US Equity Markets Mixed After Federal Reserve Chair Powell's Reassuring Comments on Inflation

04:09 PM EDT, 03/30/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes were mixed on Monday despite higher crude oil prices after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said inflation expectations remain well anchored.

* Powell said inflation expectations remain well anchored after an expected short-term price shock from the conflict in Iran, adding that the Federal Open Market Committee looks past brief supply shocks due to the longer lag with which monetary policy works.

* The Dallas Fed's monthly manufacturing index fell to minus 0.2 in March from 0.2 in February, compared with expectations of 1.5.

* May West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $4.26 to settle at $103.90 per barrel, while May Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $1.26 at $113.83.

* Insmed (INSM) shares were up about 5.5% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to overweight from equal-weight and raised the price target to $212 from $166

* Sysco (SYY) shares were down roughly 15%, the worst performer on the S&P 500, after the company agreed to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot in a cash-and-stock deal of about $29.1 billion in enterprise value.

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