Pre-Market Stock Futures:
Futures are trading higher after an explosive rally on Tuesday, sparked by the President’s comments that he wants to end the war soon. While this is hardly the final straw for the war, it appears that President Trump, who is finally getting some support from NATO members and Persian Gulf allies in the fight against Iran and its paid proxies, may be making some progress. Add in the fact that Iran’s infrastructure and weaponry have been devastated, and many of the military and Revolutionary Guard leaders have been killed. Toss in the massive short interest, and it all adds up to Tuesday’s huge rally, with the Nasdaq as the big winner, closing up a stunning 3.83% at 21,590, and the small-cap Russell 2000 not far behind, finishing the session at 2,496, up 3.41%. The S&P 500 closed Tuesday at 6,528, up 2.91%, and the Dow Jones Industrial finished the clean sweep of winners, closing at 46,341, up 2.49%.
Treasury Bonds:
Yields were lower across the curve, except at the very short T-bills and the long end, as buyers returned, as they did on Monday. Some of the same reasons we have cited recently for bond prices rising (and yields falling) were again driven by safe-haven demand amid intensified Middle East conflict. Investors shifted from fears of inflation to concerns about slower global growth, prompting a “bull steepening” of the yield curve and a rebound after a month of heavy selling.
Oil and Gas:
Prices were mixed across the energy complex, which experienced severe intraday volatility, initially dropping on reports of a potential de-escalation in Iran but remaining supported by lingering anxieties over supply disruptions, particularly after a tanker was hit near Dubai. Toss in futures contract expirations, and the stage was set for a crazy end to the quarter. Brent Crude closed up 4.94% at $118.30, while West Texas Intermediate closed down at $101.50, down 1.33%. Natural Gas finished the day at $2.84, dowm 0.10%.
Gold:
The precious metals joined in on the rally as gold, which has traded in a tight range for the better part of the first quarter, had an impressive day, closing trading up a whopping 3.49% at $4,667, while Silver really had some momentum buying and was last seen on Tuesday at $75, up a strong 7.18%. Wall Street analysts attributed the big moves higher to the recent decline to market overreaction, as investors moved to buy the dip. This rebound suggests a resilient bullish sentiment, even as the market grapples with rising oil prices, inflationary pressure, and weakening consumer confidence.
Crypto:
The cryptocurrency market endured a turbulent session marked by sharp price swings but demonstrated solid resilience, holding firm at key support levels amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Developments heavily influenced risk sentiment across the broader crypto space, as traders responded swiftly to shifting headlines. Bitcoin led the volatility, surging to an intraday high of $68,300 in early trading after reports emerged of potential peace negotiations between Iran and Israel briefly lifted market optimism. However, the rally proved short-lived, with the crypto giant retracing to a consolidation range of $67,000–$67,800 as uncertainty resurfaced and profit-taking set in. The speed of the reversal underscored how sensitive the market remains to geopolitical developments, with algorithmic trading and leveraged positions amplifying the intraday swings. At 8 AM EDT, Bitcoin was trading at $68,680 while Ethereum was quoted at $2,135.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports daily to identify new investment ideas for both investors and traders. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock.
Here are some of the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Upgrades:
- Formula One Group (NASDAQ: FWONK) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Bank of America, which has a $105 price target for the shares.
- Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: RIVN | RIVN Price Prediction) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at DA Davidson, with a $14 target price.
- United Health Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Raymond James, which posted a $330 target price objective.
- Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Raymond James, which has a $115 target for the entertainment giant.
- Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at HSBC, with a $94 target price.
Downgrades:
- Apellis Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: APLS) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel with a $41 target price as Biogen is acquiring the company.
- Centessa Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNTA) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Leerink, with a $40 target, as Eli Lilly is acquiring the company.
- First Citizens Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA) was cut to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan, which dropped the target price for the shares to $2,200 from $2,450.
- Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan, which slashed the target price for the sports apparel and shoe giant to $52 from $86.
- PPG Industries Inc. (NYSE: PPG) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup, which trimmed the target price for the stock to $113 from $132.
Initiations:
- Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) was initiated with an Overweight rating at Wells Fargo, which has a $250 target price for the aerospace giant.
- Datadog Inc. (NASDAQ: DDOG) was started with a Buy rating at Benchmark, with a $150 target price.
- Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC) was started with an Overweight rating at Wells Fargo, with an $800 target price objective.
- Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ: RKLB) was initiated with an Equal Weight rating at Wells Fargo, with a $60 target price.
- ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE: NOW) was initiated with a Buy rating at Benchmark with a $125 target price.
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