Market activity across Tuesday, March 10 and Wednesday, March 11 reflected shifting investor focus between geopolitical developments, energy prices, and fresh inflation data.
What Moved
Tuesday, Mar 10
Major U.S. indexes finished slightly lower.
The S&P 500 declined about 0.2%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped modestly.
The Nasdaq remained nearly flat.
Oil prices fell sharply during the session.
Wednesday, Mar 11
Markets traded unevenly with mixed index performance.
The Nasdaq posted modest gains while the Dow slipped.
Treasury yields rose following inflation data.
Oil prices resumed climbing as geopolitical tensions persisted.
Ready To Join The Next Class Of AI Millionaires?
The last AI boom minted an estimated 500,000 new millionaires in the U.S. alone.
Our experience tells us the second AI wave could be even bigger — and create more new millionaires than the last.
But here's the thing: You don't have to be a Silicon Valley insider or a venture capitalist to get in on the next AI disruptor early.
Weiss Ratings' proven AI stock rating system — the same model that flagged Apple, Nvidia and Netflix long before they made headlines — is now flashing GREEN on a new batch of AI stocks.
These stocks could turn out to be the biggest AI winners of 2026 and beyond.
They're still flying under the radar of most investors, but that may not be the case for very long.
Every "Buy" rating from our system in the past 22 years has generated an average return of 303%, including the losers.
It tracks 15,000 stocks… and performs 1.2 billion calculations daily.
As far as we know, no other rating system out there can match this level of efficiency.
Find out all about our ratings… and get our top three AI picks for free.
Why It Moved
Tuesday’s session was driven largely by a sharp decline in oil prices. Crude fell more than 10 percent as investors interpreted statements from U.S. officials as signaling that the conflict involving Iran could ease. The drop in oil reduced immediate inflation pressure but did not fully support equities, which drifted lower as investors remained cautious about the broader geopolitical outlook.
By Wednesday, attention shifted to new inflation data from the United States. The consumer price index rose 0.3 percent in February, in line with expectations but still reinforcing the persistence of underlying inflation pressures. At the same time, energy prices began climbing again as conflict-related risks continued to influence supply expectations.
The combination of renewed oil volatility and steady inflation kept markets from developing clear momentum.
If You Could Be Earlier Than 85% of the Market?
Most read the move after it runs. The top 250K start before the bell.
Elite Trade Club turns noise into a five-minute plan—what’s moving, why it matters, and the stocks to watch now. Miss it and you chase.
Catch it and you decide.
By joining, you’ll receive Elite Trade Club emails and select partner insights. See Privacy Policy.
Why It Matters Now
Across these two sessions, several short-term signals emerged:
Energy prices remain a major driver of market sentiment.
Inflation data continues to shape expectations for Federal Reserve policy.
Markets are reacting quickly to geopolitical headlines and energy supply risk.
In the immediate window ahead, investors will likely remain focused on the interaction between energy markets, inflation data, and geopolitical developments. Stability in oil prices would likely calm markets, while renewed volatility could quickly reintroduce inflation concerns and pressure equities again.
