S&P 500 Erases Year-to-Date Losses as U.S. Stock Rally Continues

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 erasing its year-to-date losses as lower-than-expected inflation data added momentum to the market rally. The stock market's performance continued the rebound trend of the past month, pushing the S&P 500 up by 0.1% for the year. Before Trump's April 2 announcement of "Liberation Day" tariffs, escalating trade tensions had already hurt U.S. stocks, leading investors to sell off American assets and lower their economic growth expectations, causing the index to plummet by as much as 15%. However, on April 9, after Trump paused reciprocal tariffs on most countries, traders flocked back to the stock market. Shep Perkins, an equity fund manager at Putnam Investments, said, "The main trend of the past few months has reversed instantly. The U.S.-China trade agreement is a huge positive surprise."