On Monday, U.S. stock markets displayed a mixed performance, reacting to a blend of economic indicators and the impending discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. By mid-morning, the S&P 500 had seen a modest increase of 0.16%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.49%. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite experienced a slight decline of 0.35%.

Economic Indicators Impacting Markets

Recent data from the Commerce Department highlighted a 0.2% uptick in retail sales for February, rebounding from a revised 1.2% drop in January. However, a different report pointed to significant downturns in New York State’s manufacturing sector, marking the steepest decline in nearly two years. This decline was characterized by a sharp decrease in new orders and a notable rise in input costs, reaching their highest rate in over two years.

• Retail Sales: Increased by 0.2% in February.
• New York Factory Activity: Experienced its largest drop in almost two years.

Bond Market Movements

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury bond saw fluctuations, initially rising from 4.28% to nearly 4.33% following the retail sales news before settling back down to 4.28%.

Notable Stock Movements

Several companies made headlines in the stock market on Monday:

• Intel shares surged 7.9% after announcing the appointment of Lip-Bu Tan as CEO, a seasoned veteran in the semiconductor industry.
• PepsiCo’s stock increased by 2% after it confirmed the acquisition of Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand, for approximately $1.65 billion.

However, some major tech stocks faced declines:

• Tesla plummeted 6.49%.
• Nvidia fell by 1.80%.
• Amazon shares dropped 1.60%.
• Microsoft decreased by 0.53%.
• Apple saw a decline of 1.34%.

Additionally, the news of a potential collaboration between Google and MediaTek led to a 1.38% drop in Broadcom shares, while Alphabet, Google’s parent company, slipped by 0.89%.

Oil Prices on the Rise

Oil prices experienced an upward trend following recent military actions by the U.S. against the Houthi movement in Yemen. As of 11:25 AM ET, Brent crude futures had increased by 28 cents to $70.85 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 22 cents to $67.39.

Gold and Silver Trends

In the precious metals market, gold prices rose as investors kept a keen eye on trade tariffs and the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting. By 11:26 AM ET, spot gold climbed 0.4% to $2,994.79 an ounce, while U.S. gold futures saw a slight increase of 0.1% to $3,003.20. In contrast, spot silver slipped 0.4% to $33.66 an ounce.

By monitoring these developments, investors can gain insights into market dynamics and prepare for the week ahead.