U.S. equity benchmarks extended gains on February 23. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.90% to 22,886.07. The S&P 500 advanced 0.69% to 6,909.51. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.47% to 49,625.97. The 10-year Treasury yield settled at 4.086%. The Dollar Index eased to 97.789. Gold rose to $5,122.60 per ounce. Brent crude traded at $71.76.

The Nasdaq closed at 22,886.07 after opening at 22,542.28 and reaching 22,948.87 intraday. The S&P 500 traded between 6,843.26 and 6,915.86 before settling at 6,909.51, approximately 1.3% below its yearly peak. The Dow ranged from 49,323 to 49,712.56.

Semiconductor and software shares led index performance. Volume levels were consistent with prior sessions.

Internationally, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.3% to 3,350. The Euro Stoxx 50 gained 0.4% to 4,950.

The 10-year Treasury yield closed at 4.086%, rising from 4.075% at the open and reaching 4.106% intraday. The 30-year yield stood near 4.35%. High-yield spreads were approximately 3.2 percentage points over Treasuries.

The yield curve remained modestly inverted. Rate markets reflected steady expectations

The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) ended at 97.789, down 0.14%, with a low of 97.589. GBP/USD strengthened to 1.325. USD/CNY held near 7.10.

Brent crude traded at $71.76, up 0.10 from $71.66, with an intraday high of $72.06. U.S. crude inventories declined by 9 million barrels per EIA data.

Gold rose $105.40, or 2.1%, to $5,122.60 per ounce from $5,017.20, reaching an intraday high of $5,130. Natural gas held near recent levels.

January CPI measured 2.4% year over year, with monthly CPI at 0.2%. Core CPI registered 2.5%. Unemployment was 4.3%, with payroll growth of 130,000 jobs and participation at 62.5%. Core PCE remained at 3%.

Estimates referenced a potential $990 billion in global debt issuance related to AI capital expenditure. European energy flows were noted as impacted by sanctions tied to approximately 0.5% of regional supply.

The Shanghai Composite rose 0.3%. The Euro Stoxx 50 advanced 0.4%. European bond yields tracked modest movements in U.S. Treasuries. Currency volatility remained limited.

Key reference levels:

Futures suggest a steady start. Markets open with elevated gold, stable yields, firm energy, and equity benchmarks near recent highs.