04:10 PM EDT, 08/26/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes rose ahead of the close on Tuesday, gaining strength amid advances in mega-cap technology names.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1% to 45,335.2, with the S&P 500 up 0.2% to 6,452.3 and the Nasdaq Composite 0.2% higher at 21,494.8. The indexes traded little changed to mixed earlier in the session.

Technology names dominated the top 20 stocks in a category defined by market capitalization of more than $200 billion, implying these companies have a relatively bigger impact on index moves. Palantir ( PLTR ) , Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ) , Cisco ( CSCO ) , Nvidia ( NVDA ) , and Broadcom ( AVGO ) were among the leading index heavyweights.

Nvidia ( NVDA ) could see a $260 billion swing in its market value following Q2 results on Wednesday, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing US options market data. The chipmaker's options implied a post-earnings move of about 6% in the company's shares in either direction, the news report said, adding that this was below the 7% long-term average move.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump disclosed a letter late Monday on Truth Social addressed to Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook stating that she is "hereby removed from your position on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, effective immediately," citing information from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte and Attorney General Pam Bondi that Cook "may have made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements."

But, Cook is planning to sue Trump over his attempt to dismiss her, her attorney said Tuesday, according to several media reports.

"Trump's announced firing of ... Cook sets in motion a legal spat as both sides dig in," Derek Holt, head of capital markets economics at Scotiabank, said in a note. "Next steps are unclear including whether she succeeds in filing an injunction and how legal actions subsequently unfold."

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures slumped 2.4% to $63.26 a barrel.

"Heavy-handed intervention in the Fed's independence is an implicit admission of the fiscal bind: every available tool is needed to manage a ballooning debt pile," PVM Oil Associates said in a note.

Treasury yields traded mixed, with the two-year yield down 5.3 basis points to 3.68% while the 30-year rate climbed 1.7 basis points to 4.91%.

The ICE US Dollar Index slid 0.3% to 98.18.

Silver futures fell 0.3% to $38.59, while gold futures climbed 0.6% to $3,436.5.