Stock Market Today: Dow Hits Record as Broader Market Rallies Despite Soft Confidence

Data by YCharts

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) rose 0.41% to 6,688.46 on Tuesday, while the Nasdaq Composite(NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) added 0.30% to 22,660.01. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) gained 0.18% to 46,397.89, finishing at a record high as blue-chip stocks outperformed.

Investor sentiment was tested by renewed uncertainty around government funding, with hopes for a last-minute deal to avert a shutdown waning. Meanwhile, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index came in weaker than expected, adding to caution about household spending power. Despite those headwinds, equities climbed as yields eased from recent highs and investors rotated into defensive and value-oriented names.

Industrial and defense stocks helped drive the Dow to its new milestone. Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) and Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) advanced as investors leaned into sectors perceived as more resilient. By contrast, the Nasdaq's gains were muted as megacap tech shares lagged.

With markets at fresh highs, attention now shifts to fiscal negotiations in Washington and upcoming inflation data, which could determine whether the recent rally maintains momentum into October.

Market data sourced from Google Finance on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.

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Daily Stock News has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. This article was generated with GPT-5, OpenAI's large-scale language generation model and has been reviewed by The Motley Fool's AI quality control systems. The Motley Fool recommends Lockheed Martin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.