04:27 PM EDT, 03/17/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes rose on Tuesday after rising oil prices supported the outlook for US shale producers, and the European Union decided to restart ratification proceedings for its trade deal with the US.

The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.4% to 22,479.5, with the S&P 500 up 0.2% to 6,716.1. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.1% to 46,993.8. All US sectors were in the green except health, consumer staples, and utilities. Energy led the gainers.

US producers are poised to earn an additional $63.4 billion in cash flow if West Texas Intermediate crude averages $100 per barrel for 2026, Financial Times reported, citing data from Rystad Energy.

"The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money," President Trump said in a March 12 social media post.

The EU decided to restart ratification for its delayed trade deal with the US despite the US opening new investigations into the bloc's trade practices. However, lawmakers decided to proceed as long as the US honors the terms of a trade deal struck in July 2025, which includes eliminating tariffs on US industrial products in return for a 15% tariff limit on most EU exports, according to Bloomberg.

Most US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year yield down 1.8 basis points to 4.202%. The two-year yield slipped 0.6 basis points to 3.674%.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures rose 2.7% to $96.08.

In economic news, US Pending home sales rose by 1.8% in February, rebounding from a revised 0.9% decline in January, and more than the 0.6% decrease expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. The monthly sales index fell 0.8% from February 2025, according to the National Association of Realtors.

"The slight gain in pending contracts appears to be driven by improved affordability conditions," NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said. "However, those conditions could reverse if higher oil prices lead to an uptick in mortgage rates."

For the four weeks ended Feb. 28, US private employers added an average of 9,000 jobs per week, down from 14,750 for the week ended Feb. 21, according to data from ADP employment change data.

Business activity continued to decline in the New York-Northern New Jersey region in March, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Business Leaders survey. The business activity index was little changed at -22.6, while the business climate index declined to -46.2, signaling a business climate much worse than normal. Employment fell for a seventh consecutive month, while supply availability deteriorated.

In company news, Uber Technologies ( UBER ) and Nvidia ( NVDA ) said late Monday they intend to launch a global fleet of autonomous vehicles powered by L4 software from the chipmaker in H1 2027. The initial deployment will occur in Los Angeles and San Francisco before expanding to 28 cities globally by 2028. Uber ( UBER ) shares rose 4.1%, while Nvidia ( NVDA ) shares fell 0.6%.

Ampco-Pittsburgh ( AP ) reported a Q4 net loss late Monday of $2.85 per diluted share, widening from a loss of $2.09 a year ago. Shares fell 20.9% on Tuesday.

AEye (LIDR) said late Monday it is joining the Nvidia Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab, which is the first ANSI National Accreditation Board-accredited lab in the world. Shares of AEye gained 18% on Tuesday.

Gold futures were little changed at $5,005.5 per troy ounce, and silver futures declined 1.6% to $79.38 per troy ounce.