CNBC Business News Update - Market Midday: Stocks Lower, Winning Q3 About To Go In The Books, EV Tax Credit Workaround 9/30/25

Episode Date: September 30, 2025

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I'm Jessica Ettinger, CNBC. Investors watching as a government shutdown looms tonight on this final day of September trading. The major averages are all in the red modestly this afternoon. The Dow down 34 points, led lower by shares of Salesforce, which are down almost 3%. The S&P 500 indexed down three points. The NASDAQ is down 29 points. Invidia shares are in the green. They're up 2.5% this afternoon. September is normally the worst month of the year for stocks,

but the markets are about to put a winning September in the books and a winning third quarter of the year as well. September is usually the worst month followed by October following through, and then we proceed into a Santa Claus rally. We've been waiting with some cash on the sidelines for that to happen. Maybe the shoe two drop will be what the Federal Reserve actually does in October. We're prepared for that. We're positioned for it.

But yeah, we haven't seen it in September. So now it's all about October. That's Blake Shine Welts, Robert Shine, on CNBC. Gold hit a new intraday, all-time high of $3,89 an ounce on Tuesday, notching its best month since March. Shining again during the month of September, during the quarter, and so far the year. I mean, it's just been the steady climb up.

It's up 16% for the quarter on gold. It's tracking for its best year since 1979. Why? Dollars weaker. I don't know. Let's watch it during a shutdown. Safe Haven status. It's notable that it's up so much at a time where, you know, it hasn't been kind of like this risk-off scary period for the markets where it's been a flight to safety. Gold is up as stocks have rallied as well. CNBC's Sarah Eisen, Consumer Confidence tanked again in September in the conference board's data. These are September confidence numbers, and boy, they're disappointing. If we look at the headline well below expectations at 94.2, the weakest since April of this year. CNBC's Rick Santelli, EV tax credits expired at the end of September. But for would-be buyers still eyeing electric vehicles that are sitting on dealer lots, the automakers have a workaround that gets you the discount.

Their credit divisions have made down payments on those EVs. The dealers can then turn around and lease those vehicles with the discount. So while it's not technically giving you the EV tax credit, you'll get the benefit of it if you're one of those people leasing an EV. And again, this applies only to current inventory. CNBC's Phil LeBoe. CNBC's sister company NBC, premiering a new reality competition TV show with a business twist. It's like Shark Tank meets the apprentice meets Project Run. runway. So it's like a gamified shark tank. It's really fun. This is for people at home who watch

commercials and be like, I can do a better spot from that. The first episode is Duncan. We have Sonic. We have marshals. Captain Morgan's a big one. Southwest. If you love those types of business reality shows, you'll like this. On brand and tonight show host Jimmy Fallon on CNBC. McDonald's bringing back the Monopoly game, as Morning Bruce says, presumably without the fraud. The promotion comes back Monday. It's going to be digital to prevent the cheating that spawned an HBO documentary about employees and relatives getting the major prizes. Back in the years it originally ran from 1989 through 2001, this time players will be required to scan game pieces into the Mickey D's app. On Wednesday's watch list, while streets starting the fourth quarter of the year and

October trading, Jessica Eddinger, CNBC. Celebrating 30 years of squat. and streaming on CNBC Plus.