NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets were again sold off on Tuesday as Wednesday's end to the U.S. ceasefire with Iran looms. It is not even certain whether talks will continue, let alone a peace deal being agreed.

"Developing trust is difficult in this situation," Brian Mulberry, Zacks Investment Management chief market strategist, told CNBC Tuesday. "There is a long history with Iran that causes suspicion of any deal lasting, but also their delegation may not be able to carry out much of a peace agreement, given how fractured the top levels of their military and government are."

The technology-heavy NASDAQ Composite led declines among the major U.S. benchmarks on Tuesday, falling 144.43 points to settle at 24,259.96, a drop of 0.59 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average also suffered a triple-digit loss, shedding 292.96 points to close at 49,149.60, representing a decline of 0.59 percent. Trading volume on the Dow reached 459.102 million shares.

The broader Standard and Poor's 500 index finished lower as well, dropping 45.12 points to end Tuesday at 7,064.02, a decrease of 0.63 percent. The index traded within a daily range of 7,050.20 to 7,137.27, with total volume reaching 2.864 billion shares.

U.S. Dollar Strengthens Against Major Currencies as Euro and Pound Slide Tuesday

The U.S. dollar finished Tuesday's trading session broadly higher against a basket of major currencies, driven by gains versus the euro, British pound, and Swiss franc, while the Japanese yen weakened.

The euro suffered the most notable decline of the major currency pairs. The EUR/USD pair settled at 1.17243 dropping 0.006405, which represents a loss of 0.54 percent. The euro traded within a daily range of 1.1719 to 1.1791, having opened the session near the 1.1788 level.

The British pound also finished in negative territory against the greenback. GBP/USD last traded at 1.3479, falling 0.005540, or 0.41 percent. Sterling's high for the day was 1.3539, while it bottomed out at 1.34749 before settling at the final quote.

The dollar advanced against the Swiss franc as well. USD/CHF ended the day at 0.7821, rising 0.003840, a gain of 0.49 percent. The pair fluctuated between a low of 0.7780 and a high of 0.7826 during Tuesday's session.

Meanwhile, the U.S. currency appreciated modestly against its Canadian counterpart. USD/CAD settled at 1.3672, adding 0.002815, or 0.21 percent. The daily trading range saw a low of 1.3631 and a high of 1.36770\.

The Japanese yen was the notable loser among major currencies, as USD/JPY surged higher. The pair finished at 159.57, jumping 0.7445, a sharp increase of 0.47 percent. The dollar traded between 158.73 and 159.63 yen throughout the day.

In contrast, currencies tied to commodity-exporting economies in the Pacific region lost ground. The Australian dollar weakened against the U.S. dollar, with AUD/USD closing at 0.7135, a decline of 0.004260, or 0.59 percent. The pair's session high was 0.71861, while it bottomed at 0.7130.

The New Zealand dollar also finished lower. NZD/USD settled at 0.5875, falling 0.001605, a loss of 0.27 percent. The kiwi traded between a high of 0.5922 and a low of 0.5872 during Tuesday's session.

Global Equity Markets End Tuesday Divided as European Losses Offset Asian Gains

World stock markets closed on a mixed note Tuesday, with major Canadian, UK, and European indexes suffering broad declines, while several Asian benchmarks posted solid gains, according to the final quotes.

Canada's S&P/TSX Composite index tumbled 551.73 points to close at 33,808.30, a sharp decline of 1.61 percent. Volume on the Toronto exchange totaled 280.068 million shares as the index pulled back from its recent levels.

The FTSE 100 in London dropped 110.99 points, or 1.05 percent, to settle at 10,498.09. 

In Europe, selling pressure was widespread. Germany's DAX P index fell 146.93 points, a decline of 0.60 percent, closing at 24,270.87. France's CAC 40 was also lower, losing 95.32 points to end at 8,235.72, a loss of 1.14 percent.

The broader EURO STOXX 50 I index decreased by 52.38 points, representing a 0.88 percent drop to 5,930.25, while the Euronext 100 Index shed 16.06 points, or 0.87 percent, finishing at 1,822.60. Belgium's BEL 20 saw one of the steepest declines on the continent, tumbling 79.79 points, or 1.45 percent, to 5,431.38. South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index also fell sharply, losing 130.48 points for a decline of 1.77 percent, closing at 7,232.12.

Asian markets provided a brighter picture. Japan's Nikkei 225 advanced 524.27 points, a gain of 0.89 percent, to close at 59,349.17. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 126.41 points, or 0.48 percent, finishing at 26,487.48. India's S&P BSE Sensex jumped 753.03 points, an increase of 0.96 percent, to end at 79,273.33.

Other notable gainers included South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index, which surged 169.38 points, or 2.72 percent, to 6,388.47.

In Taiwan on Tuesday, the TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index added 646.31 points, a rise of 1.75 percent, closing at 37,605.11.

Malaysia's FTSE Bursa KLCI gained 13.03 points, or 0.77 percent, to 1,715.33, while Singapore's STI Index edged up 10.89 points, or 0.22 percent, to 5,014.96. Indonesia's IDX Composite fell 34.73 points, down 0.46 percent, to 7,559.38.

In China, the SSE Composite Index posted a marginal gain of 2.95 points, or 0.07 percent, ending at 4,085.08.

Elsewhere in the Pacific region, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 3.90 points, a fractional loss of 0.04 percent, to 8,949.40, though the broader ALL ORDINARIES index managed a gain of 3.00 points, or 0.03 percent, closing at 9,177.10. New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 Gross Index rose 16.83 points, or 0.13 percent, to 12,932.33.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East on Tuesday, Israel's TA-125 index remained flat, unchanged at 4,327.87, with a 0.00 percent change.

In Egypt, the EGX 30 Price Return Index added 163.90 points, climbing 0.32 percent to finish at 51,977.30 on volume of 649.289 million.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).

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Monday 20 April 2026 | U.S. stocks edge lower as fears linger about Iran | Big News Network.com