Dow S&P 500 Nasdaq rise as oil prices fall below $100

Stock Market Today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq jump as oil falls below $100 amid Iran peace talk hopes

US stocks pushed higher on Wednesday as Wall Street welcomed a sharp pullback in crude prices and weighed reports that Washington had approached Tehran with a plan aimed at stopping the latest round of fighting. The move gave battered risk appetite some relief after recent geopolitical headlines rattled equities and sent traders racing into energy-linked positions.

The rebound was broad enough to lift all three major indexes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.75%, the S&P 500 (^GSPC) climbed 0.63% to around 6,598.47, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) added 0.76% as technology shares recovered from the previous session’s losses. Earlier in the session, the gains were even stronger, with the Dow and Nasdaq both up more than 1% at the open before paring some of that advance.

Market snapshot

Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI): +0.75%

S&P 500 (^GSPC): 6,598.47, +42.10 points (+0.64% intraday reading)

Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC): +0.76%

West Texas Intermediate crude (CL=F): down 1.41%, trading around $87 to $90 a barrel

Brent crude (BZ=F): trading around $95 to $97, below $100

Gold futures (GC=F): $4,497.50, up 2.17%

The market’s biggest relief valve was oil. WTI crude (CL=F) slid toward $87 at one stage before hovering closer to $90, while Brent crude (BZ=F) traded below $100 for the first time in about two weeks, changing hands around $95 to $97. That mattered because the oil spike had been one of the clearest threats to the equity rally, with investors worried that rising fuel costs would feed inflation, squeeze consumers, and complicate the Federal Reserve’s policy path.

The catalyst for the retreat in crude was fresh reporting that the US had sent Iran a 15-point proposal through Pakistani intermediaries in an effort to bring the Middle East conflict to a close. The plan was described as a sign of growing urgency inside the Trump administration to prevent a deeper economic shock. Tehran pushed back hard, rejecting the US proposal and disputing claims of direct negotiations, but the mere presence of a diplomatic framework was enough to improve sentiment. A broader overview of the developing talks was also reflected in Associated Press reporting on the US-Iran proposal, which underlined that the situation remains fluid rather than settled.

That is why the rally still carried a defensive undertone. Investors were not trading a confirmed ceasefire or a formal breakthrough. They were trading the possibility that an off-ramp exists. Even so, that possibility was enough to nudge up market bets that the Fed could still cut interest rates later this year if energy prices continue to cool rather than reignite inflation fears.

Tech shares helped lead the rebound

The Nasdaq (^IXIC) outperformed as chipmakers and large-cap technology names attracted fresh buying. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) jumped to around $221.15, up 7.69%, after a Nikkei Asia report said AMD and Intel (INTC) had told customers they would raise prices for central processing units amid supply tightness. The report said CPU prices had already risen several times this year, with average increases of roughly 10% to 15% in some cases, as wait times for processors stretched from one or two weeks to as long as eight to 12 weeks.

That same supply story helped support broader semiconductor enthusiasm. Nvidia (NVDA) remained in focus, while Arm (ARM) surged after saying it would move beyond chip design and start making chips as well. The combination of easing oil prices and strong AI-linked hardware demand gave growth investors a reason to step back into the sector.

In megacap internet names, Meta Platforms (META) traded around $596.01, up 0.52%, even after a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for $3 million in damages in a social media addiction case. Alphabet shares were weaker, showing how company-specific legal risk was still shaping stock moves beneath the broader market rally.

Other stocks in focus across Wall Street

Crypto-linked shares also bounced back. Circle Internet Group (CRCL) traded near $103.01, up 1.82%, after suffering its biggest one-day drop on record in the prior session. Coinbase (COIN), which has a partnership with Circle, also rebounded after recent weakness as investors reassessed the latest draft language around stablecoin legislation.

Not every corner of the market joined the rally. KB Home (KBH) slipped to around $51.71, down 2.32%, after cutting its full-year outlook and warning that Middle East conflict had become another headwind for an already difficult housing market. The company now expects 10,000 to 11,500 home deliveries in 2026 and revenue of $4.80 billion to $5.50 billion, down from previous guidance of 11,000 to 12,500 homes and $5.10 billion to $6.10 billion in revenue.

Meanwhile, gold futures (GC=F) rose more than 2% to $4,497.50, a sign that some investors still preferred traditional hedges even as stocks advanced. In Asia-linked chip news, SK Hynix (000660.KS) closed at 995,000 KRW, up 0.91%, after saying it plans to list shares in the US later this year.

The tone on Wall Street improved because oil cooled, not because geopolitical risk disappeared. The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq jumped because traders saw a possible diplomatic opening with Iran and a temporary easing in energy pressure. If crude stays contained, that is supportive for equities. If talks break down and oil reverses sharply higher, markets could quickly lose that footing.

Tickers in focus: ^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC, CL=F, BZ=F, GC=F, AMD, INTC, NVDA, ARM, META, GOOG, GOOGL, CRCL, COIN, KBH, 000660.KS

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