Stocks Drop, Oil Prices Surge Amid Iran Tensions

0:00On March 30, US stocks wrapped up mostly lower Monday, hit by President Trump's tough talk on Iran, even as he hinted at talks with a calmer regime. There, the S&P 500 slipped 0.40%, or 25.52, points, to 6,343.3. Nasdaq dropped 0.73% to 20,795.20, while the Dow edged up 0.12. Percent to 45,219.91. Meanwhile, the Middle East mess keeps growing, with Yemen's Hathi fighters backed by Iran, jumping into the fray over the weekend. Oil prices pushed higher, both US crude and Brent crude, settling with gains, as folks worry about the hit to the global economy. Traders are rattled by these mixed signals from the White House one-minute negotiations, next threats to bomb oil wells and power plants. Iran called the peace ideas a joke. All major indexes, including the Dow, Nasdaq, and small cap Russell 2000, are now down 10% from recent highs, locked in correction, mode since the war kicked off.

1:13Fed chaired Jerome Powell, through some cold water on panic, noting long-term inflation, looks steady despite the energy spike, and no need yet to tweak. Policy, money markets now see zero-rate cuts this year, flipping from two expected pre-war. Tech stocks drag the market, energy barely budge lower, but financials climbed after new labor department rules, open doors for alternative. Investments in 401K plans, boosting names like Blackstone and KKR, keep watching those headlines, as every tweet or strike had swing the tape wild. Stay informed with US News Today, AI-powered updates.