Stock Markets March 23, 2026

U.S. Equities Close Higher as Consumer Goods, Industrials and Services Lead Gains

Dow posts a 1.38% advance while S&P 500 and NASDAQ climb; notable swings in small-cap and commodity-linked names

By Ajmal Hussain MMM SHW HD UNH DIS
U.S. Equities Close Higher as Consumer Goods, Industrials and Services Lead Gains
MMM SHW HD UNH DIS

U.S. stock benchmarks finished higher on Monday, driven by strength in the Consumer Goods, Industrials and Consumer Services sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.38%, the S&P 500 gained 1.15% and the NASDAQ Composite climbed 1.38%. The session featured outsized moves among individual names on both major exchanges and sharp moves in commodity prices and currency markets.

Key Points

  • Major U.S. indices finished higher: Dow +1.38%, S&P 500 +1.15%, NASDAQ +1.38%.
  • Consumer Goods, Industrials and Consumer Services sectors led gains; several large-cap Dow components such as MMM, SHW and HD posted notable advances.
  • Markets saw extreme percentage moves among smaller and micro-cap names on the NASDAQ, alongside sharp declines in commodity prices and a drop in implied volatility.

U.S. equities closed higher on Monday, with gains concentrated in the Consumer Goods, Industrials and Consumer Services sectors that helped lift major indices by the end of trading in New York.

At the close on the NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1.38%. The S&P 500 finished up 1.15%, and the NASDAQ Composite advanced 1.38%.


Top and bottom movers on the Dow

Among Dow components, 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) was the session's strongest performer on the index, rising 3.80% - a gain of 5.36 points - to end at 146.56. Sherwin-Williams Co (NYSE:SHW) added 3.43% or 10.42 points, closing at 313.95, while Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD) gained 3.17% or 10.17 points to finish at 330.92.

The laggards on the Dow included UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), which fell 2.20% or 6.07 points to close at 269.52. Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) declined 1.57% or 1.56 points to end at 97.95, and Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) slipped 0.35% or 1.03 points to 295.57.


S&P 500 movers

On the S&P 500, FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) led gains with an 8.71% increase to 14.23. Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB) rose 6.93% to settle at 167.56, and Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:PLTR) gained 6.72% to close at 160.81.

The S&P 500's weakest names included Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE:EL), which fell 7.75% to 79.26. Enphase Energy Inc (NASDAQ:ENPH) lost 7.59% to settle at 40.76, and Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FICO) declined 5.70% to 1,063.33 at the close.


NASDAQ extremes

On the NASDAQ Composite, several names posted very large percentage moves. EUDA Health Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:EUDA) climbed 1,839.89% to 7.10, Fitness Champs Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:FCHL) rose 1,352.94% to 2.47, and Urban-Gro Inc (NASDAQ:UGRO) increased 181.61% to 6.14.

Conversely, Hitek Global (NASDAQ:HKIT) dropped 90.75% to 0.11, Linkers Industries Ltd (NASDAQ:LNKS) fell 86.20% to 0.10, and Ambitions Enterprise Management Co LLC (NASDAQ:AHMA) slid 50.06% to 2.27 by the close.


Breadth and lows

Rising stocks outnumbered decliners on the New York Stock Exchange by 2,168 to 589, with 61 issues unchanged. On the Nasdaq Stock Market, 2,402 shares rose, 985 declined and 171 were unchanged.

A number of names hit fresh lows in the session. Shares of Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FICO) fell to 52-week lows, down 5.70% or 64.29 to 1,063.33. Hitek Global (NASDAQ:HKIT), Linkers Industries Ltd (NASDAQ:LNKS) and Ambitions Enterprise Management Co LLC (NASDAQ:AHMA) all fell to all-time lows, with HKIT down 90.75% or 1.08 to 0.11, LNKS down 86.20% or 0.60 to 0.10, and AHMA down 50.06% or 2.28 to 2.27.


Volatility, commodities and currencies

The CBOE Volatility Index, which tracks implied volatility of S&P 500 options, declined 2.35% to 26.15.

In commodities trading, Gold Futures for June delivery were down 3.76% or 173.16 to $4,436.44 a troy ounce. Crude oil for May delivery fell 9.07% or 8.91 to $89.32 a barrel, and the June Brent contract declined 9.15% or 9.74 to $96.67 a barrel.

In currency markets, EUR/USD was reported at 1.16 with a noted move of 0.34%, while USD/JPY fell 0.48% to 158.46. The US Dollar Index Futures were down 0.52% at 98.94.


The session closed with broad participation and a mix of outsized winners and losers across exchanges, while volatility measures and commodity prices showed notable downward movement.

Risks

  • Significant price volatility among small-cap and micro-cap stocks, illustrated by triple- and quadruple-digit percentage moves, which increases trading risk for those sectors.
  • Large intraday declines in commodity prices - including oil and gold - introduce uncertainty for commodity-linked equities and sectors sensitive to energy and metals costs.
  • Ongoing currency and volatility swings, such as the move in USD/JPY and the drop in the CBOE Volatility Index, may affect sector performance unevenly across the market.

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