What Happened?

A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after investor uncertainty heightened by the ongoing U.S. government shutdown. In its second week, the shutdown delayed the release of crucial economic data, including the September jobs report and weekly unemployment claims. This lack of fresh information complicates decision-making for both the Federal Reserve and investors, who rely on these metrics to gauge the economy's health. Without this data, assessing the path of inflation and the labor market becomes more challenging, leading to a cautious sentiment. Major indices like the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all retreated as market participants reassessed their positions amid the data vacuum and awaited more clarity. 

In addition, Jamie Dimon raised concerns about a market correction. He added, "I would give it a higher probability than I think is probably priced in the market and by others, so if the market is pricing in 10%, I would ... say it's more like 30%." Dimon's remarks are closely watched given his influence as head of one of the nation's largest banks.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Specialty Finance company Main Street Capital (NYSE: MAIN) fell 5.6%. Is now the time to buy Main Street Capital? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Auto Loan company Credit Acceptance (NASDAQ: CACC) fell 4.3%. Is now the time to buy Credit Acceptance? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Specialty Finance company Capital Southwest (NASDAQ: CSWC) fell 3.9%. Is now the time to buy Capital Southwest? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Custody Bank company WisdomTree (NYSE: WT) fell 2.4%. Is now the time to buy WisdomTree? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Asset Management company Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) fell 2.7%. Is now the time to buy Carlyle? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On Main Street Capital (MAIN)

Main Street Capital’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 2 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

Main Street Capital is down 3.5% since the beginning of the year, and at $57.20 per share, it is trading 15.3% below its 52-week high of $67.54 from August 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Main Street Capital’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,863.

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