US Stock Market Update: Nasdaq Jumps 1%; Dow Surges Over 300 Points

Wall Street Opens Strong

Wall Street kicked off the week with a positive start. Investors felt some relief as tensions between Israel and Iran seemed to ease a bit.

Market Highlights

• Nasdaq composite jumped 1.04% or 201.23 points to 19,608.06.
• The S&P 500 climbed 0.87% or 51.80 points, reaching 6,028.77 in early trading.
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared to 42,564.12, gaining 0.87% or 366.33 points.

Oil Prices and Market Nerves

US stocks rose in early trade. Oil prices pulled back from Friday’s sharp spike. This helped calm global market nerves after a volatile end to last week.

The moves come after Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites late last week. This prompted a surge of over 7% in oil prices on Friday. Iran, a key oil producer under Western sanctions, responded with a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early Monday.

Despite the continued hostilities, markets were cautiously optimistic. They hope the conflict might not spill over further. This allowed oil prices to stabilize.

Oil and Gold Prices

• US benchmark crude slipped 73 cents to $72.25 per barrel.
• Brent crude, the global benchmark, also dropped 73 cents to trade at $73.50.
• Gold rose 1.4% on Friday and held steady on Monday.

Both oil benchmarks remain at their highest levels this year. This underscores ongoing concerns over supply disruption if tensions worsen.

Impact on Sectors

Last week’s turmoil weighed heavily on sectors sensitive to fuel costs and consumer confidence. Some of the steepest losses included:

• Carnival shares tumbled 4.9%
• United Airlines lost 4.4%
• Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings fell 5%

These losses were driven by fears over high oil prices and dampened travel demand.

Investor Sentiment

Gold found favor among nervous investors. Treasury bond prices fell, pushing yields higher. This was driven partly by fears that oil-driven inflation could gather pace.

Although inflation has recently hovered near the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, some traders remain wary. They believe a potential inflation spike could be fueled not only by oil prices but also by tariffs introduced under President Donald Trump.