Nasdaq finishes slightly up amid hopes for Iran deadline extension

US stocks finished modestly mixed on Tuesday as investors weighed geopolitical developments in the Middle East.

The Dow Jones slipped 85 points, or 0.2%, to 46,584, while the S&P 500 nudged up 5 points, or 0.1%, to 6,617. The Nasdaq also rose 22 points, or 0.1%, finishing at 22,018, and the Russell 2000 added 4 points, or 0.2%, to 2,545.

Traders are on edge ahead of President Trump’s renewed deadline for Iran, which is set to expire Tuesday evening. Stocks got a late-day lift after Pakistan proposed a two-week extension, hinting at a possible off-ramp to rising tensions.

Investors will also be eyeing earnings from Levi Strauss, scheduled after the bell, for clues on consumer spending trends.

• Fineqia International Inc (CSE:FNQ) reported global digital asset ETPs stabilized in March 2026, with total AUM dipping slightly to $122.4 billion after early-quarter drawdowns.

• Record Resources Inc (TSX-V:REC) received legacy 3D seismic data for its offshore Ngulu block in Gabon to support exploration planning.

• Sona Nanotech Inc (CSE:SONA, OTCQB:SNANF) preclinical study showed its Targeted Hyperthermia Therapy cleared tumors in 38% of animals, highlighting potential for resistant colorectal cancers.

• EnWave Corp (TSX-V:ENW, OTC:NWVCF, FRA:E4U) signed an R&D licensing agreement with Rhizome Food and Farming to allow use of its REV technology for research and limited commercial testing.

• VivoPower PLC (NASDAQ:VIVO, FRA:51J) appointed AI strategist Khadija Mustafa to its advisory council to expand its global AI-focused infrastructure initiatives.

• Bit Digital Inc (NASDAQ:BTBT) reduced Ethereum staking allocations in March to increase treasury liquidity while reassessing capital deployment.

• Sonoro Gold Corp (TSX-V:SGO, OTCQB:SMOFF, FRA:23SP) plans to raise C$11 million through a private placement to fund a 50,000-metre drilling program at its Cerro Caliche gold project in Mexico.

• NanoViricides (NYSE-A:NNVC) filed for Rare Pediatric Disease Drug designation with the FDA for its antiviral candidate NV-387 to treat measles.

• Replenish Nutrients Holding Corp (CSE:ERTH, OTC:VVIVF, FRA:7KE) appointed Steven Glover as Special Advisor to its board and will nominate him for election at the 2026 AGM.

• OKYO Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ:OKYO) announced a Scientific Advisory Board meeting at the 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting to review clinical data for its lead candidate urcosimod.

• Broadcom Inc secured multi-year AI infrastructure deals with Google and Anthropic, reinforcing its role as a key supplier of TPU design and capacity.

• Intel Corporation joined Elon Musk’s TeraFab initiative to help build large-scale semiconductor fabs for AI, robotics, and space applications.

• Apple Inc shares fell after reports of engineering challenges in foldable iPhone testing that could delay its launch to 2027.

• Medicare Advantage insurers stocks jumped after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced higher-than-expected payment increases for 2027.

• Paramount Skydance Corp secured nearly $24 billion in commitments from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds to support its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

• Record Resources Inc received extensive legacy 3D seismic data for its offshore Ngulu block in Gabon to advance exploration efforts.

Bank of America analysts expect the March CPI to show a sharp 1% month-over-month rise in headline inflation, driven largely by a 10.6% jump in energy prices amid the ongoing conflict in Iran. The core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, is forecast to be softer at 0.3% m/m, though still implying a 3.1% annualized rate—above levels typically consistent with the Federal Reserve’s 2% core PCE target.

Analysts noted used cars and non-housing services as contributors to the core CPI increase, while shelter costs remain relatively subdued. Attention is expected to focus on the implications for PCE inflation, with Bank of America projecting a 0.2% m/m rise in core PCE—slower than recent months but still leaving year-over-year inflation elevated at 3.1%. The report is unlikely to ease concerns for policymakers, particularly given a stable labor market and ongoing inflation pressures in the pipeline.

Shares of US health insurers surged on Tuesday morning after the Trump administration announced that Medicare Advantage payments will increase more than initially projected.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees government-funded health programs including Medicare, said it will raise payments to private Medicare insurers by a net average of 2.48% in 2027.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) shares added 6.4% on the announcement, while UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH, XETRA:UNH) was up 8.8% and CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS) was up 6.6%.

Axel Rudolph, chief technical analyst at IG, notes that traders are largely adopting a wait‑and‑see approach as Trump’s deadline for possible hard strikes on Iran and its infrastructure draws near.

“Markets remained on edge as the clock ticked down to President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reach an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil flows,” Rudolph commented.

“Trump warned that failure to secure uninterrupted transit through the waterway by the evening deadline could trigger US strikes on Iranian infrastructure, with rhetoric intensifying as explosions were reported at Iran’s key Kharg Island oil hub. The situation deteriorated further overnight, with Iran launching missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, while Israel reported additional missile activity, underscoring the increasingly volatile geopolitical backdrop.”

US stocks have fallen in early trading, with the Nasdaq sliding 1.1%, the S&P 500 off 0.8% and the Dow Jones down 0.7%.

Losses on the Nasdaq 100 were led by ARM Holdings, down 4.9%, followed by Axon Enterprise and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.

Apple and Tesla are next, down 3.8% amd 2.7%, with sizeable drops for other tech such as Microchip Tech, NXP, Micon and Marvel.

Shopify, Walmart and Ross Stores were down between 2.3% and 1.7%, signalling wider risk-off moves.

US stocks are expected to open lower on Tuesday as strikes in the Middle East continued and oil prices swung sharply ahead of the latest deadline set by President Donald Trump for Iran to agree a deal.

Dow Jones futures were down 0.3%, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures down 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively.

This essentially reverses gains at the start of the week when the Nasdaq added 0.5% to close at 21,996 points, the S&P finished up 0.4% at 6,611 points, and the Dow added 0.4% to end at 46,669.

This morning, European stock markets, returning from a four-day Easter weekend break, have been mixed, with the FTSE just below flat in London.

Markets are being driven by developments in the Gulf, where Trump has warned that unless Iran agrees to terms by 8pm Eastern Time, US forces could escalate attacks on civilian infrastructure.

The US President shared the 8pm ET Tuesday deadline on social media on Sunday and later demanded for Iran to strike a deal that “that’s acceptable to me”.

Oil prices have been creeping higher in response, with WTI crude moving from below $110 a barrel on Friday to yesterday to hover around $115 ahead of markets opening in New York.

Recent reports from Iranian sources suggest Tehran has rejected a temporary ceasefire and set strict conditions for talks, including an immediate halt to strikes.

Meanwhile, just before publication, Israel said it had carried out strikes on key infrastructure across Iran, including on bridges and transport links.

A warning from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was shared on local media, that “America’s regional partners should also know that until now, we exercised great restraint for the sake of good neighborly relations and had several considerations in choosing strike targets, but all those considerations have now been removed,”

“Markets are once again on edge as the US–Iran conflict enters a critical phase, with investors effectively trading against another countdown clock set by the Trump administration,” said analyst Daniel Hathorn at Capital.com.

“The situation has evolved into a near-term binary outcome: either escalation through direct strikes on Iranian infrastructure, or a last-minute de-escalation that could trigger a sharp reversal in risk assets. For now, the absence of a clear path forward is keeping markets volatile and indecisive.”