US Stocks Close Sharply Lower
2026-03-26 20:01
By
Felipe Alarcon
1 min. read
Major US stock indices fell on Thursday with the S&P 500 dropping 1.7% and the Nasdaq 100 tumbling 2.3% as a sharp spike in energy prices and hardening geopolitical tensions intensified stagflation fears.
The Dow also dipped 1% following President Trump’s warning that Iran must get serious before it is too late.
Brent crude jumped 5% to above $108 per barrel amid reports of Gulf countries condemning Iranian strikes on energy infrastructure which drove Treasury yields higher across the curve.
Technology shares led the decline as Meta tanked 7.9% following child safety court rulings and layoff news.
Semiconductors were particularly hard hit with Micron dropping 6.9% and Advanced Micro Devices falling 7.5% while Nvidia shed 4.2% and Alphabet lost 3%.
Despite the broad market retreat Clear Secure climbed as airport security delays boosted growth and energy producers like Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips advanced alongside crude futures.