Small Caps Rally, Oil Sinks 8% After Trump's 5-Day Iran Strike Pause: What's Moving Markets Monday?

U.S. equities experienced a rebound with the S&P 500 rising 88.99 points (1.37%) to 6,595 and the Dow Jones gaining 788 points (1.72%) to 46,366, following President Trump's announcement of a five-day pause in military strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure. This announcement led to a significant drop in crude oil prices, with WTI crude falling nearly 8% to around $90.39 per barrel and Brent crude dropping 8.1% to $103.14. The Russell 2000 small-cap index outperformed, gaining 62 points (2.58%) to 2,500, while the Consumer Discretionary sector surged 2.5% as lower oil prices improved consumer spending outlook.