On March 17, markets moved higher, though the tone remained cautious as investors weighed a bounce in equities and steady crypto demand against rising geopolitical tension, higher commodity prices, and continued interest in energy and defensive names.
Crypto
Crypto was relatively steady, with total market capitalization at $2.53 trillion, up 1.37% on the day, as the Fear & Greed Index stood at 43, keeping the market in neutral territory, while the Altcoin Season Index at 49/100 showed there was still no real shift away from Bitcoin.
Bitcoin traded at $74,298, down 0.77% over the past 24 hours. Ethereum was at $2,332.22, down 1.26%, while BNB traded at $674.97, off 0.70%, and Solana hovered at $94.74, down 1.52%.
Flows into spot Bitcoin ETFs remained supportive. Net inflows came in at $53.8 million on March 12, $180.4 million on March 13, and $199.4 million on March 16. IBIT accounted for a large share of those totals, taking in $46.1 million, $143.6 million, and $139.4 million across the three sessions.
Commodities
Oil stayed close to recent highs, with U.S crude at $96.03, up 1.91%, and Brent at $103.18, up 2.17%, as the market remains focused on supply risk, particularly around shipping routes and infrastructure.
Gold remained near record levels at $5,018.74, up 0.23%, as prices continued to find support from demand for safer assets and uncertainty over how policymakers may respond if energy costs stay high.
Stock Market Indices
Stocks were higher across markets, although the move still looked more like a rebound than a real change in mood. In the U.S., the S&P 500 stood at 6,699.37, up 1.01%, the Dow Jones at 46,946.41, up 0.83%, and the Nasdaq at 22,374.18, up 1.22%.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 traded at 53,590, up 0.32%, while in Europe, the FTSE 100 rose 0.24% to 10,370.0, with energy names helping support the index as crude stayed elevated.
Geopolitics & Market Movers
The geopolitical backdrop remained unsettled, with continued strikes, drone activity, and pressure on energy-related infrastructure keeping investors alert, while attention turned to central banks after Australia raised rates by 25 basis points to 4.1% in a close decision that underscored inflation concerns and left markets watching the Fed, ECB, BoE, and BoJ for any shift in tone even as rates are expected to stay unchanged.
