U.S. natural gas futures rose 2.6% on Wednesday, with the front-month contract settling at $3.041 per million British thermal units, an 11-week high. Forecasts for cooler temperatures lifted expectations for heating demand. The market also reflected a drop in daily output this month and higher flows to liquefied natural gas export plants. The contract closed above the $3 per mmBtu level for the first time since early July.

Meta’s Muse app logged 2.8 million downloads within two weeks of launch, with average daily downloads growing 55% over its first 10 days, according to Sensor Tower. Truist Securities estimates the app could generate at least $28.5 billion in annual revenue by fiscal 2030. Meta shares have climbed nearly 13% this week and are poised for a fifth straight week of gains.

U.S. stocks ended lower as Alphabet and Amazon weighed on the major indexes, while Treasury yields climbed and oil prices jumped nearly 4%. Energy shares rallied after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke at the United Nations, adding to geopolitical jitters, but the broader market remained under pressure. Separately, unexpectedly strong U.S. business activity pushed bond yields higher and fueled speculation the Federal Reserve could raise rates again. The S&P 500 finished less than 2% below its record close on August 13.

Manufacturers of GLP-1 drugs including Ozempic and Zepbound are facing lawsuits from patients who allege the medications caused permanent eye damage. The cases center on nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a rare condition that can lead to sudden and often lasting vision loss. Nearly 100 NAION-related lawsuits have been filed in New Jersey since 2025, with another set of cases coming from Philadelphia, according to USA Today. Novo Nordisk has said semaglutide has a well-established safety profile backed by more than 58 million patient-years of postmarketing exposure.

Cracker Barrel said it plans to upgrade three popular dinner items—chicken, hamburgers and steak. The company also completed a sale-leaseback deal involving 26 company-owned restaurants, generating about $77 million in net proceeds to repay debt and partially offset $150 million of 0.625% convertible senior notes that matured and were repaid in June. Total debt ended the quarter at $337.2 million, down $147.4 million from the prior year. The CFO said the average guest check is about $16, underscoring the chain’s value proposition.

President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing a 90-day ban on diesel exports to ease rising diesel prices in the U.S. The national average price of diesel has climbed to $6.52 per gallon from $3.69 a year earlier, according to AAA. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and oil industry executives have opposed the idea, warning it could be extended and create unintended fallout.

On Sept. 24, U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $1 billion in net inflows in a single day, a relatively rare surge of fresh capital. The data suggest institutional demand for Bitcoin exposure has rebounded notably as investors hover near their break-even point. ETF flow trends are widely viewed as a key liquidity indicator for the crypto market, and the large inflow could help support prices in the short term.

McDonald’s has rolled out its NEXT growth strategy, planning to provide franchisees about $8.5 billion in support through 2036, including roughly $5 billion through 2030, to fund restaurant modernization, technology deployment and operational improvements. The company is targeting about 250 basis points of restaurant-level gross margin improvement, translating to about $100,000 in annual cash flow benefits for the average restaurant. It also expects unit expansion to contribute nearly 2.5% to systemwide sales growth in 2027, easing to about 2% by 2030.