What are today's top business/market headlines?

I'll gather today's top business and market headlines for you.

Top Business / Market Headlines for Today - Monday, September 21, 2026:

Based on latest wire and market reports this morning:

U.S. Markets - Open Higher on Trade / Tariff Headlines:

•Major indices were in the green early on Monday as traders digested trade headlines and looked ahead to earnings from some of the biggest names in tech.

•As of 1445 BST, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.12% at 44,394.58, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.30% to 6,315.78 and the Nasdaq Composite came out of the gate 0.55% firmer at 21,010.31.

•The Dow opened 52.39 points higher on Monday, reclaiming some losses registered in the previous session as risk appetite scaled back with markets trading at record highs.

Trade & Tariffs In Focus:

•Trade was once again in focus at the open on Monday as the White House reiterated its position on tariffs, with commerce secretary Howard Lutnick saying on Sunday that 1 August was the Trump administration's "hard deadline" for other nations to begin paying tariffs.

•However, he also said that "nothing stops countries from talking to us after 1 August, but they're going to start paying the tariffs on 1 August."

Wall Street Tone - Mixed / Defensive Leadership:

•Benchmark US indices closed mixed on Tuesday, September 21, after healthcare, energy, and technology stocks led gains in intraday trading buoyed by positive income expectations.

•Wall Street stocks recovered Monday, shaking off some of the worries around the Federal Reserve's "higher for longer" interest rate strategy.

Global Markets:

•Global stock markets closed a volatile week mixed.

•With the S&P 500 and Dow Jones hitting record highs on Thursday, a chunky rebound on the Shanghai Composite on Friday caps a week in which global investors overcame their anxieties about trade disputes between the US and China.

•Reuters reported that oil prices clawed back some gains on Monday after hitting five-month lows in the previous session as investors hoped potential talks between the presidents of the US and China could ease trade tensions between the world's two largest economies and oil consumers.

•Bloomberg reported that global stocks extended a rally as investors flocked back to the artificial intelligence trade and a clutch of upcoming IPOs kept enthusiasm for the technology sector elevated.

Earnings Watch - Big Tech Ahead:

•On Monday's earnings slate, telco giant Verizon hiked FY adjusted underlying earnings and earnings per share guidance on the back of a strong Q2 trading performance, while Domino's Pizza reported earnings that fell short of estimates despite seeing US same-store sales growth hitting 3% in the quarter.

•Market participants were also patiently awaiting earnings reports from the likes of Alphabet and Tesla later this week.

Other Top Business Stories Highlighted by Bloomberg/Reuters:

•Today's top stories cover major shifts in retail, global markets, and tech monetization - Bloomberg Money Minute titled: Market Update: Dollar Tree, US-Iran & Meta AI.

Markets remain volatile heading into the week with focus on tariff deadlines, Fed policy, AI trade, and Q2 earnings from megacap tech.

Citations (3)

1lse.co.ukData and tools
US open: Stocks higher as traders digest tariff headlines | Financial News
Backs: “Based on latest wire and market reports this morning: U.S. Markets - Open Higher on Trade / Tariff Headlines: Major indices were in the green early on Monday as traders digested trade headlines and looked ahead to earnings from some of the biggest names in tech.”
2morningstar.co.ukData and tools
Global Market Report - September 21
Backs: “Global Markets: Global stock markets closed a volatile week mixed. With the S&P 500 and Dow Jones hitting record highs on Thursday, a chunky rebound on the Shanghai Composite on Friday caps a week in which global investors overcame their anxieties about trade disputes between the US and China.”
3bankfab.comCompanies
Market Insights &
Backs: “With the S&P 500 and Dow Jones hitting record highs on Thursday, a chunky rebound on the Shanghai Composite on Friday caps a week in which global investors overcame their anxieties about trade disputes between the US and China. Reuters reported that oil prices clawed back some gains on Monday after hitting five-month…”