U.S. equity benchmarks closed mixed on February 26 as technology shares adjusted following Nvidia’s earnings release. The Nasdaq Composite finished at 22,878.38. The S&P 500 settled at 6,908.86. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 49,499.20. The 10-year Treasury yield eased to 4.01%. The U.S. Dollar Index finished near 97.75. Gold traded around $5,168. Brent crude settled near $70.88.

The Nasdaq declined 1.18% (273.69 points) with semiconductor and AI-related names under pressure despite strong quarterly results from the sector leader. The S&P 500 fell 0.54% (37.27 points) as Information Technology was the weakest sector.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.03% (17.05 points), supported by relative strength in consumer and industrial components. Trading volume remained average.

Internationally, Asian equity indexes showed mixed performance with the Shanghai Composite finishing near flat while European benchmarks closed modestly higher.

The 10-year Treasury yield declined approximately 3 basis points to close at 4.01%. The 30-year yield moved lower to the 4.30–4.35% area. High-yield credit spreads stayed stable near 3.2 percentage points. The yield curve maintained a modest inversion.

Market pricing continued to reflect steady Federal Reserve policy expectations with no major shifts in rate-cut probabilities.

The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) closed at 97.75 with limited intraday movement. GBP/USD remained above 1.32 while USD/CNY traded in a narrow range around 7.10. Currency volatility stayed subdued across major pairs.

Brent crude settled at $70.88 per barrel, showing minimal net change amid ongoing monitoring of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks and inventory data. Gold closed near $5,168 per ounce, holding elevated levels consistent with steady safe-haven demand. Natural gas prices remained range-bound.

Headline CPI stood at 2.4% year-over-year with core at 2.5%. The unemployment rate held at 4.3%, and recent payroll gains stayed in the low six-figure range. Core PCE inflation was reported at 3.0%.

Discussions around AI-related infrastructure spending continued to frame medium-term capital expenditure expectations in the multi-trillion-dollar range. Energy supply conditions in Europe showed no material new disruptions.

The Shanghai Composite ended nearly unchanged. The Euro Stoxx 50 posted modest gains. European government bond yields moved in line with U.S. Treasuries.

Currency markets across major economies remained calm with no significant shifts in cross rates.

Key reference levels for February 27 open:

Futures point to a steady open with attention on the wholesale inflation reading scheduled for release later in the session.