What are today's top business/market headlines?

As of the close of the trading week on Friday, October 2, and into Saturday, October 3, 2026, these are the top business and market-moving headlines:

1. Markets Rally on Weaker-Than-Expected U.S. Jobs Report

Wall Street stocks surged on Friday following the release of a weaker-than-expected September employment report. The U.S. economy added just 29,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in September, significantly missing the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 84,000. Additionally, the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.2% (from 4.1%).

The "bad news is good news" reaction took over the market: slower job growth cooled investor fears about inflation and immediate Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. The implied probability of an October rate hike plunged, leading to a strong Friday session:

2. Nvidia Hits Historic New High as AI Momentum Continues

Leading the tech-heavy Nasdaq higher, Nvidia ($NVDA) touched a historic intraday high of $237.88, lifting its market capitalization past $5.7 trillion. Despite broader macroeconomic worries, the massive wave of capital expenditure into artificial intelligence data centers by hyperscalers continues to fuel unprecedented demand for high-end chips, keeping major technology stocks firmly in the driver’s seat heading into Q3 earnings season.

3. Nike Shares Slide After Weak Revenue Forecast

Not all major companies joined the rally. Nike ($NKE) shares dropped 3.6%. While the footwear and athletic giant reported first-quarter fiscal profits that beat analyst estimates, its quarterly revenue fell 4% to $11.2 billion. Investors were disappointed by a 13% decline in Nike's digital direct-to-consumer sales and continued stagnation in the crucial Greater China market. Nike also offered a weaker-than-expected forecast for the remainder of its fiscal year.

4. G-7 Agrees to Release 100 Million Barrels of Oil

To counter high energy prices and pressure on consumer costs, the G-7 and European nations—following heavy pushback and lobbying from the U.S.—agreed to release 100 million barrels of crude and diesel from emergency stockpiles over the next four months. The announcement dragged down crude oil futures, which ended the week down 1.53%.

5. Pool Supply Giant Leslie’s Files for Chapter 11

In retail news, pool and spa service giant Leslie's Inc. entered into a major debt restructuring agreement with lenders and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Under the plan, the retailer will eliminate approximately 90% (around $685 million) of its outstanding funded debt and close 76 stores nationwide while continuing day-to-day operations through the restructuring.

6. International Highlight: GCash Parent Set for Record Philippine IPO

On global markets, Mynt, the parent company of the popular Philippine mobile wallet GCash, confirmed it has priced its upcoming initial public offering (IPO) at P6.60 per share. The listing plans to sell up to 8.03 billion shares, which could raise up to P53 billion (over $900 million USD), positioning it to be one of the largest IPOs in the history of the Philippine stock market.