American Eagle Outfitters reported fiscal second-quarter net income of $134.1 million and revenue of $1.38 billion, beating Wall Street expectations. Analysts had projected revenue of $1.37 billion on average.

U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow all ending lower. Brent crude rose above $100 a barrel, stoking inflation worries, while Treasury yields climbed ahead of key inflation readings. Investors are also weighing the possibility of a Federal Reserve rate hike next week.

International oil prices pushed through $100, with Brent crude closing up 3.3% at $101.21 a barrel and WTI up 3.2% at $96.05. Both contracts posted their highest closing levels since May 22. Fresh developments in the U.S.-Iran conflict raised concerns about supply risks in global energy markets.

The U.S. Supreme Court has given California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other Democratic-state attorneys general two weeks to respond to Iowa and Montana’s challenge to their lawsuit aimed at blocking the $111 billion Paramount–WBD merger. The deadline lands as the blue-state coalition is set to oppose Paramount’s request for a $1.88 billion bond before a federal judge in Oakland. It also comes just days before a $7 million-per-day ticking fee to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders is scheduled to take effect, according to Deadline.

Total U.S. federal debt has exceeded $US40 trillion, while annualised interest costs have climbed to $US1.25 trillion. Since late February, U.S. government borrowing rates have jumped by more than 20%. The budget deficit this fiscal year is projected at about $US2 trillion, around 6% of GDP. Analysts warn that the mix of higher rates, an AI investment boom, inflation and Trump administration policies is pushing the global economy toward a tipping point.

ASML management has raised its 2026 revenue guidance twice and now expects to ship about 65 low-NA EUV lithography systems, with EUV revenue projected to rise more than 45% year over year. After non-EUV sales slip in the mid-single digits in 2025, the company expects that segment to grow 25% in 2026. ASML also sees demand from customers including Samsung as a key driver of the next EUV growth cycle.

Meta has launched Muse, an AI agent that can connect to apps including email, calendars, payments, health, shopping and smart-home services, with users able to choose access and revoke it. The company is offering a free version, alongside paid plans priced at $20 and $100 a month. An internal report also found major technical and security incidents across the company rose 40% year over year, while time spent on firefighting increased 70%.

Dell Technologies shares climbed to a record $538.47 on September 9, extending a rally fueled by sustained demand for AI infrastructure. The stock has risen 18.8% this month and is up 326% year-to-date. Dell reported commercial revenue growth of 22%, marking the eighth straight quarter of expansion. The company is also set to issue $5 billion in bonds with orders reaching $23 billion and will join the S&P 100 on September 21.