Nasdaq Futures concluded the trading session on Friday with a mixed performance, highlighted by the Nasdaq achieving a record closing high. Investors are anticipating the forthcoming Federal Reserve policy meeting, where a reduction in interest rates is anticipated to address the deteriorating jobs market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a decline of 0.6%, translating to a decrease of 273.78 points, concluding the session at 45,834.22 points. The S&P 500 concluded the trading session nearly unchanged, with a decline of less than 0.5%, closing at 6,584.29 points. Healthcare, materials, and industrial stocks exhibited the weakest performance. The Health Care Select Sector experienced a decline of 1.2%. The Materials Select Sector SPDR and the Industrials Select Sector SPDR experienced declines of 0.8% and 1%, respectively. Eight of the 11 sectors of the benchmark index concluded the trading session in negative territory. The tech-heavy Nasdaq experienced an increase of 0.4%, concluding the session at 22,141.10 points, thereby achieving an unprecedented closing high.

The fear gauge, increased by 0.34%, reaching a level of 14.76. Decliners outnumbered advancers on the S&P 500 by a ratio of 3.3 to 1. On the Nasdaq, 106 new highs were recorded alongside 43 new lows. In the S&P 500, 22 new highs were recorded alongside three new lows. On Friday, the trading session exhibited volatility, culminating in a decline for the Dow, while the S&P 500 concluded the day with minimal change. Nevertheless, investor sentiment continued to be positive in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting scheduled for next week. All three major indexes experienced a noteworthy week, with the Dow and the S&P 500 achieving record highs by Thursday’s close. The Dow exceeded the 46,000 threshold for the first time in the prior session. The Nasdaq experienced its second consecutive day of gains on Friday, driven by a rally in Tesla, Inc. stock. Tesla’s shares experienced an increase of 7.4%. Additionally, shares of Microsoft Corporation increased by 1.8%. Microsoft holds a Zacks Rank of 2, indicating a Buy recommendation.

The positive sentiment emerges in anticipation of the upcoming Federal Reserve policy meeting next week. The Federal Reserve is poised to reduce interest rates following the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Sept. 17, as recent data indicates a softening labor market and diminishing concerns regarding inflation. The probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut this month stands at 94.2%. On Friday, economic data indicated that U.S. consumer sentiment declined to 55.4 in September, marking a second consecutive month of decrease. This represents the lowest reading since May and is significantly below August’s final reading of 58.2. The S&P 500 experienced a weekly increase of 1.6%. The Dow concluded the week with an increase of nearly 1%, whereas the Nasdaq recorded a rise of 2%.