The Nasdaq and S&P 500 extended yesterday's losses, with the former falling 350 points as Advanced Micro Device's (AMD) dismal outlook dragged chip stocks. The Dow secured a triple-digit gain, however, with support from Amgen's (AMGN) strong quarterly results. Traders also unpacked private payrolls for January, which came in below expectations, and are now turning to quarterly results from Alphabet (GOOGL). Elsewhere, the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) moved back above 19, while Bitcoin (BTC) continued to fall, earlier slipping below $73,000.

OIL PRICES SURGE AMID U.S.-IRAN TENSIONS

Oil prices charged higher on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump stated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "should be very worried." March-dated West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $2.04, or 3%, to at $69.37 a barrel.

Gold priced edged slightly higher, while silver prices bounced as well. February-dated gold futures added 0.3% to settle at roughly $4,920.40 per ounce.

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