Stock Market Update Thursday March 19, 2026
- Mar 19
- 5 min read
Stock Market Update Thursday March 19, 2026 Stocks opened under renewed pressure, with the S&P 500 (SPX) breaking below its 200-day moving average for the first time in roughly a year. Selling momentum faded into the afternoon, however, as equities staged a sharp mid-day rebound that erased early losses. The rally lost some traction late in the session, with markets drifting modestly lower into the close. The S&P 500 ultimately finished down about 0.25%. Geopolitical headlines tied to Iran, alongside continued volatility in crude oil prices, remained the primary drivers of intraday price action. Sector performance was mixed. Energy outperformed in tandem with higher oil prices, while Technology stocks led the afternoon recovery. Small caps showed relative strength, with the Russell 2000 (IWM) managing to close in positive territory. After hours: FedEx (FDX) gained roughly 2% following its earnings release, while both SPY and QQQ traded modestly higher in extended trading.
On the day:
SPY −0.3%
QQQ −0.3%
WM +0.7%
Away From Stocks: Treasurys pared earlier losses, though the yield curve continued to flatten. The 2-year yield rose to 3.79% from 3.76% on Wednesday, while the long bond yield declined five basis points to 4.83%. WTI crude pulled back below $95 per barrel after briefly topping $100 intraday. Gold sold off sharply to $4,655 as expectations for near-term rate cuts continued to fade. Bitcoin held just above $70,000, and the VIX settled near 24 after spiking to roughly 27 earlier in the session.
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