ill. Should she sell her rental home and pay $100,000 in capital gains? · MarketWatch
- Appeals court rules that states can regulate Kalshi’s sports prediction markets, dealing another legal blow to platforms · CNBC
- Here's exactly what Paramount promised Hollywood to land WBD — and why some are still skeptical · CNBC
- ‘She says it’s just money’: My friend pays for everything. I should be grateful, but I can’t stand her anymore. · MarketWatch
- A ‘death cross’ is coming for the dollar. Why Trump will be happy. · MarketWatch
- My husband and I are in our 50s and have no kids. We have $2 million in IRAs and 401(k)s. Do we really need a will? · MarketWatch
- Trump, Xi wrap state visit centered on spectacle over substance. Here are the top takeaways · CNBC
- Microsoft’s stock has roared back to life, closing at its highest level of the year · MarketWatch
- Coca-Cola hires Rob Gehring from Monster Energy to run its North American operations · CNBC
- How recent grads and college students should be thinking about AI, the CV, and the job market · CNBC
- What we want to see next week from one of Jim Cramer's 6 stocks to buy · CNBC
- U.S. crude oil falls nearly 8% for the week after Tehran and Washington hold talks at the U.N. · CNBC
- Saudi Arabia crude oil exports hit highest level since Iran war began despite pipeline outage · CNBC
- See which incumbents have the biggest cash advantage in the tightest U.S. House races · CNBC
- Meta's 'powerful breakout' sets up a unique trading strategy, says Mike Khouw · CNBC
- The iced coffee debate reflects 'everything wrong with hiring right now,' says career expert · CNBC
- Trump says Scott Bessent won't be AI czar · CNBC
- U.S. appeals court upholds Pentagon designation of Anthropic as supply chain risk · CNBC
- NIH funding cuts delayed a promising childhood brain cancer trial. Patients lost time they didn't have · CNBC
AIK MARKET UPDATE is for information only and is not financial advice. It is generated automatically and may contain errors.