Major US indices extended gains yesterday as ongoing negotiations toward a resolution to the West Asia conflict helped ease investors’ worries. The Nasdaq Composite index climbed over 0.8%, the S&P 500 added 0.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 0.6%.

 

On the economic front, real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from the earlier estimate of 0.7%. According to the third estimate released by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), real GDP increased by 4.4% in the third quarter of last year. A separate report by the BEA showed that the core as well as the headline Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index increased by 0.4% in February on a monthly basis. On an annual basis, core PCE inflation advanced by 3%, down from 3.1% in January, while the headline inflation measure increased by 2.8%.