Market Moves: AI Trades and Sentiment Shifts Drive Wall Street

In a week marked by economic anticipation, Wall Street's leading indexes experienced a volatile Friday. The Nasdaq briefly notched an intraday record amidst AI trade optimism, fueled by giant Oracle's upbeat forecast. Microsoft saw gains after announcing a restructuring deal with OpenAI, proposing a strategic shift towards profitability.

Despite these upbeat tech plays, consumer sentiment took a downturn in September, underscoring investor expectations for upcoming interest rate cuts. Market analysts project three quarter-point reductions this year amid mounting economic signals of a slowed labor market and persistently high inflation.

The energy sector outshone others as oil prices surged, counterbalancing losses in communication and industrial stocks. Overall, all three major indexes—Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq—are set to log weekly gains, reflecting a resilient investor outlook despite ongoing economic concerns.