Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] Stocks are looking to end a tumultuous month of March on a higher note, with the S&P 500 (+1.4%), Nasdaq Composite (+1.8%), and DJIA (+1.1%) trading firmly higher shortly before midday. The Russell 2000 (+1.8%) and S&P Mid Cap 400 (+1.6%) are posting similar gains after underperforming yesterday.

There is some optimism on the geopolitical front after The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump told aides he is willing to end U.S. military operations against Iran even as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, as efforts to secure the waterway would likely push the operation beyond its 4- to 6-week timeline. President Trump reiterated that view in an interview with The New York Post, saying the war will not last “too much longer.

In addition to hopes for a near-term end to the conflict, economic data has also supported sentiment. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index increased to 91.8 in March (Briefing.com consensus: 88.0) from 91.2 in February, though it remained below the 93.9 level from the same period a year ago. The key takeaway is that the headline reading does not reflect any pronounced concern among consumers about the Iran war; however, that concern appears in inflation expectations, with 12-month expectations rising to 6.2% from 5.5% in February—the highest level since August 2025.

Meanwhile, oil prices are moving modestly higher after holding mostly flat earlier in the session, with WTI crude up $1.48 (+1.5%) to $104.36 per barrel.

Strength remains broad, with ten S&P 500 sectors trading higher and a solid rebound in tech and mega-cap names pushing the communication services (+2.3%), information technology (+1.8%), and consumer discretionary (+1.8%) sectors to the top of the standings.