4:10pm:

Stocks finished little changed on Tuesday as investors remained cautious ahead of key inflation data later this week and continued to monitor developments in the Middle East.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 34 points, or 0.1%, to close at 47,707, while the S&P 500 fell 15 points, or 0.2%, to 6,781. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was essentially flat, edging up by just 1 point to 22,697, and the Russell 2000 lost 7 points, or 0.3%, to finish at 2,547.

Markets struggled to find direction as traders weighed geopolitical tensions alongside the outlook for inflation and interest rates.

Oil prices were volatile during the session. Futures for West Texas Intermediate crude and Brent crude at one point plunged as much as 15% before trimming losses after the White House said it had not escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. The clarification came after Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted the claim on social media before later deleting it. The critical shipping route has largely been at a standstill since the war in the region erupted, keeping energy markets on edge.

Investors are also bracing for two key inflation readings that could shape expectations for interest rate policy. February’s report on the Consumer Price Index is due Wednesday, followed by January’s Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index on Friday. Notably, neither report will reflect the recent surge in oil prices, which has complicated the outlook for the Federal Reserve.

On the corporate front, investors were also looking ahead to earnings from Oracle Corporation, which is scheduled to report results after the closing bell on Tuesday.

3:45pm: Proactive news headlines


374Water Inc received approval from the City of Orlando to operate its Waste Destruction Services platform at the Iron Bridge Regional Water Reclamation Facility under an initial five-year license.
Nextech3D.AI signed 50 new customer contracts worth about $230,000 since the start of 2026 as adoption of its AI-powered event technology platform expands.
Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp closed a brokered LIFE private placement raising approximately C$4.38 million to support its operations and exploration activities.
Atai Life Sciences reaffirmed its financial outlook and said it plans to advance its BPL-003 nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression into Phase 3 trials in the second quarter of 2026.
Power Metallic Mines Inc reported strong drilling assay results from its Lion Zone copper discovery, supporting plans for a 2026 mineral resource estimate.
VivoPower International PLC said it will change its name to VivoPower PLC and begin trading under the ticker “VIVO” on Nasdaq starting March 16, 2026.
EnWave Corp signed a license and equipment purchase agreement with Teagasc to support research using its Radiant Energy Vacuum dehydration technology.
Ideal Power Inc reported progress commercializing its B-TRAN bidirectional semiconductor power switch, including two new customer agreements targeting high-growth power electronics markets.
Trust Stamp Inc completed two acquisitions, including Lexverify Ltd and a 50% stake in Cyberfish CyberPsychology Solutions Ltd, to strengthen its AI-driven cybersecurity and risk-management offerings.
Liberty Star Uranium & Metals Corp expanded its land position around the Hay Mountain project in Arizona by staking 13 additional mineral exploration permits in the Tombstone Mining District.
Standard Uranium Ltd reported assay results confirming anomalous uranium and rare earth mineralization at its Rocas project in Saskatchewan ahead of a planned inaugural drill campaign.
Replenish Nutrients Holding Corp raised about $2.19 million in the second tranche of a private placement to support expansion of its regenerative fertilizer production and distribution.
Immunic Inc said the European Patent Office granted a patent covering dosing regimens for its multiple sclerosis drug candidate vidofludimus calcium, potentially extending protection in Europe to 2038.

2:50pm: Market movers


NIO Inc (NYSE:NIO) reported its first-ever quarterly net profit in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven by record vehicle deliveries and stronger margins, sending its U.S.-listed shares up nearly 10%.
BioNTech SE said its co-founders plan to launch a new independent biotech focused on next-generation mRNA technologies as the company sharpens its strategic focus on oncology.
374Water Inc (NASDAQ:SCWO, FRA:8LL) received approval from the City of Orlando to provide waste destruction services at the Iron Bridge Regional Water Reclamation Facility under a five-year operating license.
Nextech3D.AI (CSE:NTAR, OTCQX:NEXCF, FRA:1SS) signed 50 new customer contracts worth about $230,000 since the start of 2026 as adoption of its AI-powered event technology platform continues to expand.
AtaiBeckley Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAI, XETRA:9VC) outlined plans to advance its BPL-003 nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression into Phase 3 trials while reaffirming its financial outlook during its 2026 Virtual Investor Day.

1:50pm: Ackman’s Pershing Square to IPO

Pershing Square Holdings (LSE:PSH), the new closed-end fund managed by billionaire investor Bill Ackman, is preparing to go public in a combined initial public offering that also includes stakes in Pershing Square Capital Management, his hedge fund management firm, according to US Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Under the offering structure, investors in Pershing Square USA will receive shares in the management company at no additional cost. For every 100 closed-end fund shares purchased at $50 apiece, investors will receive 20 shares of Pershing Square Capital.

Ackman is seeking to raise between $5 billion and $10 billion through the combined IPO.

12:40pm: Oil and gas prices drop

“WTI crude dropped below $85 a barrel on Tuesday after spiking close to $120 the previous day, as President Donald Trump signalled the war with Iran could end sooner than expected, pledged naval escorts for tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and the G7 said it stood ready to release strategic oil reserves,” said IG’s Axel Rudolph.

The analyst said that Trump’s comments are likely “easing supply fears” amongst investors.

11:50am: Existing home sales rebound

Existing home sales in the US rose 1.7% in February to a 4.09 million unit annualized pace, partially rebounding from January’s sharp decline, though weather likely remained a limiting factor.

Despite the uptick, homebuying activity is expected to stay sluggish due to high mortgage rates, which have climbed back above 6% after briefly dipping into the high-5% range. Inventory of single-family homes remains tight at 1.18 million, 18% below February 2019 levels.

Home price growth remains moderate, with the median single-family home price up just 0.2% year-over-year. Regional trends show stronger gains in the Northeast (+4.0%) and Midwest (+2.3%), while the South (+0.2%) and West (-2.2%) see slower or negative appreciation.

11:00am: Small business optimism wanes

Small business optimism fell for a second month in February as firms scaled back capital spending and hiring plans, driven more by weak demand for workers than labor shortages, according to Wells Fargo.

Only 15% of firms cited labor quality as their top concern, which is the lowest since April 2020.

Despite the slowdown, small businesses remain broadly positive. A net 15% of owners said current conditions favor expansion, while 18% expect favorable conditions over the next six months—both above pandemic-era averages.

Analysts at Wells Fargo noted that strong earnings and sales appear to be supporting a generally constructive economic outlook, highlighting a divergence between labor market performance and overall economic health.

9.55am: Mixed open as Dow falls but Nasdaq flat 

Wall Street opened mixed, with the Dow and S&P 500 slipping 0.4% and 0.25% respectively, while the Nasdaq was fractionally in the green, as technology and energy stocks weighed on sentiment.

Salesforce led the Dow fallers with a drop of 3.3%, followed by IBM down 1.5% and Chevron off 1.2%, with the energy giant’s decline reflecting the continued pullback in oil prices from Monday’s extraordinary highs.

Disney, Microsoft, Visa and Nike were all down around 0.7-0.9%.

Market analyst Neil Wilson at Saxo says defense secretary Hesgeth’s comments about an intenese day of strikes by the US was “a different tone to Trump’s comments, which seem to have been about placating the market more than reflecting the military reality”.

He notes that crude prices begin to pick up following drone attacks around the UAE Ruwais oil refinery in Abu Dhabi, the installation pausing operations as a precaution. 

“Front month April contracts trade at a monster $5 premium to the May contract, signalling how the market remains calmer about the path for crude despite the intense near-term stress.  January 2027 contracts at $74 as the futures curves remains in extreme backwardation.”

8.30am: Dow Jones futures point lower as Hegseth comments lift oil prices 

US futures were pointing to a softer open on Wall Street on Tuesday, as markets calibrated their reaction to comments from the US government about the Iran conflict. 

Dow Jones and S&P 500 futures were down 0.3% and those for the Nasdaq slipped 0.2%, with larger gains earlier pared as fresh signals from Washington suggested the conflict with Iran is not yet over.

Stocks staged a sharp intraday rebound the day before, clawing back from initial losses as oil prices tumbled after remarks from Donald Trump suggested the conflict with Iran could wind down sooner than expected.

President Trump suggested that the war with Iran could be over “very soon”, that “I think the war is very complete, pretty much”, with the US “very far ahead of schedule”.

This saw New York’s major stock market indexes finish solidly higher, with the Nasdaq leading the gains, rising 1.4% to 22,696, while the S&P added 0.8% to close at 6,796, the Dow Jones climbed 0.5% to 47,741 and the Russell 2000 added 1.1% to 2,554.

European stocks, which opened sharply higher on the back of Trump’s de-escalation signals, have also pared some of their gains, though the FTSE 100 and DAX remain firmly in the green.

The change in the mood on Tuesday followed comments from defence minister Pete Hegseth, who said Tuesday would be “our most intense day of strikes inside Iran”.

 

At a press conference at the Pentagon, Hegseth said this would see “the most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever.”

On the other hand, he noted that the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire “the lowest number of missiles they’ve been capable of firing yet” and insisted the current administration was not planning any “nation-building” campaign. 

WTI crude oil futures, which had plunged from Monday’s intraday peak above $116 a barrel to as low as $82 on Trump’s comments, have edged back up above $90.

Reports of an oil tanker explosion near Abu Dhabi were adding to nerves, though G7 energy ministers are due to discuss a potential release of emergency oil reserves later in the day.

Separately, Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square has filed for an NYSE IPO with a dual listing structure, having secured $2.8 billion in commitments ahead of the offering.

And Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite maker SpaceX is leaning toward listing its shares on the Nasdaq, Reuters reported, with what is expected to be the biggest initial public offering of all time.