Nasdaq, alongside the Dow Jones and S&P 500, closed August 2025 at record highs, with the Dow leading gains. While major emerging markets will open their first trading session of September on Monday, US markets will remain shut on September 1 for Labor Day observance. Two primary exchanges: the NYSE and Nasdaq. According to their holiday schedule, trading will be halted for market-related instruments on September 1, 2025, in observance of Labor Day.
Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States, observed on the first Monday of September. It serves to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the contributions of laborers to the nation’s development and achievements, according to Wikipedia. The mainboard Dow Jones Industrial Average concluded August with impressive performance. The index increased by 1,413.90 points, reflecting a rise of 3.20%, closing at 45,544.88. Recently, the Dow Jones reached a remarkable peak of 45,757.84. The Nasdaq, known for its focus on technology stocks, increased by a minimum of 333.10 points, representing a rise of 1.58%, concluding August at 21,455.55. Similar to the DJIA, the Nasdaq reached a new record high of 21,803.75 in mid-August.
US stocks closed lower on Friday, with the S&P 500 pulling back from record highs, reflecting ongoing signs of persistent inflation in the US economy. The S&P 500 decreased by 0.6%, the Nasdaq declined by 1.2%, and the Dow experienced a loss of 92 points, equivalent to 0.2%. Core PCE, the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation, increased by 2.9% year-over-year in July, aligning with forecasts and representing the quickest rise since February. Shares related to technology and AI exerted downward pressure on the market, with Nvidia declining by 3.4% and Dell experiencing an 8.9% drop, attributed to increased competition and rising costs associated with AI products. Alibaba experienced a notable increase of 12.9% due to impressive cloud computing outcomes, whereas Caterpillar saw a decrease of 3.6% and Marvell dropped by 18.6% amid concerns regarding tariffs and revenue.
Despite Friday’s losses, the S&P 500 and Dow achieved their fourth consecutive month of gains, increasing by 2% and 3% respectively, while the Nasdaq marked its fifth straight monthly rise, adding 1%. Markets will remain closed on Monday in recognition of Labor Day. In a note, Joe Mazzola, mentioned that from a technical perspective, all the major indices remain very close to their all-time high prices, with the S&P 500 reaching an all-time high yesterday. The Nasdaq, the primary underperformer for the week, is down just 0.26%, while the Dow and S&P 500 have decreased by 0.25% and 0.16%, respectively. The Russell is set to finish the week with a modest increase of 0.10%, indicating that small caps are joining in on the upward trend. Keep in mind, the Russell has increased by 7% this month. All the major indices are currently positioned above their short-term moving average indicators (20-day MA), with all exhibiting relative strength indices close to or exceeding 60.
Mazzola’s note emphasized, “On the economic front, jobs data will be front and center, with JOLTs Job Openings, ADP Employment, Challenger Job Cuts, Jobless Claims, and finally Nonfarm Payrolls on the docket next week.” Friday has the potential to be significant, with economists anticipating an increase of just 75,000 jobs in payrolls. The figure could represent an easy benchmark, or if it falls short, it may indicate troubling signs for employment trends. Regardless, it is certain that both the markets and the Federal Reserve will closely monitor the data.