U.S. markets close September with strong gains as S&P 500 hits record high

U.S. markets finished September strong, with the S&P 500 rising 0.42% to a record 5,762.48. This marks the first positive September for the index since 2019, ending a trend of declines in previous years. Tesla's stock surged 22.2% in September, driven by excitement over its upcoming robotaxi event. Meanwhile, the pan-European Stoxx 600 index fell 0.98%, with auto stocks, including Stellantis, experiencing significant losses. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the Fed is not committed to a specific path for rate cuts. Cerebras Systems, a competitor to Nvidia, filed for an IPO, reporting a net loss of $127.2 million for 2023.