S&P 500 and Nasdaq Tumble to 6-Month Lows

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

The S&P 500 dropped 1.5%, the Nasdaq 100 plunged 1.8% to six-month lows while the Dow Jones lost 0.8% to four-month lows on Friday amid escalating Middle East conflict and surging energy prices.

This downturn drove the major averages into correction territory as West Texas Intermediate futures climbed further following reports that Iraq declared force majeure on all oilfields.

Sentiment soured further as the Pentagon prepared to deploy additional Marines to the region while the Federal Reserve maintained interest rates between 3.50% and 3.75% earlier this week.

Micron Technology fell 4.8% while Supermicro tumbled 33.3% as it faced ongoing pressure following chip smuggling charges against its CEO.

Conversely, FedEx added 1% on strong guidance and energy majors like Exxon Mobil was 1% higher amid the crude spike.



News Stream
The Dow Jones Index Closes 1.79% Higher
The Dow Jones Index went up by 869 points or 1.79 percent on Friday to close at 49447 points. The rise was led by Sherwin-Williams (3.83%), Home Depot (3.62%) and Merck (3.13%).
2026-04-17
US Stocks Extend Gains at Records
US stock indices rose to new records on Friday after Iran stated that it opened the Strait of Hormuz for non-Iranian commercial vessels, easing concerns of energy-driven stagflation. The S&P 500 gained 1.2% and the Nasdaq 100 gained 1.5%, and the Dow 1.9%. Crude oil and product prices plunged after Iran and President Trump stated that tanker traffic in the Persian chokepoint is now liberated, paving the way to restore normal levels of energy supply following the shock triggered by the conflict. The likelihood of an agreement was magnified after the President stated Iran will shut down its nuclear program. AI companies surged as the rebound in risk sentiment supported speculative sectors, with Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla gaining more than 1%, while Oracle fell more than 3%. In turn, Netflix fell over 10% after its Q2 guidance fell short of expectations. The three main averages were on track for three consecutive weeks of gains above 3%.
2026-04-17
The Dow Jones Index Opens 1.45% Higher
The Dow Jones Index is up by 707 points or 1.45 percent on Friday. Top gainers are Boeing (4.28%), Sherwin-Williams (3.45%) and Home Depot (2.99%).
2026-04-17