NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – U.S. stocks finished higher Wednesday as a sharp decline in long-term Treasury yields supported Wall Street. The S&P 500 gained 16.22 points, or 0.21%, to close at 7,707.98. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 119.65 points, or 0.22%, to 53,463.05. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 41.38 points, or 0.16%, to 26,331.09. The gains ended a three-session losing streak for all three major U.S. indexes.
U.S. stocks gained as lower long-term Treasury yields eased pressure on major indexes.
The bond market drove much of the session after the U.S. Treasury Department announced larger liquidity support buybacks for longer-dated debt. From September 9, the maximum purchase size will rise to at least $4 billion per operation from $2 billion. The increase applies to nominal coupon securities in the 10-to-20-year and 20-to-30-year maturity ranges. The department said the larger purchases will continue through November 4 and follow strong volumes of high-quality offers.
Treasury yields fell after the announcement as government bond prices moved higher. The benchmark 10-year yield dropped to about 4.65%, while the 30-year yield fell to roughly 5.20%. The 30-year rate had climbed to 5.337% on Tuesday, its highest level since 2007. Falling yields reduced some of the pressure that higher borrowing costs had placed on equities. The move also helped Wall Street recover from losses recorded earlier in the week.
Healthcare rally adds support
Healthcare shares strengthened the market after Moderna and Merck released positive late-stage results from a melanoma study. Moderna shares jumped 177%, while Merck rose 12.6% during the session. Their Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial tested intismeran autogene with Keytruda after surgery for patients with high-risk melanoma. The combination met its primary endpoint for recurrence-free survival. It also met a key secondary endpoint that measured survival without the cancer spreading to distant parts of the body.
Consumer stocks also posted gains after several large companies reported quarterly results. Estée Lauder climbed more than 16% following its earnings release. Target and Lowe’s also rose after publishing their latest financial results. Smaller companies outperformed the major large-cap indexes, with the Russell 2000 advancing about 0.5%. Those moves helped broaden the market’s recovery beyond healthcare. Technology shares produced mixed results, limiting the size of the gains in the major indexes.
Major averages remain lower for week
Despite Wednesday’s advance, the three main U.S. stock indexes remained lower for the week through the close. The S&P 500 stood about 1% below its level from the previous Friday. The Dow was down roughly 0.5% over the same period. The Nasdaq had declined about 1.5%. The rebound followed several sessions in which rising long-term yields weighed on stock valuations and pushed investors toward a more cautious stance across major equity sectors.
The major averages remained firmly positive for 2026 after Wednesday’s close. The S&P 500 had gained about 12.6% since the beginning of the year. The Dow had advanced approximately 11.2%, while the Nasdaq was up around 13.3%. Wednesday’s session marked a modest rebound across Wall Street as lower Treasury yields and strong healthcare gains lifted stocks. The U.S. Treasury Department’s buyback announcement and the melanoma trial results were among the clearest market drivers during the trading day.