Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 27, 2026 in New York City.
Spencer Pratt | Getty Images
While oil prices have fallen since the start of the month, stocks rose on Wednesday as hopes grew that the end of the US-Iranian war was near.
of S&P500 It rose 0.72% to close at 6,575.32. Nasdaq Composite It rose 1.16% to settle at 21,840.95. of Dow Jones Industrial Average Added 224.23 points (0.48%) to end at 46,565.74.
President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday morning that the Iranian president had asked the United States for a ceasefire. But Trump added that the US would consider the proposal when the Strait of Hormuz is “open, free and transparent,” writing: “Until then, we will blow Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back into the Stone Age!!!”
This comes after the president told reporters at the White House late Tuesday that he expects U.S. troops to leave Iran within “two to three weeks.”
Oil prices fell in response to this comment. West Texas Intermediate Futures The stock fell 1.24% to close at $100.12 per barrel. brent crude oil futures Prices fell 2.7% to settle at $101.16 per barrel.
“The market is just sniffing out that there’s probably some resolution in the next few weeks,” said Patrick Ryan, chief investment strategist and head of multi-asset solutions at Madison Investments.
Optimism about a possible end to the war sent stocks soaring on Tuesday, the last trading day in March.
The move followed unconfirmed reports that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was open to ending the war with guarantees. He made similar remarks in early March, writing in an X post that “the only way to end this war…is to recognize Iran’s legitimate rights, pay reparations, and grant firm international guarantees against future aggression.”
Indeed, the market may not be out of the woods yet. Ryan said trading should “remain volatile” in the short term unless there is “some kind of complete clarity”.
Investors will get further clues about the future course of the U.S.-Iran war as President Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech that will “provide the nation with an important update.”
