S&P 500 Today: Seagate and Western Digital Soar; JM Smucker Plummets

Market Movements on Monday, September 15, 2025

On Monday, September 15, 2025, the stock market saw a mix of positive and negative movements, driven by various factors including AI demand, price hikes, and analyst reports. Data storage stocks were among the top performers, while a packaged food company faced pressure due to an analyst downgrade.

Strong Performance from Data Storage Stocks

Shares of data storage providers Seagate Technology and Western Digital experienced significant gains, fueled by optimism around AI-driven demand. Seagate Technology Holdings (STX) stock soared 7.7% to a record high, marking the S&P 500's top daily performance. The company has attracted investor attention for its large drives designed to support AI data centers. Meanwhile, shares of industry peer Western Digital (WDC) jumped 4.8%, also reaching an all-time high after the company reportedly announced plans to lift prices across its portfolio of hard disk drive products.

Impact of Analyst Downgrades

In contrast, shares of J.M. Smucker (SJM) declined by 5.2% following an analyst downgrade from Argus, which moved the stock to "hold" from "buy." Analysts noted that price increases were weighing on sales volume, particularly in the company’s coffee business, which includes brands like Folgers, Dunkin’, and Café Bustelo. Rising commodity prices and tariff impacts have added to the concerns.

Other Notable Stock Movements

Albemarle (ALB), the world’s largest lithium producer, gained 6.7% as it bounced back from steep losses in the prior trading week. This was due to news that a major lithium mine in China would restart production sooner than expected. Despite this, analysts highlighted Albemarle’s progress in reducing costs and improving its balance sheet amid challenging market conditions.

Alphabet (GOOGL) shares rose more than 4%, making the Google parent company the fourth to reach the $3 trillion market capitalization milestone. The tech giant received a boost when a judge ruled that Alphabet would not be required to divest its Chrome browser in an antitrust case.

Arista Networks (ANET) shares advanced 4.3% as the computer networking specialist clawed back some of the heavy decline from the previous Friday. At its analyst day event, Arista detailed its long-term growth outlook, with a focus on strong growth in AI networking revenue. This prompted several investment research firms to raise their price targets on the stock.

Corteva (CTVA) shares dropped 5.7%, losing the most among S&P 500 stocks. This followed a report that the agricultural firm is evaluating a plan to split its seed and pesticide businesses into two distinct companies. The possible separation could help protect Corteva’s seed business from potential liabilities related to its pesticides and weed-killing chemicals.

FactSet Research Systems (FDS) shares slid 4.8% despite analysts upgrading the stock to “neutral” from “sell.” While the upgrade pointed to a potential turnaround under new CEO Sanoke Viswanathan, analysts also lowered their price target and earnings per share estimates, citing broad pressure on FactSet’s customer base and the potential disruption from AI in its financial services business.

Broader Market Trends

The S&P 500 added 0.5%, closing at a record high as investors monitored U.S.-China trade talks and awaited this week’s interest-rate decision from the Federal Reserve. The Nasdaq was up 0.9%, extending its streak of consecutive record closing highs to six, while the Dow ticked 0.1% higher. These movements reflect a generally positive sentiment in the market, although certain sectors and companies faced specific challenges based on their unique circumstances.