【US Stock Market Close】US Reportedly Seeks Thursday Negotiations with Iran; Crude Oil Holds Steady, Dow Jones Narrows Decline (Continuously Updated)

Multiple U.S. media outlets report that the United States is in contact with Iran regarding a ceasefire plan. Axios reports that the U.S. and mediators are discussing the possibility of holding high-level talks on Thursday, but they are still waiting for a response from Tehran.

Iranian officials deny Trump’s claims of behind-the-scenes negotiations but confirm that the U.S. has sent messages and proposals.

Oil prices are cautious; Brent crude rises 0.2%, closing at $100.17, while WTI crude rises 4.8%, closing at $92.35.

Gold rebounded; spot gold up 1.6%, closing at $4,475.51. Spot silver remains largely unchanged, closing at $71.2194.

The U.S. dollar index rises 0.3% to 99.23, and the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield is high at 4.36%.

U.S. stocks are slightly soft; the Dow once fell 438 points to a low of 45,769, but closed down 84 points at 46,124. The S&P 500 fell 0.4%, closing at 6,556, and the Nasdaq dropped 0.8%, closing at 21,761.

Trump has delayed the final ultimatum by five days, but sporadic attacks continue between Israel and Iran. Pakistan’s Prime Minister says he is willing to host U.S.-Iran talks to resolve ongoing conflicts.

Market sources indicate that Iran has begun charging tolls to some ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The fees are collected on a case-by-case basis, with a maximum of $2 million per voyage, effectively establishing an informal “toll” in this waterway. Some ships have already paid, but the specific payment mechanisms and currencies are unclear.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported Tuesday that, after close coordination with Iranian authorities, a Thai-flagged vessel successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Israeli media Ynet, citing local officials, the U.S. has set April 9 as the target date to end the Iran conflict, meaning over half a month is allocated for fighting and negotiations. Washington aims to end hostilities by the end of April.

Reports suggest that if the conflict ends around April 9 as scheduled, Trump plans to visit Israel around May 14, the day of Israeli independence. Pakistan and other countries are actively mediating, trying to arrange indirect U.S.-Iran communication, possibly starting preliminary contacts this week in Pakistan, though neither side has officially confirmed.

Additionally, according to CCTV citing Russian media, Omani journalist and international relations researcher Salem Al-Jahuri confirmed on BBC Arabic that the U.S. is pressuring Gulf countries to pay large sums for their involvement in the Iran conflict.

The report states that Trump has demanded huge “protection fees” from Arab allies—either $5 trillion (about HKD 39 trillion) to continue the war or $2.5 trillion (about HKD 19.5 trillion) to end it—claiming this as compensation for “achieved results.”

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Market Trends:

[22:50] Rumors that Iran is charging tolls to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz; Dow down 88 points, Nasdaq down 0.6%, oil rebounds 3%

[21:30] Pakistan ready to host U.S.-Iran talks; Dow down 338 points, Nasdaq down 0.6%, oil rebounds 4%

[18:00] [Iran Crisis] Is there hope for U.S.-Iran war? Rumors of Trump paying sky-high protection fees: $2.5 trillion to end the war

[16:00] [Iran Crisis] Reports that April 9 is set as “End of War Day” by the U.S.; Iran continues to deny

[14:00] Dow futures down 258 points at 46,264; S&P futures down 38 points at 6,596; Nasdaq futures down 150 points or 0.6% at 24,258.

[14:00] Oil prices rebound; WTI at $91.6, up nearly 4%; Brent at $103.4, up 3.4%. Gold continues to weaken; NY gold down 0.9% at $4,400; spot gold down 1.1% at $4,357.

[14:00] [Iran Crisis] DBS: Short-term gold prices likely to fluctuate amid Middle East conflict; maintaining year-end target of $6,250

[13:23] [AI + OpenAI] Reports that OpenAI is offering generous terms to private equity firms, with a 17.5% minimum return, competing for enterprise AI market

[13:08] [OnlyFans] Billionaire owner Leonid Radvinsky of OnlyFans passes away from cancer at age 43

[12:34] [Gold Price Trend] Gold prices decline for the ninth consecutive day; local gold per two taels drops below HKD 40,000

[12:15] [Switch 2] Nintendo plans to cut Switch 2 production by about 33% this quarter; reduction may continue into April

[11:51] [Gold Price Trend] Gold plunges over 20% from high, entering a bear market; Morgan Stanley: funds flowing from safe-haven assets into stocks, a positive signal for U.S. equities

[11:19] [Iran Crisis] Minister of State Shoei Sano orders assessment of oil-related supply chains to respond to the crisis; Ministry of Finance reportedly consulting market on possible intervention in crude oil futures

[10:36] [AI + Investment] BlackRock CEO: AI wave may exacerbate wealth inequality; investors should hedge impacts through stock holdings

[08:37] [AI + OpenAI] OpenAI states dependence on Microsoft in investor documents poses risks; what other risks exist?

[08:08] [Iran Crisis] Federal Reserve official Daly: U.S. economy faces at least two scenarios; the Fed needs to stay flexible to manage risks

[07:48] [AI + Apple] Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference WWDC26 scheduled for June 8; expected to unveil a series of AI features

[06:32] [Iran Crisis] Iran Parliament Speaker denies negotiations with Trump; UK destroyer “Rong” arrives in Mediterranean (ongoing updates)

$1 and below for March 23 U.S. stock market overview====

Monday: Trump’s remarks questioned; Dow halves gains to 631 points, oil down 10%

U.S. President Trump claims negotiations with Iran; halts strikes on power plants, boosting oil prices and stocks. Dow once rose 1,134 points to 46,712; S&P up 2.2% to 6,651; Nasdaq up 2.5% to 22,189. But gains narrowed; the Dow ends up 631 points at 46,208; S&P up 1.1% at 6,581; Nasdaq up 1.4% at 21,946.

See U.S. stock market close: