NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – U.S. equities ended higher on Wednesday, buoyed by a notable decline in long-term Treasury yields. The S&P 500 increased by 16.22 points, or 0.21%, closing at 7,707.98. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 119.65 points, or 0.22%, to finish at 53,463.05. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite moved up 41.38 points, or 0.16%, reaching 26,331.09. This rally broke a three-day losing streak for all three major U.S. indexes.
Much of the session’s momentum was driven by bond markets following the U.S. Treasury Department’s announcement of larger liquidity support buybacks for longer-term debt. Starting September 9, the maximum purchase size will increase to at least $4 billion per operation from $2 billion, applying to nominal coupon securities with maturities in the 10-to-20-year and 20-to-30-year ranges. The department indicated that these larger purchases will continue through November 4 and follow strong volumes of high-quality offers.
Treasury yields declined after the announcement as government bond prices rose. The benchmark 10-year yield dropped to roughly 4.65%, while the 30-year yield fell to around 5.20%. On Tuesday, the 30-year yield had climbed to 5.337%, its highest since 2007. The decrease in yields eased some pressure on equities caused by higher borrowing costs and contributed to Wall Street’s recovery from earlier weekly losses.
Healthcare Rally Bolsters Market Support
Healthcare stocks gained ground after Moderna and Merck announced positive late-stage results from a melanoma study. Moderna’s shares surged 177%, while Merck’s increased by 12.6% during the session. The Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial tested intismeran autogene combined with Keytruda following surgery for high-risk melanoma patients. The trial’s primary endpoint for recurrence-free survival was met, along with a key secondary endpoint assessing cancer spread prevention to distant parts of the body.
Several large consumer companies also saw gains after releasing quarterly results, with Estée Lauder jumping over 16% post-earnings. Target and Lowe’s experienced rises following their latest financial reports. Smaller-cap stocks outperformed the major indexes, with the Russell 2000 advancing about 0.5%. These movements helped expand the market’s recovery beyond healthcare. Technology shares showed mixed results, limiting the overall gains in the main indexes.
Week Still Shows Losses Despite Wednesday’s Rise
Even with Wednesday’s progress, the three leading U.S. stock indexes remained in negative territory for the week as the session closed. The S&P 500 was roughly 1% below its level from the previous Friday, while the Dow declined about 0.5% over the same period. The Nasdaq had fallen approximately 1.5%. The rebound was driven by several days of rising long-term yields that had previously weighed on stock valuations and prompted investor caution across major sectors.
Despite the week’s losses, the major averages finished Wednesday strongly positive for 2026, with the S&P 500 up about 12.6% since the start of the year. The Dow increased around 11.2%, while the Nasdaq gained approximately 13.3%. The session marked a modest recovery on Wall Street, supported by lower Treasury yields and significant healthcare gains. Key market drivers during the trading day included the U.S. Treasury Department’s buyback announcement and the positive results from the melanoma trial.