#Market Recap: U.S. Stocks on March 4, 2026 — Major Indices Rise; Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index +0.8%

On Wednesday Eastern Time, U.S. stocks rebounded from two consecutive days of sharp volatility, following a halt in the oil price surge and the release of positive economic data. At market close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 238.14 points, or 0.49%, to 48,739.41; the Nasdaq Composite gained 290.79 points, or 1.29%, to 22,807.48; and the S&P 500 Index advanced 52.87 points, or 0.78%, to 6,869.50. Most mega-cap tech stocks posted gains: Amazon rose 3.88%, Tesla climbed 3.44%, Meta gained 1.93%, NVIDIA rose 1.66%, Microsoft edged up 0.22%, while Alphabet (Google Class A) dipped 0.15% and Apple fell 0.47%. AI application software stocks strengthened: AppLovin surged over 10%, and Palantir rose more than 4%. Moderna jumped nearly 16% after reaching a settlement with Genevant and Arbutus, resolving patent litigation concerning core technologies behind its COVID-19 vaccine—and thereby lifting legal uncertainty. Investors expressed optimism regarding its cancer vaccine pipeline. Ross Stores soared over 8% after reporting quarterly profits and revenues that exceeded analyst expectations, and signaling it would enter 2026 with "solid momentum." Rising oil prices boosted petrochemical stocks: Dow Chemical rose 5.2%, and LyondellBasell gained 6.4%. The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rose 0.8%: NIO gained 5.5%; Pony.ai, WeRide, and Xiaomi each rose over 4%; New Oriental rose 2.7%; and XPeng, NetEase, Tencent, and Meituan all rose over 1%. The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note increased by 2.69 basis points to 4.0862%, rising 14.88 basis points over the past three trading days. The 2-year Treasury yield rose 2.49 basis points to 4.0843%. COMEX gold futures rose 0.5% to $5,149.20 per ounce; COMEX silver futures rose 0.15% to $83.60 per ounce. International crude oil futures settled nearly unchanged: WTI crude for April delivery rose 0.13% to $74.66 per barrel; Brent crude for May delivery was flat at $81.40 per barrel. Federal Reserve Beige Book: Economic activity grew at a modest to moderate pace across most U.S. regions; sales were restrained, and inflation remained mild. The Fed’s Beige Book reported that economic activity across most U.S. regions expanded at a modest to moderate pace over recent weeks—though an increasing number of districts reported flat or declining activity. In many districts, heightened economic uncertainty, rising price sensitivity, and reduced spending by low-income consumers constrained sales performance.

U.S. Stock Market Learning

1. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) ・Definition: Composed of companies that hold representative status within their industries, demonstrate sustained profitability and strong reputations, and are headquartered in the United States (per the latest 2025 adjustment criteria). ・Key Characteristics: ・A "blue-chip" index: Its components are all large-scale, highly reputable, and operationally stable industry leaders. ・A microcosm of industrial evolution: Though named the "Industrial" Average, it now spans finance, technology, healthcare, consumer goods, and other sectors—mirroring structural shifts in the U.S. economy. ・Unique calculation methodology: Price-weighted—i.e., stocks with higher share prices exert greater influence on the index. This method is often criticized for failing to reflect companies’ actual size (market capitalization) accurately. ・Impression: Reflects the overall performance of America’s traditional economic giants; relatively stable and conservative in character. Sample constituents: 3M Company, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, McDonald’s, Amgen, Merck, Apple, Microsoft, Boeing, Nike, Caterpillar, NVIDIA, Chevron, Procter & Gamble, Cisco, Salesforce, Coca-Cola, The Travelers Companies, Dow Inc., UnitedHealth Group, Disney, Verizon, Goldman Sachs, Visa, Home Depot, Walmart, Honeywell, Walgreens Boots Alliance, IBM. Reference link: Dow Jones Industrial Average Overview (DJIA) | Barron's 2. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500) ・Who it is: Widely regarded as the most accurate barometer of the overall health of the U.S. stock market—and the benchmark most frequently used by professional investors. ・Key Characteristics: ・Broad coverage: Includes 500 leading U.S. companies spanning all major industries; its performance closely approximates that of the entire U.S. large-cap equity market. ・Rigorous selection criteria: Constituents are not chosen solely by market cap ranking but also evaluated on profitability, liquidity, and other fundamental factors. ・Mainstream calculation methodology: Market-capitalization-weighted—i.e., the larger a company’s total market value, the greater its weight in the index. This approach is widely considered more rational and representative. ・Impression: The "barometer of the U.S. economy," reflecting the collective health of American corporations—and serving as the absolute cornerstone of global asset allocation.

Dow Inc Rebounds, Up $151 as Nasdaq Also Gains

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Dow Inc shares rebounded significantly, rising $151 during the morning session on the 17th. The broader Nasdaq index also posted gains, reflecting a positive trend in U.S. equities.

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