Stock futures were flat in overnight trading on Thursday after the S&P 500 notched its worst month since March 2020.

Futures on Dow Jones Industrial Average were up just 15 points. S&P 500 futures were little changed and Nasdaq 100 futures edged up 0.1%.

Market volatility, rising rates and inflation worries all contributed to a turbulent September. The S&P 500 finished the month down 4.8%, breaking a seven-month winning streak. The Dow Composite dropped 4.3% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 5.3% in the worst month of the year.

Chris Hussey is a Goldman Sachs managing Director. He stated that “a combination of slower growth, less accommodative monetary policy, China headwinds and fading fiscal stimuli all conspired together to weigh on investor sentiment” in a memo.

Ten of the 11 S&P 500 sectors suffered losses in September, led to the downside by a 7.4% monthly drop in materials stocks. The best performing sector in September was Energy, which saw a gain of more than 9 percent.

To gauge price pressures in the recovery economy from the pandemic, investors are awaiting Friday’s key inflation data. According to Dow Jones economists, August’s core personal consumption expenditures price indicator, which is the inflation measurement the Federal Reserve uses in setting policy, will rise by 0.2% and 3.5% respectively.

The July inflation measurement grew 3.6% over the year to reach its highest point since May 1991.

Mike Loewengart (managing director, investment strategy, E-Trade Financial) said, “As the third quarter winds down, and we look forward, investors will likely have to remain agile as the economic recovery continues in an zig-zag.”

Congress had the ability to stop a shutdown of government on Thursday. Both the Senate and House passed short-term funding bills that would allow government to continue running until Dec. 3. They then sent them to President Joe Biden for him to sign.