Markets: S&P slide
U.S. indexes closed lower on March 24 as oil rebounded and Middle East tensions hit sentiment — the S&P 500 sits roughly 6% below its January record high. (investopedia.com) Barclays nonetheless raised its 2026 year‑end S&P target to 7,650, signaling analyst optimism even as the VIX points to more big moves ahead. (reuters.com) (fool.com)
S&P 500 closed at 6,556.37, down 24.63 points (-0.37%) on March 24, 2026. (barchart.com) The Nasdaq Composite fell about 0.8% while the Dow slipped roughly 0.2% as growth and tech names underperformed during the session. (seattlepi.com) WTI crude climbed to roughly $92.12 a barrel, up about 4.5% on the day, while Brent traded near $103.61 as the market reversed the prior session’s steep sell‑off. (markets.ft.com) Barclays raised its 2026 year‑end S&P 500 target to 7,650 from 7,400 and lifted its 2026 S&P EPS forecast to $321 from $305, implying roughly 16.2% upside from the index’s recent levels. (money.usnews.com) The Cboe VIX remained elevated, roughly in the mid‑20s and reported around 26.5 on March 24, indicating higher implied volatility priced into options. (sigmanomics.com) U.S. Treasury yields moved higher alongside equities and oil, with the 10‑year Treasury near about 4.40% as markets repriced inflation and geopolitical risk. (fixedincome.fidelity.com)
