【US Stock Market Update】Iran Reportedly Rejects US Ceasefire Agreement, Brent Crude Rebounds Above $100/barrel, Dow Jones Up 371 Points (Continuously Updated)

SocialAnxietyStaker · 2026-03-25T15:03:28+00:00

Iran's Mehr News Agency cited sources on Wednesday (25th) stating that Iran will reject the ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States and continue launching attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, indicating that US President Trump's approach of initiating indirect negotiations at this stage of the conflict lacks logic and is not feasible. It stated that Iran is focused on achieving its objectives, and war could only end if these objectives are realized, rather than through a ceasefire. The news kept oil price declines in check, with New York crude oil May futures falling 4.1% to $88.59 per barrel, and Brent crude oil May futures falling 4% to $100.34 per barrel.Although war negotiations remain uncertain, US stocks opened higher on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones rising 371 points to 46,495, the S&P 500 rising 52 points to 6,609, and the Nasdaq rising 280 points or 1.4% to 22,040. New York gold futures rose 3.5% to $4,588 per ounce, and spot gold rose 2% to $4,566 per ounce.

SocialAnxietyStaker

2026-03-25 15:03:28

Iran’s Fars News Agency quoted sources on Wednesday (25th) as saying that Iran has stated it will reject the U.S. proposed ceasefire, continuing to attack Israel and Gulf Arab countries. They also criticized President Trump’s approach of starting indirect negotiations during the current conflict as illogical and unfeasible. Iran emphasized that it is focused on achieving its goals, and only when these goals are met can the war end—not just a ceasefire. The news caused oil prices to decline slightly, with New York May futures down 4.1% at $88.59, and Brent May futures down 4% at $100.34.

Although war negotiations remain uncertain, U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday, with the Dow rising 371 points to 46,495, the S&P 500 up 52 points at 6,609, and the Nasdaq up 280 points or 1.4% at 22,040. Gold futures in New York rose 3.5% to $4,588, and spot gold increased 2% to $4,566.

Iran reiterated that non-hostile ships can pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz with coordination. Marine Traffic data shows that from Monday (23rd) to now, nine ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

In focus stocks, Tesla’s official release of a video revealed details about Optimus, including the development environment, reduction gearboxes, and dexterous hands. Tesla claims Optimus will fundamentally change the labor and manufacturing economy. Elon Musk said production of Optimus 3 is expected to start this summer, with mass production possible by 2027. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) pre-market shares rose over 1%, currently at $389.14.

Memory chip stocks tumbled against the trend, with Micron (NASDAQ: MU) opening down 6% and SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) dropping more than 7%. The decline was mainly due to news that South Korea’s SK Hynix plans to list in the U.S.

Foreign media reports that SK Hynix has submitted confidential filings to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to issue American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) within the year. A SK Hynix spokesperson said that measures to enhance shareholder value, including issuing ADRs, are under review, but no final decision has been made.

Hong Kong stocks and ADR markets are continuously updating. For details, see: Next Page

Market Trends:

【22:40】Dow rises 371 points

【21:30】Brent crude drops 5%, falling below $100; Dow up 580 points, Nasdaq up 1.2%, Micron down 6%

【17:55】Iran war negotiations “warm up”; Dow futures up 365 points, Nasdaq futures up 1%, Brent crude down 4% below $100

【14:54】Dow futures up 339 points at 46,754; S&P futures up 42 points at 6,648; Nasdaq futures up 160 points or 0.7% at 24,374

【14:54】NY crude down 3.4% at $89.2; Brent crude down 4% at $100.3; Gold in NY up 3.3% at $4,578; spot gold up 1.7% at $4,549

【13:57】【AI+Sora】OpenAI suddenly halts Sora AI video generation, shocking the market; Disney finished a project meeting 30 minutes prior and was suddenly informed, while OpenAI promoted Sora the day before

【13:52】【AI+IPO】SK Hynix plans to list in the U.S. within the year, has filed with SEC, potentially raising up to $10 billion

【13:32】【US Stock Analysis】US proposes ceasefire agreement with Iran; Dow futures up over 300 points; analysis: Trump’s TACO, two major issues to watch in the future

【11:01】【Iran Situation】JPMorgan’s Dimon: Long-term conflict could lead to lasting peace in the Middle East as regional powers’ interests align

【10:48】【US-China Relations】Chinese investment firms reportedly considering reallocating assets to US asset managers

【10:26】【AI+AAPL】Is Siri no longer just a voice assistant? Apple upgrades Siri to a chat robot with new “Ask Siri” feature, expected to debut at WWDC in June

【10:00】【Yen Trend】Yen to HKD at 4.93; Bank of Japan minutes show some members call for timely rate hikes to combat inflation

【09:58】【US Rate Cuts】Fed Governor Bostic: Rates may need to stay unchanged “for a while”; Middle East tensions add “additional risks”

【09:39】【Gold Price Trend】Gold ends nine consecutive declines! Spot gold back above $4,500; local gold price per tael up HKD 1,800, retreating from recent highs

【08:54】【ARM+Chips】Arm rises 8% after hours, plans to sell its own chips for the first time, expected to generate about $15 billion annually in five years; Meta is its first major customer

【08:26】【IPO】SpaceX reportedly plans to submit IPO application as early as this week, potentially raising over $75 billion

【08:23】【Iran Crisis】Trump: Iran will send a “big gift” today; Rubio and Vance involved in negotiations, on the premise that Iran “must not have nuclear weapons” (ongoing updates)

【08:01】【AI+Amazon】Software stocks hit hard again; Amazon reportedly developing new AI agents to replace some departments

$1 and below for March 24 US stock market overview====

Tuesday: US seeks talks with Iran on Thursday; Brent stable, Dow narrows losses

Multiple US media report that the US is engaging with Iran regarding a ceasefire plan. Axios reports that the US and mediators are discussing the possibility of high-level talks on Thursday, but are still awaiting Tehran’s response.

Market close updates:

+10

Iran officials deny Trump’s claims of behind-the-scenes negotiations but confirm that the US has sent messages and proposals.

Oil prices are cautious; Brent up 0.2% to $100.17, NY crude up 4.8% to $92.35.

Gold rebounds, spot gold up 1.6% at $4,475.51, silver remains relatively stable at $71.2194.

The US dollar index rises 0.3% to 99.23; 10-year US Treasury yield remains high at 4.36%.

US stocks are slightly weaker; Dow once fell 438 points to 45,769, closing down 84 points at 46,124; S&P down 0.4% at 6,556; Nasdaq down 0.8% at 21,761.

Trump has delayed the final deadline by 5 days, but Israel and Iran continue sporadic attacks. Pakistan’s Prime Minister said he is willing to host US-Iran talks to resolve ongoing conflicts.

Market sources indicate Iran has begun collecting transit fees from some ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, charged on a per-ship basis, with a maximum of $2 million per voyage, effectively establishing an informal “toll” in this waterway. Some ships have paid, but the specific mechanism and currency used are unclear.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported Tuesday that, after close coordination with authorities, a Thai-flagged ship successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli media Ynet quoted officials as saying the US has set April 9 as the target date to end the Iran war, meaning over half a month remains for fighting and negotiations. Washington is aiming to end hostilities by the end of April.

If the conflict ends around April 9 as planned, Trump plans to visit the area around Israel’s Independence Day on May 14. Currently, Pakistan and other countries are actively mediating, trying to arrange indirect US-Iran communication, possibly initial contacts this week in Pakistan, though neither side has officially confirmed.

Additionally, according to CCTV citing Russian media, Omani journalist and international relations researcher Salem Al-Jahuri confirmed on BBC Arabic that the US is pressuring Gulf countries to pay huge sums for US involvement in Iran conflicts.

The report states Trump is demanding large “protection fees” from Arab allies—either $5 trillion (about HKD 39 trillion) to continue the conflict or $2.5 trillion (about HKD 19.5 trillion) to end it—claiming this as compensation for “achievements.”

Hong Kong stocks and ADR markets are continuously updating. For details, see: Next Page

Market Trends:

【22:50】Iran reportedly collecting “toll fees” from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz; Dow down 88 points, Nasdaq down 0.6%, oil rebounds 3%

【21:30】Pakistan ready to host US-Iran talks; Dow down 338 points, Nasdaq down 0.6%, oil rebounds 4%

【18:00】【Iran Crisis】Possible glimmer of hope for US-Iran war? Trump reportedly demands a huge protection fee: $2.5 trillion to end the war

【16:00】【Iran Crisis】US sets April 9 as “End of War” date; Iran continues to deny

【14:00】Dow futures down 258 points at 46,264; S&P futures down 38 points at 6,596; Nasdaq futures down 150 points or 0.6% at 24,258

【14:00】Oil prices rebound; NY crude at $91.6, up nearly 4%; Brent at $103.4, up 3.4%; gold continues to weaken; NY gold down 0.9% at $4,400; spot gold at $4,357

【14:00】【Iran Crisis】DBS: Gold prices expected to fluctuate amid Middle East conflict; target of $6,250 by end of year maintained

【13:23】【AI+OpenAI】OpenAI reportedly offers generous terms to private equity firms, with a 17.5% minimum return, competing for enterprise AI market

【13:08】【OnlyFans】Billionaire owner Leonid Radvinsky of OnlyFans dies of cancer at age 43

【12:34】【Gold Price Trend】Gold continues to decline after nine straight drops; local gold price per tael falls below HKD 40,000

【12:15】【Switch 2】Nintendo plans to cut Switch 2 production by about 33% this quarter; reduction may continue into April

【11:51】【Gold Price Trend】Gold plunges over 20% from high, entering bear market; Morgan Stanley: funds flowing from safe-haven assets into stocks, positive for US equities

【11:19】【Iran Crisis】Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga orders assessment of oil-related supply chains to respond to crisis; Ministry of Finance reportedly consulting on possible intervention in crude oil futures

【10:36】【AI+Investing】BlackRock CEO: AI wave may exacerbate wealth inequality; investors should hedge risks through stock holdings

【08:37】【AI+OpenAI】OpenAI states dependence on Microsoft poses risks in investor documents; what other risks exist?

【08:08】【Iran Crisis】Federal Reserve official Daly: US economy faces at least two scenarios; the Fed needs to stay flexible to manage risks

【07:48】【AI+Apple】Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference WWDC26 scheduled for June 8; expected to unveil a series of AI features

【06:32】【Iran Crisis】Iranian Parliament Speaker denies negotiations with Trump; UK destroyer “Rong” arrives in Mediterranean (ongoing updates)

$1 and below for March 23 US stock market overview====

Monday: Trump’s comments questioned; Dow halves gains to 631 points, oil down 10%

US President Trump claimed negotiations with Iran, temporarily halting strikes on power plants, which boosted stocks and oil. The Dow once rose 1,134 points to 46,712, the S&P 500 hit 6,651, up 2.2%, and the Nasdaq reached 22,189, up 2.5%. By close, gains narrowed: Dow up 631 points at 46,208, S&P up 1.1% at 6,581, Nasdaq up 1.4% at 21,946.

Market close updates:

+10

Oil once fell 14.1%, closing down 10%; NY crude at $88.13, Brent at $100.5. Gold dropped 7% at one point, low of $4,099.18, closing down 1.9% at $4,407.18.

Macquarie’s global FX and rates strategist Thierry Wizman said, “We remain cautious about the early reports of a ‘breakthrough’ and tweets,” believing that the war is unlikely to last beyond April as Iran’s threat may weaken, but large-scale military action probably won’t end this week.

Trump posted on Truth Social that negotiations with Iran went smoothly over the past two days, and he has instructed the US military to pause all strikes on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure for five days, contingent on ongoing meetings and discussions.

Trump later said that multiple agreements had been reached in negotiations, including discussions about Iran’s leadership candidates, and claimed Iran had agreed to abandon nuclear weapons. However, he also warned that if talks break down, bombing will continue.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency later quoted sources denying any negotiations with the US, stating that no talks have taken place and that US attacks continue, with the Strait of Hormuz not returning to pre-conflict status. Another agency, Mehr, cited Iran’s Foreign Ministry saying Trump’s comments aim to lower energy prices and buy time for military plans.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry also responded, saying there are some initiatives to ease tensions, but Iran’s stance is that the US should be the dialogue partner, as Iran did not initiate the war.

Trump further responded, saying negotiations took place on the evening of Sunday (22nd), emphasizing Iran’s eagerness to reach an agreement, and expressing confusion over why Iranian media refutes his statements.

T. Rowe Price noted that after Iran was attacked, gold initially surged as a safe haven, but the rally was short-lived as markets quickly reinterpreted the event as a geopolitical risk. Investors did not see it as a sustained geopolitical crisis but rather as inflation driven by energy prices. This shift pushed real yields higher, strengthened the dollar, and dampened gold’s appeal.

Gold had already gained significantly before the incident, limiting further safe-haven inflows. The outlook suggests gold prices will continue to be influenced by macro and geopolitical factors. In the short term, real yields and central bank policies will be key, along with energy prices and the dollar. The firm still views gold as a strategic asset rather than a short-term trading tool. Structural demand from central banks and policy uncertainty provide some support, though short-term price volatility may persist.

Hong Kong stocks and ADR markets are continuously updating. For details, see: Next Page

Market Trends:

【22:15】Iran reportedly collecting “toll fees” from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz; Dow down 88 points, Nasdaq down 0.6%, oil rebounds 3%