Stock Market News for Mar 11, 2026

U.S. stocks ended mostly lower on Tuesday in a volatile trading session, with the S&P 500 giving up most of the gains to slip into negative territory, while investors closely monitored the Iran war. However, the Nasdaq ended in positive territory.

How Did The Benchmarks Perform?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) slipped 0.1% or 34.29 points, to close at 47,706.51 points. The blue-chip index had lost nearly 300 points at its session low.

The S&P 500 declined 0.2%, or 14.51 points, to end at 6,781.48 points. Energy, healthcare and utility stocks were the worst performers, while energy stocks fell.

The Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) lost 1.3%. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) declined 0.7%, while the Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) fell 0.6%. All 11 sectors of the benchmark index ended in positive territory.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.01%, or 1.16 points, to finish at 22,697.10 points.

The fear gauge, CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), was up 2.24% to 24.93. Decliners and advancers on the NYSE were evenly distributed. On the Nasdaq, a 1.04-1 ratio favored declining issues. A total of 19.90 billion shares were traded on Tuesday, lower than the last 20-session average of 20.10 billion.

On the NYSE, there were 71 new highs and 63 new lows. On the S&P 500, there were three new 52-week highs and five new lows.

Iran War Worries Continue

Stocks ended mostly lower on Tuesday in a choppy trading session as hopes of an early end to the Iran war faded, as the United States continued its attack against Iran. However, oil prices pulled back after hitting a high of $120 per barrel on Monday on fears of a global energy crisis due to the prevailing war.

The fears eased on Tuesday, as traders believed that several countries might release emergency crude reserves to offset any supply disruptions caused by the war. However, prices rose slightly following reports that Iran was deploying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which could disrupt crude supply.

West Texas Intermediate futures declined to end at $83.45 per barrel. Brent crude fell 11.28% to settle at $87.80 per barrel.

Earlier in the day, stocks took a hit after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Tuesday could be the most crucial day of strikes against Iran. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were 0.5% and 0.4% down at their session lows.

Technology stocks were the only gainers on Tuesday, with chip stocks driving the rally. Sandisk Corporation (SNDK) extended its gains on Tuesday, with its shares increasing 5.1%. Shares of NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) rose 1.2%. Sandisk has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Economic Data

In economic data released on Tuesday, U.S. existing home sales increased 1.7% in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million units, the National Association of Realtors reported.

The February figures surpassed analysts’ expectations of a decline of 3.89 million units. However, existing home sales fell 1.4% from the year-ago levels in February.

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