Stories
Market Pulse: Key Triggers to Watch Before October 1 Trading Session
- •US stocks rose on Wednesday after fresh economic data showed inflation slowing last month, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 84 points, the S&P 500 advancing 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite climbing around 1%.
- •US consumer spending rose 0.6% in August, the fastest pace in over a year, helping to power the economy through persistent inflation.
- •The core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of underlying inflation, rose 0.2% month-on-month in August, below economists' estimate of 0.3%.
- •The US merchandise-trade deficit unexpectedly widened in August to $132.6 billion, reflecting an 11.5% increase from the prior month and the widest since early 2025, driven by a jump in imports of industrial supplies.
- •India’s fiscal deficit stood at ’7.1 lakh crore during April-August FY27, reaching 41.9% of the full-year Budget target, with the August fiscal deficit nearly doubling to ’2.5 lakh crore.
- •India’s four-month southwest monsoon season ended with an overall rainfall shortfall of roughly 13%, marking the country’s weakest seasonal precipitation in more than a decade and the fourth lowest recorded since 2001.
Key Questions Answered
US stocks rose on Wednesday after economic data showed slowing inflation, with the Dow gaining 84 points, the S&P 500 advancing 0.6%, and the Nasdaq climbing around 1%. The core personal consumption expenditures price index rose 0.2% month-on-month in August, which was below economists' estimates.
India’s fiscal deficit reached ₹7.1 lakh crore during April-August FY27, accounting for 41.9% of the full-year Budget target according to the Controller General of Accounts. The August fiscal deficit alone stood at ₹2.5 lakh crore, which is nearly double the amount recorded in the same month last year.
India’s four-month southwest monsoon season concluded with an overall rainfall shortfall of roughly 13%, marking the country's weakest seasonal precipitation in over a decade. Cumulative rainfall between June 1 and September 30 reached approximately 87% of the long-period average.
