Markets · October 1, 2026 · 1 min read

S&P 500 closes October 1 at 7,666.45 as weekly jobless claims fall to 197,000

Published October 1, 2026 • Updated October 1, 2026

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U.S. stocks closed modestly higher on October 1: the S&P 500 rose 14.91 points, or 0.19%, to 7,666.45; the Dow added 20.51 points to 50,926.56 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 10.53 points to 26,871.60. Initial jobless claims fell to 197,000 for the week ended September 26.

U.S. stocks ended Thursday, October 1, 2026, slightly higher. Based on preliminary closing values from Dow Jones Market Data, the S&P 500 rose 14.91 points, or 0.19%, to 7,666.45. That was its largest one-day point and percentage gain since September 25 and ended a three-trading-day losing streak. The index is 1.70% below its record close of 7,798.99 on August 13, 2026, and is up 11.99% year to date. The Nasdaq Composite rose 10.53 points, or 0.04%, to 26,871.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 20.51 points, or 0.04%, to 50,926.56, according to a market wrap that reported the closing levels. Separately, the Labor Department reported that initial jobless claims slipped by 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 197,000 for the week ended September 26, below the 200,000 economists polled by Reuters expected, according to MarketScreener's report of the release. The prior week was revised to 198,000. This brief reports closing levels and the claims figure only. It does not attribute the day's moves to specific causes. Closing values were preliminary at the time of the sources.

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