US Equities Falter Amid Risk Aversion

2026-03-13 20:01 By Felipe Alarcon 1 min. read

US equities finished a rough week lower with the S&P 500 down 0.6%, the Dow losing 0.3%, and Nasdaq 100 shedding 0.7% as they struggled to maintain their footing amid the intensifying regional conflict and persistent energy market volatility.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signaled a further escalation on Friday by announcing the largest wave of US strikes against Iranian targets, cementing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and stoked fears of a prolonged stagflationary global environment.

This pressure drove investors toward the dollar, pushing major benchmarks toward a third straight week of losses while high energy costs forced markets to reprice 2026 rate expectations.

Yields climbed despite weak Q4 GDP, heavily pressuring credit-sensitive sectors.

Software giants led the decline, notably Adobe plunging 7.6% after a guidance miss and CEO departure, while Meta, Palantir, and Oracle dropped between 3.8% and 1.7%.



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The Dow Jones Index Closes 0.28% Lower
The Dow Jones Index decreased -130 points or 0.28 percent on Friday to close at 46548 points. The decline was led by Salesforce (-3.25%), Apple (-2.15%) and Microsoft (-1.57%). On the upside, the strongest performers were Boeing (2.56%), UnitedHealth (1.79%) and Verizon (1.42%).
2026-03-13
US Equities Falter Amid Risk Aversion
US equities finished a rough week lower with the S&P 500 down 0.6%, the Dow losing 0.3%, and Nasdaq 100 shedding 0.7% as they struggled to maintain their footing amid the intensifying regional conflict and persistent energy market volatility. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signaled a further escalation on Friday by announcing the largest wave of US strikes against Iranian targets, cementing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and stoked fears of a prolonged stagflationary global environment. This pressure drove investors toward the dollar, pushing major benchmarks toward a third straight week of losses while high energy costs forced markets to reprice 2026 rate expectations. Yields climbed despite weak Q4 GDP, heavily pressuring credit-sensitive sectors. Software giants led the decline, notably Adobe plunging 7.6% after a guidance miss and CEO departure, while Meta, Palantir, and Oracle dropped between 3.8% and 1.7%.
2026-03-13
US Stocks Pare Gains
US equities erased their gains on Friday as the war in Iran showed no signs of de-escalation, furthering concerns that energy prices will stay elevated for longer. The S&P 500, Dow, and the Nasdaq 100 held at their lowest since November. Defiant rhetoric between Iran and the US maintained risks that energy exports from the Persian Gulf will remain halted in the near future. Oil prices held their surge despite signals of the IEA's coordinated reserve release and the US decision to ease sanctions on Russia. Yields were sharply higher since the start of the month even though the US GDP was firmly lower than estimated in Q4, pressuring credit-sensitive equities. Software giants lost the most in the session, with Meta, Palantir, and Oracle dropping around 2%. Also, Adobe slid 6.5% after missing its guidance expectations and announcing the departure of its CEO. In turn, asset managers trimmed their recent plunge due to concerns around private credit loans.
2026-03-13