04:17 PM EST, 11/05/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes closed higher on Wednesday, led by gains in communication services, after US Supreme Court's tough questions about President Donald Trump's import tariffs hinted that some duties may be rolled back.

* Communication services led sector gains after midday Wednesday, as shares of Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Meta Platforms ( META ) rose. Alphabet advanced following media reports, citing comments from Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport, that its Google ( GOOG ) unit's proposed $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity firm Wiz passed a key US regulatory review.

* The CBOE Volatility Index, often called Wall Street's fear gauge, dropped 8% to 17.49 Thursday, pulling back after jumping as much as 11% the previous day.

* December West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell $0.95 to settle at $59.61 per barrel, while January Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $0.90 to $63.54.

* Seagate Technology ( STX ) said Wednesday it agreed to privately negotiated deals to exchange $500 million of its 3.50% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2028 for a mix of cash and ordinary shares. The final number of shares will be set based on trading on Nov. 5. The transaction is expected to close around Nov. 10, and the exchanged notes will be retired. Shares of the company rose nearly 11% following the news.

* Super Micro Computer ( SMCI ) shares fell roughly 11% after the company reported lower fiscal Q1 results late Tuesday.