The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) was up 305.43 (0.66%) points today, Wednesday, March 25th, 2026, finishing the session at 46,429.49. Dow Futures (YM=F) also climbed 280.00 (0.60%) to reach 46,695.00. The primary narrative driving the market was a surprise surge in durable goods orders, which signaled unexpected resilience in the US manufacturing sector. This robust economic data, combined with cooling inflation expectations, encouraged a broad-based rally as investors bet on a sustained "soft landing" for the economy.
Leading the gainers, Sherwin-Williams (SHW) jumped 2.51% to $321.66, benefiting directly from the positive industrial outlook. Healthcare stocks provided significant support to the index, as Merck & Co. (MRK) rose 2.40% to $119.14 and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) added 2.11% to reach $240.23. High-growth technology and retail giants also performed well; Amazon (AMZN) gained 2.13% to $211.72, while Nvidia (NVDA) climbed 2.05% to $178.82, and Honeywell (HON) surged 2.31% to $226.70.
However, the rally was not universal across all components. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) was the day's biggest loser, falling 1.00% to $269.53 due to increased medical cost projections that weighed on the managed care sector. Other notable laggards included Salesforce (CRM), which dropped 0.85% to $181.58, and Nike (NKE), which slipped 0.84% to $53.06. Additionally, Verizon (VZ) and The Travelers Companies (TRV) saw declines of 0.80% and 0.75% respectively, as investors rotated capital away from defensive telecommunications and insurance toward more cyclical industrial opportunities.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.