Tech stocks climbed to new highs early Wednesday, with the Nasdaq 100 briefly touching 22,329 points after the opening bell, surpassing its previous peak from February 19.
Yet, by midday trading, the rally lost steam, with major indices giving back early gains. By 12:30 p.m. ET, the Nasdaq 100 was trading at 22,234, up 0.2% on the day. Other large-cap benchmarks hovered near the flatline, while the Russell 2000 fell 0.7%, reflecting weakness in small-cap names.
At a NATO meeting in the Netherlands, President Donald Trump said that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains in place and that the United States will continue exerting pressure on Tehran. He clarified that while sanctions remain, Iran is currently allowed to sell oil to China.
Trump also renewed his call for NATO allies to raise their defense spending to 5% of GDP, more than double the current 2% guideline, arguing that Europe must carry a larger share of the military burden.
In day two of his testimony …