Stock Market Today, March 25: Chip Optimism Boosts Tech Stocks and Markets Rebound on Ceasefire Reports

The S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.54%) rose 0.54% to 6,591.90, the tech-heavy  Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC +0.77%) added 0.77% to 21,929.83 in another headline-driven day of trading.  and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +0.66%) climbed 0.66% to 46,429.49.

Market movers

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +7.24%) and Intel (INTC +7.06%) both gained over 7% on reports of plans to increase CPU prices. **Arm Holdings **(ARM +16.36%) soared 16% after launching its own line of chips. Dell Technologies (DELL +4.13%) closed up more than 4%.

Consumer cyclicals, including Amazon (AMZN +2.02%) gained as oil prices dropped. Pet-supplies retailer Chewy (CHWY +13.03%) surged 14% following its Q4 earnings.

What this means for investors

U.S. indices finished in the green today as investors reacted to reports of an Iran peace proposal. Brent crude fell in intraday trading, but closed above $100 a barrel as traders questioned conflicting messages about potential talks. The coming days will offer more clarity about whether the conflict is indeed nearing an end.

Despite today’s slight rebound, the S&P 500 has declined by almost 4% year-to-date. Research from Pantheon Macroeconomics suggests that the Q1 stock volatility could lead to a $50 billion drop in consumer spending this year.

Caution abounds, particularly around the inflationary impact of high energy prices. Even so, gold prices climbed on hopes that the Federal Reserve might cut rates toward the end of the year. For investors, it is important to focus on long-term investment goals, even during turbulent trading.