Stocks struggled for direction amid tariff jitters ahead of the Wednesday deadline. The Dow added 417 points to kick off the week, while the S&P 500 managed a modest win, and the Nasdaq finished quietly in the red after clawing back from a steep triple-digit loss.

All three major indexes notched monthly and quarterly losses. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 suffered their worst monthly percentage drops since December 2022, and also marked their first quarterly losses since September 2023. Plus, the Dow saw its worst month so far this year. 

GOLD SEES LARGEST QUARTERLY GAIN SINCE 1986

Oil prices increased amid President Trump's threats of further energy tariffs on Russia and potential military action towards Iran. May-dated West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was last seen up $2.03, or 2.9%, at $71.35, rising for both the month and the quarter. 

Gold prices hit record highs once again, jumping above $3,100 for the first time. June-dated gold futures rose $36, or 1.2%, to settle at $3,150.30 an ounce. For the month, prices were up 10.6%, and marked their best quarter since September 1986 with a 19.3% gain.

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