Stocks edge up as Treasury yields climb and crypto catches a bid

The big picture. U.S. stocks close mostly higher, with the S&P 500 up 0.4% to 7,575.4 and the Nasdaq Composite up 0.3% to 26,281.6. The Dow Jones adds 0.3% to 52,637.0, while the Russell 2000 slips 0.5% to 2,977.8. The S&P holds above its 200-day moving average, and the intraday chart shows a steady climb after a brief dip around midday.

Sector action is broad but uneven. Materials leads at 1.3%, followed by staples at 1.1% and communication services at 1.0%. Health care is the only sector in the red, down 0.8%. The VIX falls 5.1% to 15.03, and the 9-day VIX drops 9.9% to 11.15, pointing to a calmer tape.

Treasury yields move higher across the curve. The 2-year yield rises to 4.16% from 4.21%, while the 10-year climbs to 4.569% and the 30-year to 5.071%. WTI crude falls 0.8% to $71.51, Brent dips 0.4% to $76.00, and gasoline drops 7.2% to $2.8203.

Crypto trades firmer overall. Bitcoin rises 1.3% to $63,998.6 and Ethereum gains 2.8% to $1,794.0. The total crypto market cap rises 1.24% to $2.28T, with Bitcoin dominance at 56.3% and Ethereum at 9.5%.