New York, February 24, 2026, 13:23 EST — Regular session
Stocks in the U.S. moved higher on Tuesday. The S&P 500 advanced roughly 0.9% to sit just below 6,897 as traders navigated a crowded slate of economic data. The Dow also gained about 0.9%, while the Nasdaq climbed around 1.1%. The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), Wall Street’s so-called fear gauge, dropped to 19.4.
The data landed in a market already twitchy over two big questions: is the economy losing steam, and are prices refusing to budge? That tug-of-war shapes what investors bet the Federal Reserve will do next—along with the direction of borrowing costs.
Even second-tier on paper, housing and confidence data often jolt rate-sensitive stocks. Toss in policy headlines, plus tech, and investors have been repositioning fast.
Tech shares paced parts of the rally. Advanced Micro Devices soared 7.6% after sealing a deal to supply Meta Platforms with as much as $60 billion in AI chips over five years. Keysight Technologies ripped 23.9% higher on a robust second-quarter profit forecast. Home Depot tacked on 3.3%, beating quarterly estimates and sticking with its full-year outlook. President Donald Trump’s 10% temporary global tariff kicked in Tuesday; he later floated a 15% rate, though when—or if—that would happen was left hanging. “Yesterday’s reaction was so overdone,” said Ken Polcari, partner and chief market strategist at Slatestone Wealth. Reuters
Conference Board numbers out: the consumer confidence index edged up to 91.2 for February, from a revised 89.0 in January. “Confidence ticked up in February, but remained well below last year’s peak,” Dana Peterson, the board’s chief economist, noted; survey data cutoff was Feb. 17. PR Newswire
The expectations gauge climbed to 72, still sitting far under the 80 threshold that the Conference Board flags as a possible recession signal — now for the 13th month in a row, according to the Associated Press. The report also noted more talk of trade and politics, even as references to labor-market conditions pulled back.
Factory numbers offered little to cheer about. The Richmond Fed’s Fifth District composite manufacturing index slid to −10 for February, compared to −6 the month before. Shipments fell even further, to −13, while new orders eased to −9. The local business conditions index? Down to −15.
Housing data gave a muddled picture. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported its house price index edged up 0.1% in December, following a 0.4% climb in November. Year-on-year, prices gained 1.8%.
The numbers still point to small annual increases, though true inflation-adjusted growth remains elusive. S&P Dow Jones Indices reported a 1.4% year-over-year rise for the Case-Shiller 20-city index in December, while the national figure ticked up 1.3%. “Two structural forces have reshaped the market over recent years: mortgage rates and inflation,” Nicholas Godec at S&P Dow Jones Indices said. News Release Archive
There’s more growth evidence in wholesale numbers. U.S. wholesale inventories edged up 0.2% in December, while sales climbed 1.0%, according to the report.
The mood remains shaky. Tariffs pushing input costs higher could muddy the inflation picture, and those AI-fueled disruption fears that rattled markets Monday aren’t far from the surface—especially if major tech guidance falls short or funding hopes take a hit.
Up next, Nvidia is set to deliver its quarterly results on Wednesday—a key moment for gauging just how bullish Big Tech remains on AI investment. “This earnings in particular is important because people are so concerned about AI spending – whether we’re in a bubble,” said Ivana Delevska, chief investment officer at Spear Invest. Reuters
