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Happy Wednesday. This is TheStreet’s Stock Market Today for Mar. 4, 2026. You can follow the latest updates on the market here in our daily live blog.

Update: 9:30 a.m. ET

Opening Bell

The U.S. market is now opened for the day. At the open, the Nasdaq (+0.54%) is up half a percentage point, while the Russell 2000 (+0.28%), S&P 500 (+0.17%) and Dow (-0.05%) are falling from their initial prints in the green.

The moves come after the U.S. struck Iranian assets overnight. Reporters indicated that Iran had reached out to the U.S. through “indirect” means after the attack to seek a way to end the conflict, a report that the CIA now denies.

As the sun rises in the U.S., Oman is reporting that a Malta-flagged cargo ship has come under fire. After falling overnight, Brent Crude is up modestly at the U.S. open, barely above its settlement price yesterday at $81.62.

In Focus: S&P 500

A plurality of the market is advancing this morning, with 49.5% of U.S. issues advancing against 44.1% in decline. Focusing on the S&P 500, there’s some contrast, which is different from the beet red of the last few days:

In sectors, Discretionary (+0.61%) and Technology (+0.49%) are the only two sectors in the green, while all other S&P Sectors are declining, including Energy (-1.46%), which is seeing the starkest decline this morning.

ISM Services at highest since 2022

Just in on the hour, the ISM Services PMI came in. At 56.1, the February reading is the highest we’ve seen since 2022; it was up from 53.8 last month. All components advanced except for Prices, which declined to an 11-month low of 63 (from 66.6). The remaining components — Business Activity (59.9), Employment (51.8), and New Orders (58.6) — all declined.

It followed minutes after the S&P Global Composite PMI (51.9, down from 53) and Global Services PMI (51.7, down from 52.7), contradicting the earlier, but less weighty report.

Update: 5:41 a.m. ET

After slow start, Europe Stoxx 600 now up over 1%

Despite a tepid start to the market day in Asia, European equities opened higher this morning, offering reasons for optimism across the pond.

Just a few hours ago, while most were asleep in the States, the STOXX Europe 600 opened up a few basis points. Now, it’s up 1.50%, illuminating hopes that the U.S. markets could be following a similar trend.

The gains come after the U.S. struck an Iranian warship and submarine overnight off the coast of Sri Lanka, which originally stirred fears of further escalation. However, a report that Iran reached out to the U.S. to attempt to end the days-long conflict (now confirmed to be false) also probably played a hand.

However, above all else, the contrast between Asian markets and European markets this morning is a fascinating watch. We’ll be keeping an eye on it as we trend towards the U.S. open in a few hours.

Update: 12:54 a.m. ET

A.M. Update: More trouble in Asia

Good morning. Escorts and the promise of insurance from the U.S. might be enough to convince oil tankers to try its hand at passing through the tense Strait of Hormuz, but none of it is necessarily a guarantee that energy products arrive intact. And tonight, that’s proving to be a problem for Asian markets, which count themselves reliant on that key crossing.

South Korea’s KOSPI once again is saddling the steepest decline in Asia, with circuit breakers stopping trading earlier today. The index is now near day lows, down over 12%, making it the worst two-day stretch for the country’s market since 2008. The Korean won also hit a 17-year low amid worries that the country, which relies on imports from the Middle East to meet its energy needs, will be affected by the ongoing conflict in Iran.

Other countries across Asia are facing a similar cascade, including Thailand, which saw its stock market halted after an 8% decline. More tepid declines in Taiwan’s TAIEX (-4.35%) and Japan’s Nikkei 225 (-3.68%) are also playing out, while India’s NIFTY 50 (-2%) is registering declines as the rupee hit a record low.

And as a new day dawns in Europe, the Stoxx 600 looks like it might soon be sharing in those declines, based on futures data. In a short few hours, the U.S. markets might follow suit as this week’s declines continue to play out. At last glance, S&P 500 futures were about half a percentage point lower; the Russell 2000 futures were closer to a one percent decline.

That said, here is what will be on the docket for today:

Earnings Today: Broadcom, Veeva, Brown-Forman

Though the Iran situation is front and center, there are still dozens of reports rounding out the latest quarter. Here are the biggest reports slated for today:

Economic Data Today: ISM Services PMI, ADP Employment, EIA Crude Oil Stocks

Here are today’s big economic data reports today, which will be anchored by February’s ISM Services PMI and ADP Employment Change data.