NEW YORK, New York - Despite another two high profile assassinations by Israel in Iran, spiking oil prices, and a central bank hiking interest rates on inflation fears, U.S. stock markets finished Tuesday with modest gains, driven by a late-day rally in technology shares that helped the major indices close in positive territory despite a subdued session overall.

The Standard and Poor's 500 added 16.71 points to settle at 6,716.09, recording a gain of 0.25 percent. The broad-market index traded within a narrow range throughout the day as investors weighed corporate earnings against concerns about future interest rate policy.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average also posted a gain, though a more modest one. The blue-chip index rose 46.79 points to close at 46,993.20, an increase of 0.10 percent. The Dow hovered near the flatline for much of the afternoon before a slight uptick in the final hour of trading.

The NASDAQ Composite outperformed its peers, climbing 105.35 points to finish at 22,479.53. The tech-heavy index's gain of 0.47 percent was fueled by strength in semiconductor and large-cap growth stocks, which found buyers in the final stretch of the trading day.

U.S. Dollar Mixed as Euro and Pound Strengthen in Tuesday Forex Trading

he U.S. dollar presented a mixed picture against major peers on Tuesday, losing ground against the euro and sterling while holding steady against the yen and strengthening slightly against the Canadian dollar.

The euro gained traction against the greenback, with the EUR/USD pair climbing 0.28 percent to trade at 1.1536. The move higher suggests growing investor confidence in the eurozone economy, though traders remain cautious ahead of key economic data later in the week.

The British pound also posted solid gains. GBP/USD rose 0.29 percent to hit 1.3357, extending its recent recovery as markets digest the latest comments from Bank of England officials regarding the path of future interest rates.

In contrast, the dollar was little changed against the Japanese yen. The USD/JPY pair dipped a marginal 0.01 percent to settle at 159.03, as traders weighed intervention risks from Tokyo against the wider interest rate differential favoring the U.S.

The Swiss franc managed to strengthen against the dollar. The USD/CHF pair declined by 0.20 percent to 0.7848, reflecting the franc's ongoing status as a safe-haven currency amid lingering global uncertainties.

Commodity-linked currencies were a mixed bag. The Australian dollar was the standout performer of the session, with the AUD/USD pair jumping 0.45 percent to 0.7102. The move was supported by a 0.25 percent hike in official interest rates by the Reserve Bank of Australia, and optimism regarding China's economic outlook. However, its New Zealand counterpart softened; the NZD/USD pair edged down 0.06 percent to 0.5856.

In North America, the Canadian dollar weakened slightly against its U.S. counterpart. The USD/CAD pair rose 0.09 percent to 1.3697, as the loonie struggled despite steady oil prices. Traders are now looking ahead to domestic jobs data later in the week for further direction on the health of the Canadian economy.

Global Equity Markets End Tuesday Mixed as European Bourses Rise, Asian Benchmarks Stall

Global stock markets delivered a mixed performance on Tuesday, with major European indices posting solid gains driven by positive corporate earnings and investor optimism, while some key Asian markets saw more muted results or slight declines.

Canada's main stock index also finished higher. The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 52.44 points to close at 32,929.09, a gain of 0.16 percent. Advances in the financial and materials sectors helped offset weakness elsewhere, keeping the index on a steady footing through the session.

In London, the FTSE 100 climbed sharply, adding 85.91 points to close at 10,403.60. The gain of 0.83 percent pushed the index further into positive territory for the week, buoyed by strength in mining and financial stocks.

Frankfurt's DAX also continued its upward trajectory, settling at 23,730.92 after a rise of 166.91 points, or 0.71 percent. The index hovered near its session highs, reflecting robust investor confidence in the region's largest economy.

France's CAC 40 posted a more modest advance, finishing the day at 7,974.49. The index was up 38.52 points, a gain of 0.49 percent, as luxury goods and industrial sectors provided support.

The broader European market followed suit. The EURO STOXX 50 Index rose by 30.24 points, or 0.53 percent, to end at 5,769.25. Similarly, the pan-European Euronext 100 Index gained 9.24 points (0.52 percent) to close at 1,770.05. Belgium's BEL 20 was among the stronger regional performers, jumping 38.01 points to 5,167.00, a rise of 0.74 percent.

In Asia, the trading day concluded with a less uniform picture. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index eked out a modest gain, adding 34.52 points (0.13 percent) to finish at 25,868.54. Singapore's STI Index fared better, surging 67.28 points to 4,935.97, a significant gain of 1.38 percent.

Down Under, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 30.90 points (0.36 percent) to 8,614.30, while the broader All Ordinaries index added 26.00 points (0.30 percent) to close at 8,819.40.

India's S&P BSE SENSEX showed strong momentum, climbing 567.99 points to finish at 76,070.84, a gain of 0.75 percent. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia's IDX Composite jumped 84.55 points (1.20 percent) to 7,106.84, and Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose 14.43 points (0.85 percent) to 1,710.99.

New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 added 17.65 points, a modest gain of 0.13 percent, closing at 13,182.23.

South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index was a standout performer, rocketing 90.63 points higher to 5,640.48, an impressive gain of 1.63 percent. Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index also surged, adding 494.06 points (1.48 percent) to close at 33,836.57.

In the Middle East, Israel's TA-125 index climbed 64.09 points (1.56 percent) to 4,179.35, while Egypt's EGX 30 Price Return Index led all gainers, soaring 866.90 points to 46,054.60, a jump of 1.92 percent.

In South Africa the Top 40 USD Net TRI Index also finished higher, rising 81.16 points (1.16 percent) to 7,057.84.

However, not all markets participated in the rally. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped into negative territory, shedding 50.76 points to close at 53,700.39, a fractional decline of 0.09 percent. Meanwhile, China's SSE Composite Index was the session's biggest laggard, dropping 34.88 points to end at 4,049.91, a loss of 0.85 percent on heavy trading volume.

Investors will now look ahead to upcoming economic data releases and central bank commentary for further direction.

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

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