S&P 500’s best month since November | Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan | Corporate tax hike?

Stocks closed out the first quarter of 2021 on a high note on Wednesday with the S&P 500 rallying 0.4% and hitting an intraday record high.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE WED, MAR 31, 2021 EVENING BRIEF AS OF WED, MAR 31, 2021 • 05:15 ET DJIA 32981.55 -0.26% -85.41 S&P 500 3972.89 +0.36% +14.34 NASDAQ 13246.87 +1.54% +201.48   Most Active DOW NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 122.15 +2.25 +1.88% MSFT 235.77 +3.92 +1.69% INTC 64.00 +0.23 +0.36% S&P 500 NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 122.15 +2.25 +1.88% VIAC 45.10 -1.51 -3.24% GE 13.13 -0.17 -1.28% NASDAQ NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 122.15 +2.25 +1.88% AMD 78.50 +2.50 +3.29% MSFT 235.77 +3.92 +1.69%   EDITOR'S NOTE Stocks closed out the first quarter of 2021 on a high note on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 rallying 0.4% and hitting an intraday record high. Tech companies, bouncing back from recent weakness, lifted the index. The S&P 500's 4.2% gain in March marks its best month since November.   The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was the standout performer today, gaining more than 1.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 85 points.     Today, President Joe Biden also unveiled an infrastructure plan totaling more than $2 trillion.   The major indexes closed out the first quarter of the year with gains, as investors bet on a strong economic recovery, rising gross domestic product for the nation, and a successful vaccine rollout.   For the quarter, the blue-chip Dow and the S&P 500 rose 7.8% and 5.8%, respectively. It was their fourth positive quarter in a row.   The Nasdaq was the relative underperformer for the quarter, gaining just 2.8%, as the group was pressured by rising interest rates.    Technology stocks are especially sensitive to rising rates because they depend on borrowing money cheaply to invest in their future growth. Maggie Fitzgerald | CNBC Markets Reporter @mkmfitzgerald TOP NEWS  S&P 500 rises lifted by tech shares, closes out best month since November President Biden unveils his $2 trillion infrastructure plan – here are the details Business world divided on whether to fight corporate tax hike in Biden's infrastructure plan Treasury Secy Yellen to restart hedge fund oversight panel as part of financial reform goals Biden's tax proposals could weigh on these medical tech stocks, Wells Fargo says Goldman Sachs is close to offering bitcoin and other digital assets to its wealth management clients Senate Banking Committee Chair Brown urges regulators to take a 'closer look' at Archegos meltdown Investors see higher interest rates as the biggest threat to stocks, expect 10-year yield to hit 2% NY prosecutors subpoena Trump Organization exec's bank records in criminal probe, report says IRS refunds will start in May for $10,200 unemployment tax break   TOP VIDEO Treasury Sec. Yellen lays out aggressive agenda for financial system   CNBC PRO Bitcoin is the most crowded trade right now, a new CNBC survey shows   SPECIAL REPORTS GM CFO 'increasingly confident' in achieving 2021 earnings targets despite chip shortage The Mets' $325 million contract offer to Francisco Lindor would make him one of the highest-paid baseball players ever   Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2021 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS