Wall Street’s recovery from its recent technical correction paused for a breather on Tuesday, as investors awaited more clarity on tariff developments and digested a downbeat consumer confidence report.
The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index dropped to 92.9 in March, its lowest reading since late 2022. The Expectations Index plunged to 65.2 -- a level not seen since 2013 -- reflecting growing pessimism. The report cited rising prices, especially for eggs and tariff-affected goods, as key concerns. Inflation expectations also climbed, from 5.8% in February to 6.2% in March.
The S&P 500 and Dow were flat on the day, while the Nasdaq 100 edged slightly higher, supported by gains in cybersecurity stocks.
Copper took center stage, jumping over 2% to hit new record highs. Demand is surging in both China and the U.S., fueled by policy stimulus and tariff-related shifts.
Shares of Freeport McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX), the largest U.S. copper miner, rose 3.3%, extending gains in 10 of the last 11 sessions. The Global X Copper Miners ETF (NYSE:COPX) climbed 2% to a three-month high.
Elsewhere, market moves were subdued. Gold gained 0.5%, silver advanced 1.8% and oil dipped 0.4% after Monday's 1.2% jump driven by Venezuelan sanctions.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) posted a modest 0.4% gain.
Tuesday’s Performance In Major U.S. Indices, ETFs
| Major Indices | Price | 1-day % chg |
| Nasdaq 100 | 20,256.36 | 0.4% |
| Dow Jones | 42,619.75 | 0.1 % |
| S&P 500 | 5,770.02 | 0.0% |
| Russell 2000 | 2,101.68 | -0.3% |
According to Benzinga Pro data:
- The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) inched 0.1% higher to $575.17.
- The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:DIA) flattened at $425.79.
- The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:QQQ) rose 0.4% to $492.89.
- The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM) eased 0.2% to $208.51
- The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLC) outperformed, up 1.2%; the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLU) lagged, down 1.7%.
Tuesday’s Stock Movers
- CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ:CRWD) climbed 4% after BTIG analyst Gray Powell upgraded the stock to Buy, setting a price target of $431. The analyst cited expectations of robust revenue growth heading into fiscal 2027. Cybersecurity peer Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) also rose 2.5%.
- Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:NET) rose 2.2% after receiving a double upgrade to Buy from Bank of America Securities, with a price target raised to $160.
- United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE:UPS) tumbled 4.6%, hitting early-February lows despite a lack of headlines.
- AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) rose 2.1% after Goldman Sachs raised the stock price target from $29 to $31.
- Gamestop Corp. (NYSE:GME) is slated to report earnings after the close.
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Photo: Mer_Studio via Shutterstock
