CNBC Business News Update - Market Open: Stocks Higher, Investors Like Report On Trump On Ending War, Gas Prices Highest In Nearly 4 Years 3/31/26

Episode Date: March 31, 2026

From Wall Street to Main Street, the latest on the markets and what it means for your money. Updated regularly on weekdays, featuring CNBC expert analysis and sound from top business newsmakers. Anchored and reported by CNBC's Jessica Ettinger. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I'm Jessica Eddinger, CNBC. Dow, S&P, and NASDAQ all in the green this morning. Markets are higher on this final trading day of March and of the first quarter. The Dow's up 376 points, 8 tenths of a percent. Amazon shares leading it higher. They're up 2.5%. The S&P 500 index is up 74 points, more than 1%. And the NASDAQ is up 307 points. That's 1.5%.

shares of invidia are in the green up 1.9% this morning. Investors liked a report saying President Trump may be looking to end the Iran war now in its fifth week. The reaction to that Wall Street Journal report that sources close to the president say that he may consider ending the war, even if the straight of Hormuz, is not open. That's CNBC's Melissa Lee. At the same time, the president lashed out at the UK and France telling allies the USA won't be there to help you anymore. European allies have refused to take part in the U.S. and Israel's military operation. billionaire Warren Buffett with some advice for investors today. He gave CNBC a long live interview. He says keep an eye on good companies. I don't think I know what the market's

going to do. I do think I've got a reasonable idea of what a business is worth. I have no idea what the stock market's going to do. And I don't think anybody else does either. Oil prices are setting new records. Brent on pace for its biggest monthly surge in history. $117 a barrel today. U.S. crude opened above $100 a barrel this morning for the first time in nearly four years. It hit $106 a barrel today. American drivers haven't seen these prices to fill up in a long time. U.S. gas prices at the pump exceeding $4 a gallon for the first time. That is up more than a dollar from where it was. a month ago. Diesel has also gone up. Diesel at the gas stations now more than $5 a gallon. Of course that has implications for businesses, broader implications for the US economy,

and affordability, which of course will be very much a key issue for many voters in the forthcoming midterm elections in November. The administration very cognizant of that, the Vice President J.D. Vance, saying that a rough road lies ahead on gas prices, but promising the spike is temporary and insisting that it will fade after the war. CNBC's Ben Bulosa in London. Spicemaker McCormick buying Unilever's food business for about $45 billion. Unilever's brands include Helmand's mayonnaise. Netflix wants to add more NFL games to its service. The Wall Street Journal says the streamers deal for Christmas Day games ends this year.

President Trump's name, now on the Palm Beach International Airport in Florida. after the state's governor signed a bill into law. Jessica Eddinger, CNBC. Until 37 years ago, when we created CNBC, there was really no daily window into the world of free market capitalism for the average citizen. So when we think about the 250th anniversary of this country, CNBC should be celebrated as critical to what makes America great. You know,