Stock Markets February 24, 2026

U.S. Shares Close Higher as Industrials and Consumer Names Lead Gains

Dow rises 0.76% while Nasdaq posts larger advance; mixed sector performance with notable individual movers

By Caleb Monroe CRM IBM AAPL UNH MCD
U.S. Shares Close Higher as Industrials and Consumer Names Lead Gains
CRM IBM AAPL UNH MCD

U.S. equity benchmarks finished the session higher, led by strength in Industrials, Consumer Goods and Consumer Services. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.76%, the S&P 500 gained 0.77%, and the NASDAQ Composite climbed 1.05%. Several large-cap technology and industrial names paced the advance while a subset of health care and energy-related stocks lagged.

Key Points

  • Major U.S. indices closed higher: Dow +0.76%, S&P 500 +0.77%, NASDAQ +1.05% - sectors driving gains included Industrials, Consumer Goods and Consumer Services.
  • Notable individual movers: Keysight Technologies surged 23.05% to an all-time high; several small-cap NASDAQ names posted double-digit gains while some names fell sharply.
  • Market breadth was positive on both exchanges and the CBOE Volatility Index fell to 19.55, indicating lower implied volatility.

U.S. stock indices closed higher on Tuesday, with gains concentrated in Industrials, Consumer Goods and Consumer Services. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the session up 0.76%, the S&P 500 gained 0.77%, and the NASDAQ Composite rose 1.05%.


Among components of the Dow, Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM) was the best performer, jumping 4.10% or 7.30 points to finish at 185.46. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) added 2.67% or 5.97 points to close at 229.32, and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose 2.24% or 5.96 points to 272.14 by the close.

Not all Dow members moved higher. Unitedhealth Group (NYSE:UNH) was the weakest performer in the index, falling 2.97% or 8.39 points to 273.95 at the close. McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) slipped 0.45% or 1.51 points to end at 333.05, and American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) declined 0.24% or 0.76 points to 320.48.


On the S&P 500, the session’s top performers included Keysight Technologies Inc (NYSE:KEYS), which rose 23.05% to 301.48, Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD) which climbed 8.77% to settle at 213.84, and PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:PYPL) which gained 6.74% to close at 47.02.

The laggards on the S&P 500 included Expeditors International of Washington Inc (NYSE:EXPD), down 7.22% to 138.83, ONEOK Inc (NYSE:OKE) which lost 5.08% to settle at 82.89, and Molina Healthcare Inc (NYSE:MOH) which dropped 5.06% to 148.31 at the close.


The NASDAQ Composite saw a handful of small-cap and micro-cap stocks post outsized percentage moves. Edesa Biotech Inc (NASDAQ:EDSA) led gainers on the exchange with a 67.96% rise to 1.51, Rich Sparkle Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:ANPA) climbed 52.93% to 12.51, and Brand Engagement Network Inc (NASDAQ:BNAI) advanced 40.23% to close at 28.20.

Conversely, the weakest names on the NASDAQ were Lavoro Ltd (OTC:LVROF), which plunged 35.86% to 0.20, Dmc Global Inc (NASDAQ:BOOM) which lost 32.95% to settle at 5.84, and Shoals Technologies Group Inc (NASDAQ:SHLS) which fell 30.96% to 6.84 by the close.


Market breadth favored advancers. On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,778 stocks rose versus 936 that fell, with 96 unchanged. On the Nasdaq, 2,222 issues advanced, 1,106 declined and 219 finished unchanged.

Two issues registered notable record moves. Shares of Keysight Technologies Inc (NYSE:KEYS) climbed to all-time highs, up 23.05% or 56.48 to 301.48. Shares of Lavoro Ltd (OTC:LVROF) fell to all-time lows, down 35.86% or 0.11 to 0.20.


Volatility and commodities: The CBOE Volatility Index, which tracks implied volatility of S&P 500 options, fell 6.95% to 19.55.

In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery declined 1.03% or 53.81 to $5,171.79 a troy ounce. Crude oil for delivery in April eased 0.08% or 0.05 to $66.26 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract increased 0.17% or 0.12 to trade at $71.23 a barrel.


In currency markets, EUR/USD was effectively unchanged, moving 0.08% to 1.18, while USD/JPY rose 0.82% to 155.91. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.17% at 97.81.


Overall, the trading day was marked by broad gains among major indexes with standout individual moves across technology, industrials and select small-cap names. At the same time, certain health care and energy-related stocks posted notable declines, and volatility readings eased as measured by the VIX.

Risks

  • Select large-cap stocks declined sharply, including Unitedhealth Group which fell 2.97% - this creates downside risk in the health care sector.
  • Significant drops in certain mid- and small-cap names, such as Expeditors International and Lavoro Ltd, highlight continued idiosyncratic volatility in smaller issues.
  • Commodities showed mixed movement with gold down sharply and crude oil relatively flat, introducing potential uncertainty for commodity-sensitive sectors.

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