U.S. stocks continued to advance in late trading on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing more than 1000 points. Investors are assessing the possibility that military actions targeting Iran could conclude within four to six weeks, following reports that former President Trump is seeking to end the conflict with Iran.
The Dow rose by 1002.14 points, or 2.22%, to 46,218.28; the Nasdaq Composite increased by 740.17 points, or 3.56%, to 21,534.81; and the S&P 500 gained 163.18 points, or 2.57%, to 6,506.90.
Reports indicate that former U.S. President Donald Trump is considering winding down military operations within four to six weeks. The strategy reportedly focuses on degrading Iran's naval and missile capabilities.
Following these remarks, U.S. Treasury yields edged lower across the board. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.32%, while the 2-year yield declined to 3.82%.
The report also stated that the former president has informed aides of his willingness to end military hostilities in the Middle East, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.
The technology sector, which has been under pressure since the conflict began, saw broad gains. The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund rose 0.6%. NVIDIA advanced 1%, and Microsoft increased nearly 2%.
However, crude oil prices remained elevated after another media report stated that Iran attacked a Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai waters. The Dubai government media office posted on platform X that there were no reports of injuries and that "all 24 crew members have been confirmed safe."
Brent crude futures climbed 4%, trading above $117 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose nearly 1%, surpassing $103 per barrel.
Wall Street had a mixed performance in the previous trading session. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed lower, while the Dow ended slightly higher.
Monday's decline left the S&P 500 just over 9% above its recent closing high, with the drop led by the technology sector, which fell more than 1%. However, Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist at B. Riley Wealth Management, suggested that the recent pullback may reflect a typical market correction rather than an anomaly.
He stated, "There are several narratives at play, but long-term investors should remember that a 10% correction is normal. It happens periodically. On average, we experience a 10% correction every two years. Investors must also understand that market volatility is the price paid for achieving higher long-term returns."
He added, "We also see positive trading days when there's a hint of encouraging news."
Tuesday marked the final trading day of the month. The S&P 500 was down 7.8% for March. If this decline holds through the close, it would be the benchmark index's worst monthly performance since September 2022, when it plummeted 9.3%.
On the economic data front, U.S. job openings fell to 6.9 million in February, down from a revised 7.2 million in January, while hiring dropped to its lowest level since April 2020.
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