US Stock Market Today: Dow, Nasdaq rise on Iran truce

Market opens higher on ceasefire extension

U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran, lifting risk appetite across major indexes. The move supported a broad rebound in equities even as uncertainty persisted around whether Iran and U.S. ally Israel would honor the truce. By the time of the live update, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had climbed to 49,624.48, up 0.97% or 475.10 points. The S&P 500 rose to 7,118.54, gaining 0.77% or 54.53 points. The Nasdaq Composite added 226.73 points, up 0.93%, to 24,486.69.

Risk sentiment improves, but nerves remain

While the ceasefire extension reduced immediate escalation fears, the broader conflict backdrop continued to shape trading. The article notes lingering concerns about the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran even after the truce extension. The balance of optimism and caution was visible across multiple asset classes, particularly oil and currencies. Traders focused on whether the ceasefire would hold and whether negotiations would restart.

Oil reverses earlier losses after Hormuz incidents

Crude prices turned higher on Wednesday, erasing earlier declines after reports of gunfire attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and continued uncertainty over peace talks. Brent crude futures rose $1.71, or 1.7%, to $100.19 a barrel at 1256 GMT. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained $1.69, or 1.9%, to $11.36. The article also states that both benchmarks climbed about 3% on Tuesday.

The Strait of Hormuz remained central to market nerves because it is a strategic route for energy shipments. Reports said at least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. In a separate development cited in the live updates, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy seized two vessels for what it described as maritime violations and transferred them to Iranian shores, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

$130 million crude bet highlights event-driven trading

One notable detail in the live feed was the timing of positioning in oil markets. Traders placed a series of bets worth $130 million on a drop in crude prices 15 minutes before Trump said he would extend a ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday. The data point underscored how quickly traders were reacting to geopolitical headlines and how large the stakes were in oil-linked trades.

Dollar firms versus euro amid war concerns

In currencies, the dollar edged up against the euro on Wednesday. The article attributes the move to lingering concerns about the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, even after the ceasefire extension. The currency response aligned with the broader theme of markets pricing both relief and continuing risk.

What Trump said about postponing action and talks

The updates included a Trump social media statement saying the U.S. agreed to a request by Pakistani mediators to hold an attack on Iran until Iranian leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal and discussions are concluded. Separately, the report noted U.S. negotiators were expected to travel to Pakistan for talks with Iran this week, though Tehran cast doubt on its participation, according to The Journal.

Earlier March rally: postponing strikes lifted equities, hit oil

The article also referenced an earlier session on 24 March 2026, when Wall Street traded more than 1% higher as risk appetite returned after Trump said he would order the military to postpone strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure. In that earlier move, the Dow rose 630.35 points (1.38%) to 46,207.82, the S&P 500 gained 87.73 points (1.35%) to 6,594.40, and the Nasdaq climbed 336.51 points (1.55%) to 21,984.12.

Oil had reacted sharply on the same March day. Brent fell $11.64 (10.4%) to $100.55 at 10:19 a.m. EDT (1419 GMT), while WTI dropped $1.66 (9.8%) to $18.57. The updates also noted reports that oil prices plunged by more than 13% on Monday after Trump postponed strikes for five days.

April 8 surge: ceasefire headlines triggered a big jump

The article cited a major relief rally on 8 April 2026, when stocks closed significantly higher just hours after the U.S. and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire. The Dow surged 1,325 points (2.8%), while the S&P 500 climbed 2.5% and the Nasdaq jumped 2.8%. As part of that accord, Iran said it would allow tankers passage through the Strait of Hormuz as long as they coordinate with the nation’s military. The updates also noted that following Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Wednesday, oil tankers were suspended from passing through the strait, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency.

Key numbers snapshot

Why this matters for investors

Wednesday’s gains showed how tightly equities remained linked to fast-moving geopolitical developments. The immediate catalyst was the ceasefire extension, but the day’s risk backdrop still included reports of ship attacks and vessel seizures in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil’s rebound alongside rising stocks illustrated that investors were responding to multiple, sometimes conflicting, signals at once: reduced near-term escalation risk, but persistent uncertainty over shipping disruptions and the path back to negotiations.

The episode also highlighted the sensitivity of markets to headline timing. The report of $130 million in bets placed shortly before the ceasefire-extension news drew attention to event-driven positioning in crude, a market that has reacted sharply to each perceived shift in the conflict.

Conclusion

U.S. stocks moved higher after Trump extended the Iran ceasefire, pushing the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq solidly into the green in Wednesday trading. At the same time, crude prices rose after reports of gunfire on container ships and renewed focus on the Strait of Hormuz. Markets are likely to remain responsive to further updates on shipping security, ceasefire compliance, and any confirmed scheduling of talks involving U.S. negotiators and Iranian representatives.