22 September 2026 — Global equity markets traded unevenly on Tuesday as gains in artificial intelligence–related shares pushed the Nasdaq to intraday record territory, while moves in the oil market and Middle East diplomatic developments kept investors cautious.
What happened during the day
- Micron Technology and other AI-related chipmakers strengthened, and enthusiasm around Meta Platforms’ new AI assistant, Muse, helped lift the Nasdaq to near-record intraday levels.
- Muse, which debuted earlier this month, can send emails and execute transactions on behalf of users; positive reception of the product contributed to further rises in AI-chip stocks.
- Some market participants warned Muse could pose competitive risks to retailers, online brokers and other consumer-focused firms. As a result, Uber and Lyft shares fell about 1%, Expedia dropped 4%, and Charles Schwab declined 5.5%, while Micron rose 3.9% and SanDisk gained 7.2%.
- The Bank of America upgraded its year-end Brent price outlook and warned that, if inventories continue to draw down and the Iran conflict persists, oil could rise toward or above $150 per barrel under certain scenarios.
Oil and geopolitics
- Brent traded down roughly 1.6% during the day to around $99–100 a barrel. The decline was driven by reduced supply fears after expectations of renewed US–Iran diplomatic talks and Saudi Arabia restarting the East–West pipeline, easing some concerns about Middle Eastern supply disruptions.
- Comments by Iranian and US officials about potential talks and the reopening of regional export channels improved risk appetite, though geopolitical uncertainty remains a significant market factor.
US markets: mixed picture
- US indices showed mixed intraday moves: the Dow Jones was down about 0.31–0.4% in some sessions, the Nasdaq was up roughly 0.2–0.46%, and the S&P 500 mostly hovered near flat or rose by about 0.08%.
- The S&P 500 financial sector underperformed, falling about 2%; major banks including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo each declined by nearly 4%.
Regions and Hungary
- European markets staged cautious, sideways moves: the DAX ranged between a 0.1% and 1.1% gain in different time slices, the CAC between flat and +0.9%, and the FTSE between +0.2% and +0.7%.
- Hungary’s BUX closed down 1.1% for the day; blue chips were weaker across the board: OTP -0.8%, Mol -1.3%, Richter -2.3%, Magyar Telekom -0.2%.
- Earlier in the session the BUX briefly rose about 0.2% as OTP, Mol and Magyar Telekom ticked up while Richter lagged.
Expectations and risks
- Investors are watching the upcoming US–China summit (Donald Trump meeting Xi Jinping), hoping it could extend the trade truce with Beijing and possibly include talks on AI regulation.
- Expectations of further Federal Reserve rate increases continue to temper broad market optimism, potentially capping equity upside even as some technology names outperform.
Other notable news of the day
- Novo Nordisk is preparing to enter the hair-loss treatment market and expand its direct-to-consumer business lines.
- Delta Group issued a profit warning, cutting its 2025/2026 group revenue forecast from HUF 30.6 billion to HUF 22–23 billion and materially downgrading its EBITDA margin outlook, citing lower corporate and public investment and project delays.
- Mercedes-Benz said its German production is uncompetitive internationally, largely due to high labor costs; executives have floated the possibility of closing two plants.
- Borsa Istanbul will overhaul the BIST-100 benchmark in October, replacing more than a quarter of its constituents after regulatory changes disrupted the market.
- MOL completed documentation for a EUR 500 million bond issuance.
Conclusion
On 22 September, the AI theme dominated near-term market action—Meta’s Muse and the ripple effects in AI-chip stocks produced pockets of strong demand—yet oil moves, developments in the Middle East and Fed policy expectations produced a mixed overall market tone. In the near term, markets will remain focused on geopolitical talks, the Donald Trump–Xi Jinping meeting and signals from monetary authorities.
(This article was prepared with the assistance of an AI tool; the final content was edited and verified by a journalist.)
