2026.03.1113:40:24UTC+00US Stocks Trade Muted for 2nd Session

US equity indices were little changed for a second straight session on Wednesday, as uncertainty surrounding the war in the Persian Gulf kept investors wary of adding risk. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered around the flatline, while a strong performance in technology shares pushed the Nasdaq 100 above the 25,000 level.

Crude oil benchmarks gave back part of their earlier surge, but refined product prices stayed sharply higher as escalating tensions among Iran, GCC countries, and US-Israeli forces reinforced expectations that energy exports from the region will remain disrupted. Higher energy prices pushed bond yields up and weighed on credit‑sensitive equities, even after the IEA advocated for an aggressive release of member oil reserves and US February CPI came in without upside surprises.

Technology megacaps led the market’s advance, with Oracle jumping 13% after issuing guidance that topped expectations, bolstering sentiment toward AI‑linked companies despite their already elevated valuations. In contrast, consumer defensive and pharmaceutical stocks mostly traded lower.