Overnight US Stock Market | Nasdaq rises for four consecutive sessions, SanDisk (SNDK.US) up 6.8%, US and Brent crude oil prices decline

According to Zhitong Finance APP, on Tuesday, the three major indexes closed mixed, with the Nasdaq reaching an intraday all-time high. Media reported that if the US takes action to ease military pressure, Iran may reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 7 days, leading to a decline in oil prices on Tuesday following the news.

[US Stocks] At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 185.03 points, or 0.36%, to 51,863.80 points; the S&P 500 Index rose 0.14 points, or 0.00%, to 7,764.84 points; the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 122.18 points, or 0.45%, to 27,244.28 points. Micron Technology (MU.US) rose 5%, SK Hynix (SKHY.US) jumped over 3%, SanDisk (SNDK.US) gained 6.8%, and Cisco (CSCO.US) dropped over 4%. The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rose 0.32%, with Alibaba (BABA.US) up 0.45%.

[European Stocks] The German DAX30 Index rose 14.08 points, or 0.06%, to 25,587.74 points; the UK FTSE 100 Index fell 29.86 points, or 0.28%, to 10,709.15 points; the French CAC40 Index gained 15.97 points, or 0.20%, to 8,154.91 points; the Euro STOXX 50 Index advanced 6.85 points, or 0.11%, to 6,325.05 points; Spain’s IBEX 35 Index climbed 27.94 points, or 0.14%, to 19,752.34 points; and Italy’s FTSE MIB Index lost 270.04 points, or 0.52%, to 52,101.50 points.

[Asian Markets] The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.38%, the Korea Composite Index climbed 0.15%, and India’s BSE Sensex lost 0.44%

[US Dollar Index] The US Dollar Index, which measures the greenback against six major currencies, rose 0.17% on the day, closing at 100.603 in late trading. At the close of the New York forex market, 1 euro exchanged for 1.1442 US dollars, down from 1.1465 in the previous session; 1 British pound was worth 1.3335 US dollars, down from 1.3369; 1 US dollar exchanged for 157.50 yen, up from 157.45; 1 US dollar changed to 0.8212 Swiss francs, slightly lower than the previous session's 0.8213; 1 US dollar traded at 1.4068 Canadian dollars, up from 1.4039; and 1 US dollar equaled 9.8487 Swedish krona, up from 9.8398 previously.

[Cryptocurrencies] Bitcoin hovered around $86,000, last at 86,130 at press time; Ethereum fell more than 1.2% to $2,744.

[Crude Oil] October delivery light sweet crude oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell $1.19 to settle at $94.59 per barrel, down 1.24%; November delivery Brent crude futures on the London ICE Exchange fell $1.09 to $99.25 per barrel, down 1.09%.

[Precious Metals] Spot gold was quoted at $4,358.6 per ounce; spot silver at $67.21 per ounce.

[Macroeconomic News]

NY Fed Official: Monetary policy toolkit works well, Treasury purchases made as needed. New York Fed System Open Market Account Manager Perli said the Fed’s monetary policy control toolkit continues to be highly effective. “We have maintained very strong rate control, kept reserves in the adequate range, and our Treasury purchases have been operating smoothly,” Perli stated. He also indicated that the Fed’s recent infusion of liquidity into the financial system (currently paused) is not on a preset course, suggesting that if the Fed perceives a need to boost market liquidity, it may once again purchase Treasuries. He added that so-called Reserve Management Purchases (RMP) of Treasuries will be adjusted according to the financial system’s liquidity needs.

Anthropic launches more affordable Opus 5.5 model ahead of IPO. Anthropic is launching a new AI model aimed at handling various business tasks at a lower cost, one of several moves to maintain a competitive edge ahead of its highly anticipated Wall Street debut. On Tuesday, the company released the Claude Opus 5.5 model, which reportedly performs comparably to Anthropic’s more powerful Fable 5.1 model in most work scenarios, but at a significantly lower cost than previous versions of Opus 5. Anthropic said the new model outputs faster than Opus 5, and is found to generate clearer content. The AI developer plans to continue expanding its 5.5 series models in the coming weeks, launching new versions of Claude Sonnet and Haiku.

Fed's Barkin: Inflation pressures will take time to subside. Fed official Barkin warned that the shock from inflation may take time to ease, and there is a risk that high inflation pressures may persist and become entrenched. Barkin said last week’s Fed rate increase helps cool inflation but did not specify whether further tightening is needed. Instead, he emphasized that supply shocks are no longer merely occasional or temporary but are exerting sustained upward pressure on prices throughout the economy. “These situations may subside over time, but I still expect it to take some time,” Barkin stated. “Meanwhile, the current high level of inflation may affect future inflation.” Barkin pointed out, “What do we do next? We are committed to sustainably lowering the inflation rate to our 2% target. Last week’s rate hike should help with that. Will we need to raise rates further, and if so, how many more times? We’ll have to wait and see.” He also outlined two inflation scenarios: in the first, recent shocks gradually dissipate and price pressures cool rapidly; in the second, inflation pressures persist. “I’m open to the possibility that inflation could recede quickly. Some recent shocks may reverse,” Barkin said, adding that consumers may “reach their limits,” investment growth could decelerate, and employment “could see volatility.” “On the other hand, inflation could be more difficult to tame than expected. Temporary shocks may persist,” he said. “There could also be new cost pressures. Strong demand may flow into prices, and today’s inflationary impact could carry into the future.”

OpenAI to allow external organizations to assess AI models earlier. OpenAI plans to allow third-party organizations to review safety risks associated with its AI models earlier in the development cycle, part of its ongoing response to growing public concerns about the potential dangers of the technology. In a blog post on Tuesday, the company announced it will allow external groups to conduct technical safety assessments during the training, evaluation, and launch of new AI models. OpenAI also specified focuses to ensure such reviews run effectively, including “strong independence mechanisms, scientific rigor, robust safety measures, and clear responsibility.” Lama Ahmad, who leads the company’s external expert collaboration safety reviews, said OpenAI previously invited such groups for safety evaluations just before model release and to assess capabilities. “With rising risks, we want to focus not just on deployment issues but also on high-risk areas such as training and evaluation,” Ahmad said.

[Individual Stock News]

US SEC plans to curtail retail shareholder proposal rights; Microsoft pledges to maintain current thresholds for a year. Microsoft (MSFT.US) will continue to consider shareholder proposals before next year’s annual meeting, responding to activist Paul Chesser’s request as the US SEC is considering tightening shareholder proposal regulations to protect investor rights. Microsoft will maintain the current threshold for investors to submit resolutions even as the SEC mulls changes that critics warn would sideline individual investors, religious groups, and unions that have long had a voice. The agreement lasts one year but could effectively counteract the SEC's efforts to shift power from investors to executives. Chesser hopes Microsoft's approach serves as a governance model to ensure retail investors retain a voice. A Microsoft spokesperson said that in light of the SEC’s review of shareholder proposal processes, the company agreed to keep current requirements for a year, providing a clear and predictable process for the next proxy cycle.

Meta tests “human concierge” feature for new personal AI assistant Muse. According to internal company posts seen by media, Meta Platforms (META.US) is testing a “human concierge” mode for its new AI personal assistant Muse, in which real customer service staff quietly handle some calls made by the digital assistant. The company presented the test to employees last week after recently launching Muse’s calling function. Some employees expressed privacy concerns about human staff handling calls, warning that sensitive information could inadvertently be disclosed to call center contractors. When asked about this feature, a Meta spokesperson said employee feedback was “overwhelmingly positive,” and the purpose of the test is to “gather user feedback so that security, privacy, and related features can be refined before formal launch.” The spokesperson said, “We are working with businesses to continue refining this potential calling feature and will only roll it out when it is ready and accompanied by appropriate disclosures.”

Apple is developing a new fitness tracker to compete with Whoop. According to sources, Apple (AAPL.US) is developing a screenless health and fitness tracker similar to Whoop’s wristband device, as part of a reimagining of its smartwatch product line and the introduction of new wearable technology. People familiar with the matter said the company has been exploring this area for several months and is now working on prototypes. The project has executive support, but Apple has not decided whether to launch the product. The project is still in its initial stages and is internally referred to as a “technology investigation.” If Apple decides to release the product, it likely would not come to market before 2028.

SpaceXAI’s Grok Bot surpasses 400,000 weekly active users in the first month. SpaceX (SPCX.US) AI’s Grok Bot AI agent has surpassed 400,000 weekly active users about a month after launch, indicating moderate initial market demand for its product. According to a live demonstration, as of September 14, Grok Bot had 418,000 users, up 24% from the previous week. SpaceX’s AI division launched Grok Bot in mid-August to meet growing competition in the AI agent market and to catch up with Anthropic PBC and OpenAI. The goal of Grok Bot is to function more like a full-time employee than a simple chatbot. The product can handle emails, update sales databases, process invoices, organize workflows, and submit software bug reports.