8. Weekly Market Recap: Key Movements & Insights

📊 YTD Index Roundup: Nasdaq and S&P 500 Neck-and-Neck

The stock market closed the week on a high note, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching unprecedented levels. Investors cheered as the September Employment Situation Report exceeded expectations, painting a picture of a resilient economy.

The labor market flexed its muscles, showing stronger-than-anticipated hiring and a drop in unemployment. Average hourly earnings also ticked up, aligning with the market's soft landing narrative. This positive data led to a recalibration of rate cut expectations, with the probability of 50 basis points cut at the November FOMC meeting plummeting to 0.0% from 32.1% just a day earlier.

Treasury yields responded bullishly, with the 10-yr yield surging 13 basis points to 3.98% and the 2-yr yield leaping 22 basis points to 3.93%. Despite the yield spike, equities remained buoyant, buoyed by dip-buying sentiment.

The tech sector provided a significant tailwind, with the Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (MGK) and the PHLX Semiconductor Index (SOX) outperf…