Wall Street Pauses For A Breather, Miners Rally As Copper Notches All-Time Highs: What's Driving Markets Tuesday?

Wall Street’s recovery from its recent technical correction paused for a breather on Tuesday, as investors awaited more clarity on tariff developments and digested a downbeat consumer confidence report.

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index dropped to 92.9 in March, its lowest reading since late 2022. The Expectations Index plunged to 65.2, a level not seen since 2013, reflecting growing pessimism. The report cited rising prices, especially for eggs and tariff-affected goods, as key concerns. Inflation expectations also climbed, from 5.8% in February to 6.2% in March.

The S&P 500 and Dow were flat on the day, while the Nasdaq 100 edged slightly higher, supported by gains in cybersecurity stocks.

Copper took center stage, jumping over 2% to hit new record highs. Demand is surging in both China and the U.S., fueled ...