Daily Market Report – March 17, 2026
In the USA, the S&P 500 (SP:SPX) rose by 0.43 percent to 6,727 points, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ:IXIC) gained 0.58 percent to 22,502 points, and the Dow Jones (DJ:DJI) increased by 0.29 percent to 47,082 points (around 2:00 PM ET). In Europe, the Dax (XETR:DAX) closed 0.7 percent higher at 23,731 points. The movement was primarily supported by energy and utility stocks in Europe, as well as energy and consumer stocks in the USA. Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY), on the other hand, came under pressure of around 6 percent temporarily after a downgrade by HSBC and new doubts about the long-term expectations for the obesity medication market.
Beneath the surface, the market picture remained tense. Brent (TVC:UKOIL) held above $100 per barrel and rose during the day to the range of $103 to $105, while WTI (TVC:USOIL) peaked at around $98. In the foreign exchange market, the dollar index (TVC:DXY) fell to 99.65 after previously reaching a ten-month high of 100.54; the euro to dollar (EURUSD) recovered to 1.15345, and the yen to dollar (USDJPY) stabilized around 159. In the bond market, investors remained cautious: interest rate cut expectations for the Fed have been significantly reduced since the outbreak of war; Bank of America also recorded the strongest buildup of cash reserves since the pandemic. Gold (TVC:GOLD) remained nearly unchanged at around $5,004 per ounce.