Finance

Major equity indexes experienced an eleventh-hour reversal at the end of September, with the S&P 500 slipping 0.3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 0.9%. Conversely, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite secured a mild 0.2% gain, showing unique resilience against elevated borrowing costs.

Global oil prices resumed their climb as Brent crude advanced above $98 per barrel due to lingering uncertainty regarding energy flows through the Middle East. Markets continue to balance volatile energy supplies against potential inflationary pressures that could influence future interest rate decisions.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise drove momentum by increasing its networking revenue forecast to capitalise on the continuing demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure. Major technology mainstays like Nvidia also closed higher, helping to alleviate broader downside pressures affecting cap-weighted benchmarks.