Most U.S. stock indexes rose Tuesday following a series of strong corporate earnings reports, even as stocks tied to artificial intelligence (AI) technology showed heightened volatility. Oil prices eased after reaching levels not seen since the outbreak of the conflict involving Iran earlier this year.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index advanced about 0.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained roughly 1%, adding over 520 points. The Nasdaq composite, heavily weighted with technology and AI-related firms, finished slightly down, reflecting fluctuations in the sector.

Several companies exceeded analysts’ expectations for their latest quarterly results, contributing to broader market optimism amid ongoing concerns about inflation, rising interest rates, and other economic challenges. Equifax’s shares surged more than 10% after it reported quarterly profits that beat projections, despite headwinds from high mortgage rates affecting parts of its business. Hasbro also posted strong results, with its “Magic: The Gathering” game generating over $600 million in quarterly revenue for the first time, driving its stock up more than 10%. Similarly, 3M saw a nearly 6% increase after reporting stronger-than-anticipated profits.

Oil prices initially approached $112 per barrel for Brent crude, marking the highest level since the Iran-related conflict began in late February, before declining about 1% by midday to just under $109 a barrel. The retreat in oil prices offered relief for industries sensitive to fuel costs, such as airlines—American Airlines and United Airlines stocks rose by roughly 3.7% and 2.3%, respectively.

In contrast, General Motors shares declined nearly 7% despite posting better-than-expected profits and announcing a $20 billion stock buyback program. The automaker’s guidance for full-year 2026 profits fell short of analyst expectations, raising concerns about future earnings growth.

The AI sector continued to experience significant swings amid market unease. The technology’s initial optimism has been tempered by worries that higher interest rates will constrain borrowing, potentially slowing investment in AI hardware such as chips. CoreWeave, a company that rents out AI computing power, exhibited notable intraday volatility, initially dropping over 6% before closing modestly higher. The broader AI-related selloff contributed to the U.S. market’s worst weekly performance since June last week.

International markets showed mixed results. In Asia, South Korean AI company Elice debuted with a 32% decline in its first day of trading, coinciding with a 3.7% drop in South Korea’s Kospi index. European markets pared earlier losses, with the CAC 40 in Paris and the FTSE 100 in London each declining by less than half a percent. The previous day, sharp declines across Europe followed violent protests, raising concerns that increased government spending to quell unrest could pressure already strained sovereign debt markets.

Overall, the market remains cautious as investors balance robust corporate earnings with uncertainties stemming from inflation, geopolitical tensions, and the evolving AI industry landscape.