Wall Street closed out the first quarter of 2026 with a resounding bang on Tuesday, as all four major indices posted strong gains in what appeared to be a classic quarter-end window-dressing session. The S&P 500 surged 2.91% to close at 6,509.9, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq led large-cap benchmarks with a 3.39% advance to 20,951.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 2.46%, settling at 46,027.19.
Small-caps were arguably the day's standout story, with the Russell 2000 jumping 3.50% to 2,470.08 — outpacing every major index and signaling a broadening of risk appetite beyond mega-cap technology. That kind of participation across market capitalizations is typically a healthy sign for bull market durability.
Meta Platforms was the clear star of the session, rocketing 6.67% to $572.13 and providing significant upside thrust to both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. The move underscored continued institutional conviction in AI-leveraged advertising platforms heading into Q2. Gold continued its remarkable run, with the precious metal sitting at $4,698.77, reflecting persistent demand for hard assets even as equities rallied.
With Q1 officially in the books, investors will now shift focus to Q1 earnings season, which kicks off in earnest in mid-April, and any fresh signals from the Federal Reserve on the rate path.