Small Caps Outperform Nasdaq by 0.9 Point as Hiring Slows

U.S. small-cap stocks outperformed in a mixed Wall Street start on Wednesday. The iShares Russell 2000 ETF rose 0.65% as of 10:00 EDT. Meanwhile, the Invesco QQQ Trust declined 0.22%.

NEW YORK, September 2, 2026, 10:13 EDT — Market prices are included in this report up to the scheduled 10:00 EDT cutoff.

  • By 10:00 EDT, the iShares Russell 2000 ETF was up 0.65%, while the Invesco QQQ Trust slipped 0.22%, resulting in a gap of 0.87 points.
  • IWM gained 0.58% over the past 60 minutes, while QQQ edged up 0.03%.
  • Six out of 11 sector ETFs ended higher. Leading sectors included communication services, materials and health care.

U.S. small-cap stocks outperformed in a mixed Wall Street start on Wednesday. The iShares Russell 2000 ETF NYSEARCA:IWM rose 0.65% as of 10:00 EDT. Meanwhile, the Invesco QQQ Trust NASDAQ:QQQ declined 0.22% Nasdaq price data.

The 0.87-percentage-point gap indicated that investors increased their equity positions. The rally did not extend to rate-sensitive assets, as technology, utilities and real estate sectors continued to trade lower.

Automatic Data Processing NASDAQ:ADP said private employers created 38,000 jobs in August, marking the most sluggish monthly increase since January. “Pay can tell us a lot about today’s choppy hiring,” ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said ADP report.

Small caps separated during the final pre-open hour

Price return from 09:00 EDT, percentage points. As of .

0.0%0.2%0.4%0.6%09:0009:3010:00 IWM +0.58%DIA +0.38%SPY +0.23%QQQ +0.03%

Source: Nasdaq market-activity charts. Returns calculated from 09:00, 09:30 and 10:00 EDT price observations.

IWM gained 0.37% in the opening half hour of trading. QQQ edged down 0.04% during the same timeframe. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust NYSEARCA:SPY increased by 0.17% Nasdaq chart.

Regular-session move versus the trailing hour

Regular session-to-date is the 30-minute available interval, 09:30–10:00 EDT. Trailing hour is 09:00–10:00 EDT.

09:30–10:00 available interval09:00–10:00 IWMDIASPYQQQ +0.37%+0.58%+0.24%+0.38%+0.17%+0.23%−0.04%+0.03% 0+0.2%+0.4%+0.6%

Source: Nasdaq ETF charts. Percentages use unrounded price observations at each boundary.

Bonds and oil continued to restrain the recovery. According to an Associated Press report at 09:39 EDT, U.S. crude traded at $90.34. The yield on the 10-year Treasury hovered around 4.81% AP.

Sector gains were limited, though overall breadth stayed positive. Communication services increased by 1.64%, materials advanced 1.46% and health care was up 1.42%. Utilities slipped 1.12%, and real estate declined 0.91% Nasdaq sector quotes.

Six sectors rose; long-duration groups lagged

Sector SPDR ETF change from Tuesday’s close through 10:00 EDT.

CommunicationMaterialsHealth careFinancialsDiscretionaryStaplesTechnologyIndustrialsEnergyReal estateUtilities +1.64%+1.46%+1.42%+0.96%+0.10%+0.01%−0.51%−0.53%−0.55%−0.91%−1.12% −1.0%0+1.0%

Source: Nasdaq market-activity charts for XLC, XLB, XLV, XLF, XLY, XLP, XLK, XLI, XLE, XLRE and XLU; 10:00 EDT.

Broader funds also drew more trading activity. At 10:03, Nasdaq reported 4.10 million shares traded in IWM. QQQ saw a volume of 4.67 million shares, and SPY recorded 3.92 million shares exchanged Nasdaq volume data.

Results led to pronounced price swings. GitLab Inc. NASDAQ:GTLB advanced 15.32% as of 10:00 EDT. MongoDB Inc. NASDAQ:MDB declined 12.56%, while Dell Technologies Inc. NYSE:DELL was up 5.97% Nasdaq stock data.

Post-earnings repricing at 10:00 EDT

GTLB+15.32%Revenue +21%; full-year outlook raised
MDB−12.56%Revenue +30%; investors sold the result
DELL+5.97%AI-server demand lifted guidance

Price source: Nasdaq market-activity charts at 10:00 EDT. Company details: September 1 earnings releases.

GitLab posted a 21% increase in quarterly revenue to $286.3 million. CEO Bill Staples stated that net annual recurring revenue expanded by more than 40% GitLab results. MongoDB saw revenue climb 30%, but its shares dropped significantly MongoDB results.

Dell increased its full-year revenue midpoint to $192 billion. The company forecasts $74 billion in AI-server revenue, which is triple the figure from last year Dell earnings call.

The key indicator is the IWM–QQQ spread. A slowdown in hiring expanded market outperformance, while elevated yields prevented a straightforward duration play. The division between sectors aligns with this interpretation.

Oil stockpile data was expected at 10:30 EDT EIA schedule. The U.S. government’s official jobs report for August is scheduled for release on Friday at 08:30 EDT Labor Department.

Risks: The snapshot reflects only the initial 30 minutes of regular trading. Early leaders may not maintain their positions. Shifts could occur due to oil news, Treasury yields, or upcoming Friday payroll data.

Iwona Majkowska

Iwona Majkowska is a financial markets journalist at TS2.tech. She covers stocks, artificial intelligence and technology, with a focus on the stories moving U.S. and global markets. Before turning to financial journalism, she worked in equity research and financial analysis. She is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics. Follow Iwona Majkowska on Google News.

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