Weekly Market Update for March 27, 2026
by Gavyn Jensen-Schneider, Research Associate
Market indices continue to trend downward as geopolitical developments dictate market directionality. The S&P 500 finished the week down -2.12%, while the Nasdaq fell -3.23%. The 10-Year Treasury yield, an interest rate indicator, closed at 4.43%, up +5 basis points (bps) from last week. The 6-Month US Treasury, a favorite of our US Treasury strategy, fell -4 bps to 3.71%.
The fourth week of the Iran war began with a five-day ceasefire, conditional on diplomatic negotiations between American and Iranian officials. Developments have been bumpy in this regard, with contrary claims coming from both negotiating parties. On Monday, US officials claimed to be having productive conversations toward a conflict resolution, while Iranian officials denied any such conversations were taking place. By Tuesday, the US had sent a 15-point plan to end the conflict, which was resoundingly rejected by Iran. Markets responded accordingly, with gains and positive investor sentiment on Monday, followed by a few noisy trading days before ending the week down. The press for peace negotiations continues into next week, as the President extended the temporary ceasefire until April 6th, promising to strike Iranian energy infrastructure if diplomatic progress is not made by then.
In trade news, President Trump and Chinese President Xi announced plans to meet in China on the 14th and 15th of May. The trip was previously scheduled for March 31st to April 2nd but was postponed due to the Iran conflict. This summit will be the first US presidential visit to China in nearly 10 years and will see the two world leaders discussing a number of topics, the most important for investors being tariffs and trade relations. It is expected that a reciprocal visit for President Xi will be held in Washington, DC later this year.
With the end of the month comes a fresh set of labor market data, with February’s JOLTS job openings on Tuesday followed by the March employment report—which includes nonfarm payrolls and the unemployment rate—on Friday. Company news remains quiet as the interim period between financial quarters continues. And, of course, markets will be tracking any and all updates in the Iran war. Finally, markets—and our office—will be closed April 3rd for Good Friday.
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