10 things that mattered on Thursday, September 24, 2026
The S&P 500 barely moved, but yields kept climbing and the average stock kept falling. NYSE new lows outnumbered new highs by 314, the widest gap in data back to 2010 with the index this close to a peak.
- 01
The S&P 500 was flat, and the average stock fell
SPY slipped 0.1% to $767.27, 1.4% below its record. The equal-weight S&P fell 0.5% to its lowest close since June.
SPY, last six months SPY, last six months - 02
NYSE new lows hit 331, a record gap near a high
Just 17 NYSE stocks made new highs, for a net reading of −314. Since 2010, no session with the S&P within 5% of its record has had a wider gap.
NYSE-listed new highs minus new lows, last twelve months NYSE-listed new highs minus new lows, last twelve months - 03
The 10-year yield climbed to 5.16%
The 10-year Treasury rose another 5 basis points, its highest since July 2007, and the 30-year reached 5.46%. Germany's 10-year yield rose 11 basis points to 3.60%, its highest since 2009.
10-year Treasury yield (%), last twelve months 10-year Treasury yield (%), last twelve months - 04
Mortgage rates rose above 7%
Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed rate rose to 7.03% from 6.95%. It is the highest since January 2025.
30-year fixed mortgage rate (%), last five years 30-year fixed mortgage rate (%), last five years - 05
New home sales rose to 684,000
August sales, at an annual rate, rose from 643,000 in July to the highest since December. The median new home price was $393,700, down 5.8% from a year earlier.
New home sales (thousands, annual rate), last five years New home sales (thousands, annual rate), last five years - 06
Jobless claims stayed low at 197,000
Initial claims fell by 1,000 in the week to September 19. Continuing claims held near 1.72 million.
Initial jobless claims, last five years Initial jobless claims, last five years - 07
Meta rose 4.5% on the second day of Connect
The company put its Muse AI agent at the center of its new glasses, devices and apps. The stock closed at $777.59, 1.6% below its August 2025 record.
META, last six months META, last six months - 08
Natural gas jumped after a small storage build
The EIA reported a 53 billion cubic foot injection for the week to September 18, a lean build for the season. The gas fund UNG rose 6.3% on four times its usual volume.
UNG (natural gas fund), last six months UNG (natural gas fund), last six months - 09
Oil rose 2.9% for a second day
The oil fund USO closed at $153.09. It has regained 6.3% in two sessions but remains below its September 15 close.
USO (oil fund), last six months USO (oil fund), last six months - 10
Due Friday: durable goods and consumer sentiment
August durable goods and core capital goods orders are due, along with the University of Michigan sentiment index. Costco's results, released after Thursday's close, meet their first session.
Data as of the Thursday, September 24, 2026 close. The ten items are picked by fixed rules from the site's daily data (the size of each move, signals that changed state, and economic releases weighted by importance), then checked and written by hand. Charts end on the brief's date. Research and education, not financial advice.