Live Market Data
THU 26 MAR 2026 · 16:00 ET

Market Intelligence Report

US MARKET PULSE

Nasdaq Confirms Correction as Middle East Escalation Rattles Markets

Correction High Volume

S&P 500

6,477.16

-114.74 -1.74%

YTD: -5.4%

Dow Jones

45,960.11

-469.38 -1.01%

YTD: -4.4%

Nasdaq

21,408.08

-521.74 -2.38%

CORRECTION: -10.7% from ATH

Russell 2000

2,493.32

-43.06 -1.70%

YTD: +0.5%

Volume

16.50B / 20.54B avg

NYSE Adv/Dec

1 : 3.16 bearish

SOX Index

-4.8% semis

Fed Cuts Priced

0 was 2 pre-war

Session Narrative

What Moved Markets

01

The Nasdaq tumbled 2.38% to confirm a correction (down 10.7% from Oct 29 closing record high) — the biggest one-day decline for both Nasdaq and S&P 500 since January 20.

02

Iran war escalation fears dominated — WTI crude surged 4.6%, Brent +5.7%, as ceasefire progress remained elusive. A senior Iranian official called the U.S. proposal "one-sided and unfair."

03

After-hours relief: Trump announced a 10-day pause on attacks against Iran energy plants until April 6, saying talks were going "very well." Futures pared losses slightly.

04

Meta fell ~8%, Alphabet dropped 3.4% after a U.S. jury found both liable in landmark trials accusing social media platforms of addiction harm to children.

05

Philadelphia Semiconductor Index plunged 4.8% after three sessions of gains. NVIDIA, AMD, Micron, and Intel all fell sharply.

06

OECD warned the Middle East conflict has knocked the global economy off a stronger growth path. Near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatens to push inflation sharply higher.

07

Fed rate cut expectations wiped out — traders no longer pricing in any easing this year. Two cuts had been expected before the Iran conflict erupted.

08

Market breadth deeply negative — decliners outnumbered advancers 3.16-to-1 on the NYSE. 202 new 52-week lows vs just 121 new highs.

Trading Activity

Volume Leaders

Top 15 most actively traded US stocks by share volume

#SymbolPriceChg %Vol (M)

Performance Extremes

Top Gainers & Losers

Biggest movers of the session by percentage change

Top Gainers
SymbolPriceChg %
Top Losers
SymbolPriceChg %

Sector Analysis

S&P 500 Sector Performance

Only Energy and Utilities posted gains as communications and tech bore the brunt

Internal Mechanics

Market Breadth & Sentiment

Broad-based weakness across exchanges signals institutional risk-off positioning

NYSE Advance / Decline

Ratio: 1 : 3.16

Nasdaq Breadth

Ratio: 1 : 2.47

NYSE New Highs vs Lows

121 highs / 202 lows

Trading Volume

16.50B

80.3% of 20-day average (20.54B)

Nasdaq vs ATH

-10.7%

Correction confirmed (Oct 29 peak)

Fed Rate Cuts Priced

0 cuts

Was 2 cuts before Iran conflict

Forward View

Key Insights & Outlook

Correction Territory

Nasdaq confirmed correction at -10.7% from highs. S&P 500 at -5.4% YTD could follow if the Friday selling pattern continues — markets have generally been weaker on Fridays since the Iran war began one month ago.

Oil & Inflation Nexus

With oil prices surging and the OECD warning of inflation risk from Strait of Hormuz disruptions, Fed rate cut expectations have been completely wiped out. The inflation-growth tradeoff is the dominant macro risk heading into Q2.

After-Hours Relief

Trump's 10-day pause on Iran energy plant strikes could provide a short-term floor. Markets will watch the April 6 deadline closely. US jobs data next week will provide a critical economic health check.