Search





Search





NewsIndices

Trump Stages TACO Operation Again, Triggering Sharp Volatility in Major Markets

TradingKey

AuthorAlan Long

Mar 24, 2026 2:37 AM

View all comments（0）



TradingKey - On Monday (March 23), Trump stated that recent communications between the U.S. and Iran have been "very good and very productive," and he postponed the planned military strikes on Iranian energy facilities by five days. Upon the news, global markets immediately shifted from risk-off mode to a resurgence in risk appetite: the three major U.S. stock indices rebounded collectively, with the Dow closing up 631 points, or 1.38%, the S&P 500 rising 1.15%, and the Nasdaq gaining 1.38%, indicating a rapid flow of capital back into riskier assets.

index-5e274e28bdc84c1683400ebb17269b19

Source: TradingView

Volatility in the commodities market was even more extreme. Brent crude plummeted by more than 10% intraday, ultimately closing down 10.27% at $96.77, while U.S. WTI crude dropped as low as $84.37 intraday and closed down 9.42% at $88.86 per barrel. The sharp pullback in oil prices was mainly because markets had previously feared further escalation in the Middle East and disruptions to crude supply; now, as news of the "strike suspension" emerged, part of the risk premium was quickly wiped out.

WTI-79afb6a1bcfd4756907476aa73d4509d

Source: TradingView

Gold also experienced significant volatility at the same time. Influenced by expectations of easing geopolitical tensions, spot gold plunged by more than 8% intraday before narrowing its decline to close at $4,407.06 per ounce, down 1.8% on the day. Although gold prices briefly rebounded, the market soon realized that this round of volatility was not just a simple change in safe-haven buying; the linkage between interest rate expectations, the dollar's trajectory, and energy prices continues to dictate gold pricing, causing gold prices to remain on a downward trend today.

gold-9025e1be2d99419b8f419cbdb9e64ff6

Source: TradingView

However, this market reaction was not entirely built on certainty. Iran denied any direct or indirect contact, stating that such claims were untrue, which led traders to remain cautious regarding the sustainability of the de-escalation.

In other words, the current situation is more of a rapid, news-driven repricing: oil prices fell sharply, stocks quickly rebounded, and gold fluctuated significantly. However, as long as the situation in the Middle East does not truly stabilize, the market will continue to be pulled back and forth by negotiations, retaliation risks, and supply shocks.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice.

Comments (0)

Click the $ button, enter the symbol, and select to link a stock, ETF, or other ticker.

Commenting Guidelines

Recommended Articles

S&P 500 Index Forecast: Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet and Other Companies Continue Increasing AI Investment, May Support Index Surpassing 8,000 in Second Half of 2026

TradingKey - The S&P 500 index has recently experienced volatility at high levels. As of the U.S. market close on July 16, the S&P 500 index stood at 7,533.77 points, falling 0.51% on the day. Despite the short-term pullback, technical indicators suggest the medium-to-long-term bullish trend remains intact, and institutions continue to hold a positive outlook for the future of the S&P 500.

Apple Hits Record High, Market Cap Surges to $4.9 Trillion: Why Full-Year Gains Lead the Mag 7?

TradingKey - Against the backdrop of a general pullback in the AI sector, Apple (AAPL) has staged an independent rally, driven by its unique ecosystem moat and robust financial performance. After reaching an all-time high of $323.45 on July 13, the share price hit another record high of $327.5 on July 15. Its market capitalization currently stands at $4.81 trillion, making it the second-largest company in the U.S. by market value as it approaches the epic $5 trillion milestone, trailing only Nvidia (NVDA) at $5.13 trillion. In fact, Apple's year-to-date gain in 2026 has reached 16%, also leading the "Mag 7."

SpaceX Negotiates Multi-Billion Dollar Computing Power Deal With Pentagon: Stock Price Drop Does Not Change Wall Street’s Bullish Expectations

Tradingkey - The Wall Street Journal reported that SpaceX (SPCX) is in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Defense to sell computing power. The deal could be valued at billions of dollars, and if finalized, would mark the latest major infrastructure contract for Elon Musk’s integrated rocket, satellite, and artificial intelligence conglomerate. The report noted that the partnership model for this deal is similar to previous agreements SpaceX reached with Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL) and AI firm Anthropic. The negotiations come as the U.S. military seeks to construct data centers within its military bases to bolster its autonomous computing capabilities.

Meta Plans to Lease Computing Power to Anthropic: Shares Surge Back to $650, Cloud Computing Commercialization Layout Sees Substantial Progress

TradingKey - Meta Platforms (META) has made substantial progress in the commercialization of its cloud computing infrastructure. According to media reports, Meta is in early-stage talks with leading AI company Anthropic to lease computing resources from its proprietary data centers, a two-year partnership that could be worth up to $10 billion. If finalized, the deal would represent a landmark transaction, marking Meta's transition from using its computing assets solely for internal operations to external commercialization. Driven by the news, Meta's stock price recovered significantly, narrowing from an early-session decline of over 5% to less than 2%. As of press time, shares were down 2.06% at $650.82.

US-Iran Conflict Escalates, International Oil Prices Surge Over 3%: WTI Crude Breaks $81, Strait of Hormuz Shipping Blocked

Tradingkey - On July 17 (ET), as the conflict between the U.S. and Iran continued to escalate, the two major crude oil futures rose again, returning to price levels seen in mid-June. As of press time, WTI crude futures rose over 3% to $81.05, while Brent crude futures also gained more than 3% to $87.01. The confrontation between the two sides has intensified as the fragile ceasefire agreement signed by the U.S. and Iran last month shows further signs of breaking down.

Featured Tools