These stocks in the S&P 500 are rising the most after Trump's cease-fire announcement

By Philip van Doorn and Tomi Kilgore

Travel-related companies and semiconductor manufacturers dominated the list of top U.S. stock performers early Wednesday

These are three of the best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 early on April 8, as investors reacted to President Trump's announcement of a cease-fire with Iran.

Investors were euphoric early on Wednesday after President Donald Trump's announcement Tuesday night of a two-week cease-fire between the U.S., Israel and Iran.

The resulting drop in crude-oil prices also provided some hope that tamer inflation will give the Federal Reserve room to be more open to lowering interest rates, or at least not to raise them, which could ease worries about a weakening labor market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA was up 1,266 points, or 2.7%, in early trading, at 47,850.15. The S&P 500 index SPX was up 2.3%, with 73% of component stocks showing gains. There were 15 stocks in the S&P 500 showing gains of 10% or more, and 99 were up 5% or more. All price changes in this article exclude dividends.

Continuous front-month contracts for West Texas Intermediate crude oil (CL00) on the New York Mercantile Exchange were down 18% to $92.60 a barrel early on Wednesday, but they were still up 61% from $57.43 at the end of 2025.

Quick reactions to the cease-fire:

-- Then and now: Comparing where the S&P 500, crude and other markets are today with their prewar situations

-- What the market is pricing for Fed and global central-bank interest rates after the cease-fire

-- Cease-fire means the bottom is in, declares strategist Tom Lee

-- The cease-fire mirage: Here's why stock-market bulls may already be getting ahead of themselves

Here are the 20 stocks among the S&P 500 showing the greatest gains early in Wednesday's trading session:

   Company                         April 8 price change  2026 price changeIndustry 
   Paramount Skydance                             15.0%             -15.4%Entertainment Production 
   Arista Networks                                14.4%              10.2%Communications & Networking 
   Western Digital                                13.6%             100.6%Computer Hardware 
   Seagate Technology Holdings                    13.1%              86.2%Computer Hardware 
   CrowdStrike Holdings                           11.9%              -4.9%Software 
   Lam Research                                   11.9%              44.2%Semiconductor Equipment & Testing 
   Ciena                                          11.4%             106.9%Communications & Networking 
   Lumentum Holdings                              11.4%             133.3%Communications & Networking 
   Southwest Airlines                             10.9%               2.4%Airlines 
   Broadcom                                       10.5%               0.4%Semiconductors 
   Carnival                                       10.4%              -6.1%Hotels, Motels & Cruise Lines 
   UnitedHealth Group                             10.3%              -6.0%Managed Healthcare 
   Intel                                          10.2%              51.7%Semiconductors 
   Vertiv Holdings                                10.1%              75.8%Electrical Components & Equipment 
   United Airlines Holdings                       10.0%             -10.5%Airlines 
   Corning                                         9.7%              83.6%Electronic Equipment & Parts 
   Coherent                                        9.7%              50.5%Electronic Equipment & Parts 
   Qnity Electronics                               9.4%              59.3%Semiconductors 
   Applied Materials                               9.3%              49.9%Semiconductor Equipment & Testing 
   Teradyne                                        9.2%              78.0%Semiconductor Equipment & Testing 
                                                                                                 Source: LSEG 

Click on the tickers for more about each company.

Read: A guide to the information available on the MarketWatch quote page

Travel-related stocks were well-represented on the list of early winners on Wednesday. Falling fuel costs provide a boost to the bottom lines of airlines and cruise operators, while lower gasoline prices also put more money into the pockets of potential travelers, especially those who may be on the fence about booking a trip due to cost constraints.

Delta (DAL) didn't make the top 20 list, but its stock was still up 7.3% early Wednesday. The carrier was able to soothe investors by explaining how it had planned ahead to withstand fuel-price increases.

Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) were up 10.3% Wednesday, following a 9.4% gain on Tuesday, as investors continued to react to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' announcement of a large increase in the expected Medicare Advantage reimbursement rate for 2027.

Humana (HUM) just missed the top 20 list with a 9.2% gain early on Wednesday.

Read: These healthcare stocks offer value and rapid profit growth

-Philip van Doorn -Tomi Kilgore

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04-08-26 1049ET

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