The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Sept 16 for the first time in more than three years and said more tightening is likely as it battles persistently high inflation. U.S. stocks finished lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 631.33 points and the S&P 500 off 33.59 points. In tech, semiconductor shares rose 0.6%, while Boeing fell 3.7% after the company flagged delays in stabilizing 737 MAX production.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in an interview published on Sept 12 that the company will not go public in 2026, pointing to concerns about artificial intelligence safety. Earlier reporting had said OpenAI was weighing whether to delay a potentially trillion-dollar IPO until 2027. Altman’s comments take a 2026 listing off the table, as industry leaders increasingly emphasize safety in AI development.

Strong jobs data released on Sept. 4 showed higher labor force participation, with the unemployment rate steady at 4.1%. Markets raised the implied probability of a 25-basis-point Federal Reserve rate hike in September to 58.4% from 49.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 272.51 points, or 0.51%, while trading volume totaled 13.14 billion shares, below the 20-day average.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller said he would support keeping rates steady if data show inflation pressures are easing. After his remarks, markets cut the implied chance of a September rate hike to 50.4% from 63.2%. Economic data were broadly upbeat, with jobless claims low and the services sector accelerating. The Dow closed up 624.16 points, or 1.18%, at 53,686.11.

U.S. stocks closed lower on Aug 31, with the Dow dropping 374 points to 53,185.90 as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also slipped. A surge in oil prices driven by geopolitical conflict revived inflation concerns and pushed expectations for a 25-basis-point Fed rate hike in September above 65%. Energy stocks outperformed, with Halliburton and Valero Energy each up 1.9%. GameStop rose 2.9% after it said it would use cash to cover about 27% of a debt exchange, avoiding further share dilution.

ICE data show arabica coffee inventories fell to 224,011 60kg bags on Aug 28, the lowest since May 2000, as dealers competed for scarce spot supply. The drawdown has helped keep benchmark arabica futures above US$3 per lb for the past couple of months. The market expects a global surplus of 8.2 million bags in the 2026/27 season, largely on hopes of a record Brazilian crop, but tight physical availability persists.

U.S. stocks finished slightly lower on Aug 26 after a July inflation reading came in hotter than expected. The Dow fell 113.52 points to 53,463.88 as the data added to worries the Federal Reserve could keep tightening. Investors stayed cautious ahead of Nvidia’s quarterly results due later in the day.

Tencent reported second-quarter 2026 net profit of 56 billion renminbi, up 0.7% year on year but down 4% from the previous quarter, missing Bloomberg’s forecast of 58.4 billion renminbi. Revenue rose 11% to 204.8 billion renminbi. The company said it is investing heavily in artificial intelligence, which weighed on profit growth.

UFC Freedom 250, an MMA event staged on the White House South Lawn in Washington on June 14 to mark the US’s 250th birthday, was the first combat sports contest held at the venue. TKO Group said the event produced a US$30 million loss. Executives said it generated US$1 billion in “earned media,” drew 34 million global viewers and added 25 new marketing partners, according to Bloomberg.