The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite opened lower on September 1 after all three indexes ended August 31 in negative territory. The Dow fell roughly 374 points, or 0.59%, to about 53,185.90; the S&P 500 declined 25 to 27 points, or around 0.35%, to approximately 7,685; and the Nasdaq lost about 31 points, or 0.15%, to 26,370.89. Oil prices rose as renewed military tensions between the US and Iran raised uncertainty over global energy supplies, with West Texas Intermediate crude gaining more than 2% to around $87.81 a barrel and Brent crude climbing 1.8% to approximately $92.15. September has historically been the weakest month for US equities, with the S&P 500 averaging a 0.7% loss since 1926. Treasury yields reached multi-month highs, reflecting expectations that the Federal Reserve may keep interest rates elevated longer than markets had anticipated, while the VIX (volatility market gauge) closed below 15, indicating limited investor panic. August nonetheless produced gains: the Nasdaq rose 3.93%, while the S&P 500 and Dow also recorded positive monthly returns. Investors are now focused on the JOLTS job openings report and nonfarm payrolls, which could influence Federal Reserve expectations and rate-hike probabilities for the rest of the quarter.