BUSINESS NEWS TODAY – THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
Futures for the three major stock indexes are down on Thursday, with the S&P 500 dropping 0.67%, the Dow down 0.3% and the Nasdaq falling 1.07%.
Another member of the Federal Reserve Board said another interest rate hike is very possible this calendar year.
Biggest gainers from Wednesday’s trading are Fastly, Inc. (+13.69%) and Securitize Corp. (+10.46%). Biggest losses are Parabilis Medicines, Inc. (-12.73%) and Endeavor Silver Corp. (-11.89%).
On Wednesday, September 23:
- The S&P 500 fell 58.61 points to 7,706.03
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 352.10 points to 51,511.59
- The Nasdaq composite fell 308.24 points to 26,936.04
For The Week:
- The S&P 500 has added 55.53 points (0.7%)
- The Dow has lost 171.05 points (0.3%)
- The Nasdaq has gained 413.49 points (1.6%)
For The Year:
- The S&P 500 has added 860.53 points (12.6%)
- The Dow has increased 3,448.30 points (7.2%)
- The Nasdaq has gained 3,694.05 points (15.9%)
Qualcomm Extends Patent License Agreement With Apple
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Qualcomm Incorporated today announced the renewal of its global patent license agreement with Apple, effective April 1, 2027.
“We are pleased to extend the Apple license agreement,” said John Han, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL).
The agreement extends the existing licensing arrangement between the two companies. Terms of the agreement, including the duration, were not announced. The previous licensing agreement between Qualcomm and Apple created a significant part of Qualcomm’s revenue stream.
Caesar’s Shareholders Approve Fertitta Acquisition
Shareholders of Caesars Entertainment approved the multibillion-dollar merger with Fertitta Gaming, moving it one step closer to becoming one of the world’s largest gaming companies.
Caesars presence on the Las Vegas Strip includes Caesars Palace, the Flamingo and Harrah’s. It also operates casino resorts across the United States. Fertitta owns the Golden Nugget and restaurant chains like Rainforest Cafe and Morton’s. Billionaire owner Tilman Fertitta is the largest shareholder in Wynn Resorts and the sports betting company DraftKings. Fertitta stepped back from his role as president and director of his company following his April 2025 confirmation as U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino.
Tuesday’s vote by shareholders included 133 million votes in favor of the acquisition and 4 million against.
The merger was announced last May, with Fertitta agreeing to pay $5.7 billion and take on close to $12 billion in debt from Caesars, putting the total value of the deal at about $17.6 billion.
Caesars and Fertitta still must complete the federal antitrust review process. If it goes through, Caesars will become a privately-held company.
Starbucks To Close 250 Locations This Week
Starbucks told employees it will close 250 North American stores later this week.
In a letter to employees, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the locations targeted either aren’t delivering acceptable financial results or can’t provide the kind of experience that Starbucks wants for customers and employees.
The company didn’t say Thursday which locations will close or how many are located in the U.S. It also didn’t say how many of the affected coffeehouses are unionized. More than 700 U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since late 2021, but Starbucks doesn’t support the unionization effort and the union and the company have yet to reach a labor agreement.
Grams said Starbucks is continuing to retrofit its North American coffeehouses to make them cozier and more inviting. The company expects 1,500 stores will be retrofitted by Sept. 30, which is the end of Starbucks’ fiscal year.