Markets Close Higher on Sep. 21, 2026 as Nasdaq Outperforms

U.S. equities finished broadly higher on Sep. 21, 2026, with technology-heavy benchmarks leading the advance. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.26% to 27,122.094, outpacing the S&P 500, which gained 1.49% to 7,764.7. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.71% to 52,048.83, while the Russell 2000 added 0.52% to 2,875.3447. Meanwhile, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) edged down 0.07% to 14.8, suggesting volatility expectations remained relatively contained despite notable moves in individual names.

Top Movers

Several stocks posted outsized gains during the session, led by GRML, which surged 230.53% to $9.42. GLNDW jumped 186.21% to $0.83, while GLND advanced 141.26% to $2.8951. BTTC rose 117.75% to $0.7948, and VEEE gained 100.93% to $17.24.

On the downside, losses were concentrated in several low-priced securities and warrants. RIV.RT fell 69.57% to $0.0007, ASGI.RTWI dropped 61.06% to $0.0701, and DFSCW declined 47.46% to $0.0155. PDYNW lost 46.81% to $0.0025, while VEEAW slid 43.03% to $0.0282.

Most Active

Trading volume was heaviest in BTTC, which changed hands more than 418.3 million times and also ranked among the session's top percentage gainers. WBD followed with volume of roughly 232.8 million shares, while GRML traded nearly 209.0 million shares as it posted the day’s biggest gain among the listed movers. INTC was also heavily traded at about 188.0 million shares, with GLND rounding out the most-active list at roughly 178.9 million.

Most Talked About

News flow was led by SPY with 40 mentions, though coverage skewed mostly neutral at 28 neutral, 5 positive, and 7 negative. WBD and PSKY logged 15 mentions each, with both seeing more neutral than directional coverage. Among large-cap technology names, META drew 13 mentions with a positive tilt (7 positive, 1 negative), while MSFT also had 13 mentions and the strongest skew among the group at 8 positive, 0 negative, and 5 neutral. GRML appeared 12 times in news coverage with 8 positive and 4 negative mentions, while MSTR also had 12 mentions and a notably upbeat split of 10 positive to 2 negative. AMZN was mentioned 11 times, with sentiment mostly neutral.

Earnings Watch

On the earnings calendar, KOREA ELECTRIC POWER CORPORATION (KEP) had an analyst EPS estimate of $0.33, and its stock moved 2.09% on the day. GRIFOLS SOCIEDAD ANÓNIMA (GRFS) carried an estimate of $0.27 and rose 0.68%. CHRONOSCALE HOLDINGS CORPORATION (CHRN) was expected to post -$0.06 per share, with the stock up 6.22%. DAVE & BUSTER'S ENTERTAINMENT INCORPORATED (PLAY) had an estimate of $0.19 and gained 0.89%.

Elsewhere, CURRENC GROUP INCORPORATED (CURR) rose 1.25% with no EPS estimate listed, while VALUE LINE INCORPORATED (VALU) fell 5.39%. U.S. GOLD CORPORATION (USAU) had an estimate of -$0.23 and added 1.17%. PERMA-PIPE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INCORPORATED (PPIH) slipped 1.01% with no estimate provided. HIGH TIDE INCORPORATED (HITI) carried a $0.01 estimate and gained 1.94%, while CODA OCTOPUS GROUP INCORPORATED (CODA) rose 3.04% without an estimate listed.

Market Sentiment

Overall news sentiment was relatively balanced. Of 699 articles tracked during the session, 277 were positive, 148 were negative, and 274 were neutral. That mix points to a modestly constructive backdrop, with positive stories outnumbering negative ones, but with nearly as much neutral coverage as positive coverage.

Looking ahead, investors will be watching whether the Nasdaq’s stronger momentum can broaden further across the market, especially as small caps and the Dow posted more measured gains. With volatility still subdued and sentiment leaning slightly positive, attention is likely to remain on high-volume movers, news-heavy names, and upcoming earnings-related reactions.