Wall Street Rises on Hopes of Iran De-escalation Amid Monthly Losses

Wall Street rose on hopes of Iran de-escalation, easing pressure from steep monthly losses. Investors cheered a report suggesting U.S. leaders may dial back military action. The move helped equities rebound after a lengthy sell-off.

What triggered the rally

A Wall Street Journal report said President Donald Trump told aides he might end military operations against Iran. The report added he would consider this even if the Strait of Hormuz stayed largely closed. Traders treated the news as a sign the Middle East conflict could ease.

Major index gains

Markets climbed across the board. At 11:55 a.m. ET, the Dow rose 445.59 points, or 0.99%, to 45,663.12.

The S&P 500 gained 84.31 points, or 1.33%, to 6,427.88. The Nasdaq jumped 373.77 points, or 1.80%, to 21,168.20.

Sector performance

Nine of 11 major S&P 500 sectors moved higher. The energy index was poised to finish March in positive territory. It also tracked its largest quarterly gain on record amid rising oil prices.

Technology and communication stocks

The S&P 500 technology index added 1.6%, led by chipmakers. Nvidia rose 2.9% and Broadcom climbed 2.6%.

Meta Platforms gained 3.9%, and Alphabet rose 2.8%. The communication services index increased 2.3% overall.

Notable company moves

• CoreWeave jumped 5.3% after securing an $8.5 billion loan to expand AI infrastructure.
• Marvell Technology gained 7.5% following a $2 billion investment from Nvidia.
• McCormick shares fell 5.6% after Unilever struck a deal to split and merge its food unit with the spice maker.
• Constellation Energy declined 8.3% after issuing a 2026 profit forecast below expectations.

Economic data and inflation concerns

U.S. job openings fell more than expected in February. Hiring dropped to its lowest pace in nearly six years, data showed.

The oil price spike linked to the Iran conflict revived inflation worries. Money markets pared back expectations for Federal Reserve cuts this year, according to the CME Group FedWatch Tool.

Market breadth and technicals

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by about 3.86-to-1 on the NYSE. On the Nasdaq, the ratio was roughly 3.03-to-1.

The S&P 500 recorded five new 52-week highs and seven new lows. The Nasdaq posted 23 new highs and 126 new lows.

Outlook

Some strategists said a message from the administration hinted at a pivot in policy. Alonso Munoz, CIO at Hamilton Capital Partners, said such signals can trigger relief rallies.

He added that strong upcoming earnings could allow financials and technology to catch up to the broader market.

Reporting by Purvi Agarwal and Twesha Dikshit in Bengaluru for Filmogaz.com. Edited by Shinjini Ganguli and Devika Syamnath.