S&P 500 rose 1.5%, but there were more new lows — CNBC
On the US stock market on September 21, 2026, the S&P 500 index rose by about 1.5% and came within less than 1% of a new 52-week high. At the same time, 30 companies in the index hit new 52-week lows, while only seven stocks reached new highs.
Index performance
The Nasdaq Composite gained 2% and set a record. According to CNBC, the S&P 500 has risen by more than 13% since the start of 2026 and by more than 19% over the past six months.
Among the seven companies whose shares reached 52-week highs were Warner Bros. Discovery, Marathon Petroleum, Valero, Quest Diagnostics, Advanced Micro Devices, F5 Networks, and Moderna. The list of securities that fell to new 52-week lows included T-Mobile, Lowe’s, McDonald’s, Nike, PepsiCo, FedEx Freight, AutoZone, and a number of energy and utility companies.
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Rare ratio
Jason Goepfert, founder of SentimenTrader and an adviser to NextGen News, noted that the last time the S&P 500 rose by at least 1% while being less than 1% away from a 52-week high, with new lows simultaneously outnumbering new highs, was December 21, 1999. According to him, before that, such a situation had been recorded only on July 23, 1929.
Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth, explained that the rise in the S&P 500 was driven by the communication services, information technology, and consumer discretionary sectors. At the same time, the technology sector was less than 1% from its 52-week high, while the communication services and consumer discretionary sectors lagged their respective highs by 4% and 7%.
Hogan suggested that similar trading sessions may recur in the coming months if investor sentiment remains restrained due to tensions in the Middle East. In his view, new market highs will be unlikely if the war continues, energy prices remain high, and the US Federal Reserve continues raising rates.
