Traders at work at the New York Stock Exchange on March 3, 2026.
new york stock exchange
of S&P500 Stocks were relatively unchanged Wednesday after a volatile pre-trade as investors focused on developments in the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.
Although a wide range of indices remained around the flat line, Nasdaq Composite It rose 0.4%. of Dow Jones Industrial Average Lost 113 points (0.2%).
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday that the United States plans to make a “series of announcements” to support the flow of oil through the Persian Gulf. This comes after President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would provide insurance for tankers in the Gulf and have the US Navy escort them through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary.
The rise in oil prices that followed the Middle East wars continued to lose momentum on Wednesday following Bessent’s comments. brent crude oil futures The previous increase was only 0.3%; West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil Futures It was almost flat. Both ended Tuesday’s trading up more than 4% from their session highs.
Bessent said Wednesday that the 15% global tariff announced by President Trump late last month will go into effect this week. Still, he added that he believes U.S. tariff rates will return to levels before the Supreme Court’s decision to end the president’s tariff policy “within five months.”
President Trump said Tuesday that the United States will provide risk insurance for all maritime trade through the Persian Gulf to allow tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Tanker traffic through the strait, the world’s most important shipping route for crude oil, was halted after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander threatened to set fire to ships attempting the route.
Meanwhile, Israel announced it had launched a new attack on Tehran, and its defense minister vowed to “crush” the Iranian regime’s capabilities.
“Competing stories were changing market sentiment on an hourly basis yesterday, and we are in a position to monitor the headlines at this point,” Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid wrote in a note Wednesday. “From a market perspective, the main problem is that there is no sign of tensions easing on either side, and if anything, things still appear to be getting progressively worse.”
European listed stocks also rebounded on Wednesday, as U.S. futures showed a positive trend on Wall Street.
“Amid all the noise, the market may start to present some opportunities for long-term investors, especially as energy prices begin to look like they may stabilize and potentially ease in the coming days and weeks,” James McCann, senior economist at Edward Jones, said in a note.
