Market News Today, Sep 25: Oil Eases, US Orders Mixed

By PratikAlgo | September 25, 2026 News cutoff: 13:30 UTC / 19:00 IST | Intraday update

Market news today is dominated by a pullback in oil and the US dollar, mixed American manufacturing data and continued spending on artificial intelligence. The combination offers some relief from this week’s inflation concerns, although elevated government-bond yields remain an important constraint on sentiment.

Friday’s US durable-goods release showed stronger underlying equipment orders than the flat headline suggested. Investors are also weighing developments in Middle East diplomacy and contrasting consumer-confidence readings in Europe. The final University of Michigan consumer survey is still ahead at this update’s cutoff.

Global markets at a glance

The following indicative snapshots were retrieved shortly before the US cash-market open. They are not synchronized ticks or closing prices. Daily changes are against each provider’s previous reference close.

Source: Investing.com. Quotes update asynchronously and may be delayed; they are indicative rather than executable prices.

US durable-goods data: a flat headline hides stronger equipment demand

The Census Bureau’s August report, released at 12:30 UTC, showed total durable-goods orders virtually unchanged at $338.6 billion. July’s increase was revised to 0.9%.

The details were more informative than the headline:

• Orders excluding transportation increased 0.3%.
• Nondefense capital-goods orders excluding aircraft increased 1.6%.
• Shipments in that same capital-goods category increased 0.6%.

The two “core” measures are different: durable goods excluding transportation cover a broader group than nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft. The latter is commonly watched for business-equipment investment.

Our interpretation is that the release offers limited evidence of a broad collapse in investment demand, even though overall orders stalled. It does not, by itself, settle the Federal Reserve’s next decision. These are preliminary, seasonally adjusted figures that are not adjusted for inflation.

Oil falls as diplomacy competes with supply risks

Oil declined as traders assessed the possibility of a US–Iran truce. Reuters reported that negotiators were exploring a phased arrangement involving the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US economic blockade of Iran.

That remains a diplomatic possibility, not a completed agreement. Houthi attacks affecting Saudi Arabia and continuing uncertainty around regional energy infrastructure leave the supply outlook unsettled.

For wider markets, cheaper oil could ease pressure on transport costs, household budgets and inflation expectations if the decline persists. A fresh disruption could reverse that benefit quickly. The relevant development to watch is whether negotiations lead to verifiable changes in shipping and supply.

AI investment supports the equity narrative

US stock-index futures were higher in Friday’s premarket reporting as lower oil prices offered some relief from bond-market pressure. Those futures gains should not be read as the day’s closing equity performance.

A concrete corporate catalyst was Akamai’s agreement with Anthropic, announced on September 24. Akamai disclosed an $11.6 billion commitment over seven years, with a possible additional $9 billion expansion. The agreement supports Anthropic’s computing workloads through Akamai’s cloud infrastructure.

The spending implications matter alongside the revenue opportunity: Akamai estimated approximately $5.5 billion of capital expenditure related to the initial commitment and said the announcement would not change its 2026 revenue guidance. Our reading is that AI demand remains substantial, while the cost and timing of delivering capacity still deserve scrutiny.

Dollar retreats; yen recovers on policy comments

The dollar eased on Friday but remained on course for a second consecutive weekly gain in Reuters’ currency report. That distinction matters: a daily pullback does not automatically reverse the broader week’s move.

The yen strengthened after Japan’s finance minister emphasized continued coordination with Washington over excessive currency weakness. The report described renewed intervention warnings; it did not establish that a fresh intervention had occurred on Friday.

Our interpretation is that currency markets remain sensitive to both interest-rate expectations and official communication, particularly when policy comments arrive alongside sharp moves in oil and bonds.

European consumers send contrasting signals

Germany’s NIM Consumer Climate indicator for October fell to −30.6 from a revised −26.8. The September survey showed weaker income expectations and a greater willingness to save, with high energy costs weighing on households’ outlook.

The UK moved in the other direction: GfK’s September consumer-confidence index improved to −13 from −14, its strongest reading since August 2024, according to Reuters. Confidence nevertheless remained negative.

These are separate surveys with different methods, so their index levels should not be compared directly. Their direction suggests an uneven consumer backdrop rather than a uniform improvement across Europe.

Gold and Bitcoin recover, with bond yields still in focus

Gold and Bitcoin were both higher in the captured snapshots. Gold’s daily recovery, however, followed a difficult week: earlier Friday reporting still placed the metal on course for a weekly decline as the dollar and expectations of further Fed tightening weighed on sentiment.

The cross-market reading remains mixed. Recovering gold and Bitcoin prices coexist with a US 10-year yield above 5%. It would be premature to treat one session’s rebound as evidence that the interest-rate pressure has disappeared.

What remains on today’s calendar?

All three events were still pending at the 13:30 UTC cutoff. Add 5 hours 30 minutes for IST. Scheduled times can change.

Into the remaining session, the key question is whether softer energy prices are accompanied by calmer inflation expectations and bond markets. Any confirmed diplomatic progress, disappointing consumer data or fresh supply disruption could alter that balance before the weekend.

*This article provides general market news and commentary, not personalized investment advice. Prices and developing reports can change after the stated cutoff.*