US Stock Market Wednesday: U.S stock market today: S&P 500, Nasdaq make gains but Dow Jones fall. Here’s what to expect on Wednesday
These are the latest fluctuations that have affected financial markets since the end of February due to deep uncertainty about when the war will end. In just the first hour of trading on Tuesday, the Dow fluctuated between a 74-point gain and a 425-point loss.
According to Paul Christopher, head of global investment strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, “Until a clear outcome emerges, perhaps later this evening: a deal is reached, U.S./Israeli attacks intensify, or Iranian retaliation becomes escalatory rather than proportionate, investors will likely remain on guard and markets will not be able to identify trends.”
On Wall Street, companies with large fuel bills fell sharply as higher oil prices added to the pressure. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings lost 3.3 percent and United Airlines lost 1.8 percent.
Companies whose customers had the least opportunity to absorb the latest increase in gasoline prices were also left in a difficult position. Dollar Tree fell 4.2 percent and Dollar General fell 2.6 percent.
The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline across the U.S. jumped to $4.14, according to AAA. The figure was below $3 a few days before the United States and Israel launched an offensive to start the war in late February.
Shares of health insurers helped support the market after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Medicare Advantage payments will likely see a net average increase of 2.48 percent in 2027. That was well ahead of what some investors expected, according to UBS analysts led by AJ Rice. UnitedHealth Group rose 9.4 percent and Humana rose 7.9 percent. Broadcom was another force pushing the market strongly upwards. It rose 6.2 percent following the announcement of deals with Google and Anthropic.
In the bond market, Treasury yields declined modestly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.30 percent from 4.34 percent at the end of Monday. That rate is still well above the prewar level of 3.97 percent, and the increase has slowed the economy by raising mortgage and other loan rates to U.S. households and businesses.
