Market Highlights

Stocks and bonds rose while oil fell as traders weighing the viability of US-Iran ceasefire talks sent markets to a series of swings. The S&P 500 advanced for a second time this week as US efforts to end the war gathered pace, eclipsing news that Iran rejected a truce proposal and maintained its military strikes. Brent settled around $102 a barrel. Treasuries pared their March losses. Gold climbed Stocks and bonds both edged lower and oil climbed as persistent Middle-East tensions and conflicting signals from the US and Iran about their ceasefire talks sapped risk sentiment. Asian shares fell 1%, snapping a two-day gain, as elevated energy costs threatened to stoke inflation and crimp economic growth. Technology shares also sold off after a breakthrough touted by Google researchers.

Wall Street traders grappling with a range of possible outcomes for the war in Iran drove stocks away from session lows amid hopes for talks to end a conflict that kept dragging on. Oil rose. Bonds fell. The S&P 500 pared a drop that earlier approached 1%. President Donald Trump signaled that Iran had offered a “present” as a show of good faith in negotiations, noting it was related to Strait of Hormuz flows.The US and regional mediators are discussing the possibility of holding high-level peace talks as soon as Thursday, but await a response from Tehran, Axios reported. Equities rallied and oil dropped as US diplomatic efforts fueled cautious optimism that the Middle East conflict may begin to ease, tempering concerns over prolonged disruption.

A possible de-escalation in the Middle East conflict rippled through markets, with oil falling and stocks rising as President Donald Trump said he’d postpone strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure after what he described as productive talks toward ending hostilities. Brent dropped over 14% before trimming losses as Iran denied the discussions, but it closed below $100. The S&P 500 added about 1%. Bond yields and the dollar retreated, with traders backing off some of their more hawkish Federal Reserve bets, pricing in a few basis points of easing this year. Stock futures erased earlier losses and posted a modest gain as sentiment appeared to stabilize heading into the European session amid concerns about the war in the Middle East. Futures for the S&P 500 Index rose 0.1% and European stocks were primed to gain 0.2%.

Turmoil in the Middle East sparked fresh losses in stocks and bonds, with fears about an escalation of the war in Iran boosting oil prices as anxiety builds around the potential economic fallout of the conflict. The drop in equities deepened, with the S&P 500 falling 1.5% as CBS reported the Pentagon is preparing to deploy ground forces into Iran. President Donald Trump rejected the idea of declaring a cessation of hostilities. Speculation grew the US is weighing a plan to seize Kharg Island, but Trump was evasive about his plans for the major oil-export hub. Brent topped $112. A selloff in stocks, gold and bonds deepened as the US and Iran hardened their rhetoric and signaled a potential escalation to their conflict, which is entering its fourth week.

Wall Street remained on edge as an oil surge drove stocks and bonds lower, while Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said uncertainty about the war’s impact on inflation made future rate policy harder to forecast. While the central bank kept its projections for a rate reduction in 2026 and another one in 2027, traders trimmed their bets on a cut this year. Treasury yields climbed as Powell said it’s important to keep rates mildly restrictive while noting the Fed is in a tough position. The S&P 500 dropped 1.4% in its worst Fed day since 2024. Brent hovered near $110 in late hours Stocks in Europe and Asia slumped after a fresh surge in oil and gas prices intensified concerns that the war in the Middle East will stoke inflation and hit growth. Bonds tumbled amid a second day of major central bank meetings.

Wall Street staged a cautious advance, with stocks rising as traders tried to look through the potential implications of higher oil prices to inflation as the war in Iran showed no signs of abating. While most shares in the S&P 500 climbed, the index saw a modest gain. US crude eased from session highs, but settled above $96. Airlines jumped after some executives cited strong bookings as travelers rush to lock in fares ahead of a potential increase in fuel costs. Bond yields fell alongside the dollar on the eve of the Federal Reserve decision. Equities rallied for a third day as renewed optimism around artificial intelligence underpinned risk appetite before Wednesday’s Federal Reserve meeting. Oil and the dollar fell.

A slide in oil prices lifted stocks and bonds on hopes that more tankers will be able to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, with signals that rich nations could release more stockpiles also helping sentiment. While traffic through Hormuz remains at a near-standstill amid the war in the Middle East, US crude settled at $93.50 as a trickle of vessels started to find a way through the oil route. The S&P 500 rose 1%. Tech led the advance, with Nvidia Corp. climbing 1.6% as it expects to make at least $1 trillion from artificial-intelligence chips through the end of 2027. A brief revival in global equities led by technology shares looked set to falter heading into the European session as increasing tensions in the Middle East pushed up crude oil prices.

Volatility gripped Wall Street, with stocks falling and oil jumping to an over three-year high as the war in Iran raged on. A rally in bonds waned as higher energy prices stoked inflation angst. The S&P 500 erased a nearly 1% gain, with the US stepping up strikes on Iran to unprecedented levels as both sides threatened to escalate a conflict hitting its two-week mark. Brent closed above $100. After climbing in the aftermath of sluggish economic data, Treasuries lost steam, with longer-term maturities underperforming. The plunge in a gauge of megacaps from a record topped 10%. The dollar rose to its highest since December. Equity markets stabilized and crude oil gave up part of its early surge as President Donald Trump raised pressure on nations to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and said the US was talking to Iran.

A renewed oil spike stoked fears the war in Iran will further crimp energy supplies and fuel inflation, spurring a slide in stocks, which were also hit by signs of distress in the $1.8 trillion private-credit market. Brent closed above $100 for the firsttime since 2022, with the Strait of Hormuz blockage choking off flowsthrough the trade artery. The S&P 500 fell 1.5% to the lowest since November. Banks sank as redemption requests from private-credit funds forced Morgan Stanley and Cliffwater LLC to cap withdrawals. Deutsche Bank AG flaggeda $30 billion exposure to the sector. A gauge of megacaps approached the threshold of a correction. In late hours, Adobe Inc. gave a tepid outlook and said its chief will resign. GA selloff in global stocks eased as oil prices steadied after a volatile stretch, though investors remained wary of risks from the Iran war heading into the weekend.

Wall Street traders parsing geopolitical headlines kept a lid on stocks and bonds, with oil jumping as a move from rich nations to deploy reserves was considered just a reprieve amid the war in Iran. US crude topped $87 despite the International Energy Agency’s approval of its largest-ever release of emergency stockpiles. Relatively tame inflation data from before the outbreak of the conflict failed to boost risk appetite, with the S&P 500 wavering. Treasuries slid, leaving traders anticipating the Federal Reserve will cut rates only once this year. Global stocks retreated as oil rallied after an attack on tankers in Iraqi waters highlighted the threat to energy infrastructure in the Middle East and stoked concerns of an escalating conflict.