Consumer confidence fell to 127.7 in March from 130 the previous month but the markets opened higher with the Dow gaining 74 points to 24,276 as fears of a trade war faded. Nasdaq rose 35 points to 7255.
On the upside
Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) reported a smaller than expected loss for the fourth quarter as revenue soared.
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) will pay $13 billion in cash to buy the 36.5% stake that Novartis (NYSE: NVS) owns in their consumer healthcare joint venture.
Bargain hunters lifted shares of General Electric (NYSE: GE).
On the downside
Profit taking weighed down shares of Newell Brands (NYSE: NWL).
Geron (Nasdaq: GERN) extended its losses.
Overstock.com (Nasdaq: OSTK) will offer 4 million shares of common stock through a public offering.
In the broad market, declining issues outpaced advancers by a margin of nearly 6 to 5 on the NYSE and by 5 to 4 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 rose 11 points to 2,669. Bitcoin climbed $93 to $7,982.