FX.co ★ US Stocks Mixed Ahead of Trump's Deadline

The Dow slipped 0.1% on Tuesday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.2% and the Nasdaq inched 0.1% higher, as President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz stoked risk aversion. Equities pulled back after the president warned that “a whole civilization could die tonight,” amid overnight U.S. military strikes on Kharg Island. The mounting geopolitical tension initially lifted WTI crude prices, even as technology stocks delivered mixed performances. Broadcom jumped 6.3% on news of expanded artificial intelligence partnerships with Google, whereas Apple fell 2.1% following reports of possible delays to its planned foldable iPhone. Although Axios reported some progress in negotiations, the looming prospect of strikes on Iranian power plants kept investors on the defensive. As a result, the 2.2% year-over-year increase in February consumer credit did little to counter the prevailing fog of war, with the 8 p.m. deadline drawing near and no clear diplomatic breakthrough in sight.