On August 29, 2025, a trader was active on the New York Stock Exchange.
Stock futures increased on Tuesday night following a federal court’s ruling concerning antitrust laws, which seemed to uplift sentiment regarding the tech giant Alphabet’s future against regulatory pressures.
The S&P 500 futures experienced a 0.2% rise, while Nasdaq-100 futures jumped by 0.3%. In contrast, futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened with a modest increase of 57 points, approximately 0.1%.
After hours, shares of Google’s parent company surged over 7% after the court decided that Google could keep its Chrome browser but couldn’t restrict exclusive search transactions or withhold search data. This ruling was based on the understanding that advancements in artificial intelligence would provide consumers with more choices, potentially avoiding some of the more negative consequences associated with large tech companies.
This ruling also allows Apple to continue preloading Google searches on iPhones, benefiting both companies. Even amid its own antitrust challenges, Apple saw its stock rise by more than 3%.
The start of September didn’t quite favor stocks, as they lost ground during Tuesday’s trading sessions. The three major U.S. indexes closed lower; the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped about 249 points (0.55%), the S&P 500 fell nearly 0.7%, and the NASDAQ Composite decreased by roughly 0.8%, with tech giant Nvidia closing down about 2%.
Tuesday also witnessed a rise in bond yields. The Treasury’s yield climbed to 4.27% in 2010, with yields surpassing 4.97%. This increase followed a federal appeals court ruling that deemed many of President Trump’s global tariffs illegal—an outcome that might require the U.S. to compensate billions linked to these trade obligations.
Historically, September has been a weak month for U.S. stocks. Scott Wren, a senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, noted that September is historically the worst month for the S&P 500 since 1950, averaging returns of -0.7%.
Wren remarked, “September has brought some stock declines mainly due to the recent market calm. Increased volatility could lead to fluctuating stock prices and bond movements as the economy slows, tariff issues linger, and political uncertainties remain.”
As investors look ahead, the upcoming August employment report, due on Friday, looms as a significant indicator for the stock market.
