The fear-gauge Vix index retreated from the 24-handle to a low-20 as investors appear to be growing less nervous around the prospects of a protracted conflict in the Middle East.

Stocks rallied early in session on Wednesday and then sustained their gains while the fear-gauge Vix index retreated from the 24-handle to a low-20 as investors appear to be growing less nervous around the prospects of a protracted conflict in the Middle East. Traders snapped up the beaten-down Tech names – especially Memory, with Micron (MU) up a strong 5.5%. Large-cap Consumer Cyclicals also traded notably firmer, as Amazon (AMZN) and Tesla (TSLA) paced the group with gains of over 3%. Crypto stocks were likewise notably higher – Coinbase (COIN) was one of the S&P 500’s best performing names, gaining 15%, and Robinhood (HOOD) followed closely with an 8% rally. In turn, Energy stocks sagged, even though Crude Oil remains above $75 per barrel. Claim 70% Off TipRanks Premium Unlock hedge fund-level data and powerful investing tools for smarter, sharper decisions Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis and maximize your portfolio's potential In the opening hour of the evening session, S&P 500 e-minis and Nasdaq 100 futures are up 0.3% and 0.4% respectively. Check out this evening’s top movers from around Wall Street, compiled by The Fly. HIGHER AFTER EARNINGS – Veeva Systems (VEEV) up 10.9% Ooma (OOMA) up 10.9% Cracker Barrel (CBRL) up 6.6% Broadcom (AVGO) up 5.0% Okta (OKTA) up 1.9% ALSO HIGHER – The Trade Desk (TTD) up 9.1% after OpenAI ad partnership report Graphic Packaging Holding (GPK) up 5.9% after insider buy DOWN AFTER EARNINGS – Grocery Outlet (GO) down 21.4% PepGen (PEPG) down 17.1% StubHub Holdings (STUB) down 9.5% American Eagle (AEO) down 2.1% ALSO LOWER –

The European Commission is investigating the $111 billion Paramount-WBD deal.

U.S. entertainment giant sought EU approval under its Foreign SubsidiesRegulation.

Consumer-price growth remains at three-year highs.