Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on March 25, 2026 in New York City.
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of S&P500 Stocks fell on Thursday, weighed down by rising oil prices, as traders closely monitored recent developments in the Middle East.
The market-wide index fell 1.5%. Nasdaq Composite It decreased by 2.1%. of Dow Jones Industrial Average It fell by 435 points (0.9%).
Oil prices rose on Thursday, weighing on stock prices. brent futures Prices soared 5% to more than $108 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate Futures It rose 5% to over $94.
Both the 10-year and 2-year Treasury yields rose on Thursday as stocks fell and oil prices rose.
Regarding recent trends in oil prices, President Donald Trump has expressed his belief that the soaring oil prices and overall market pressure are not as bad as expected. Regarding oil, he said, “Everything is going to go back to where it was and probably go even lower.”
President Trump said in a post on Truth Social earlier Thursday that Iran “better get serious now, before it’s too late. Because once that happens, there’s no going back and it’s not pretty.” The president also branded Iranian negotiators “very foreign” and “bizarre” and claimed they were “begging” the US for a deal to end the now four-week war.
The remarks came after Iran’s foreign minister told state media on Wednesday that top officials in Middle Eastern countries were considering U.S. proposals to end the war, but Tehran had no intention of holding talks with the United States.
Meanwhile, Gulf states issued a joint statement Thursday condemning Iran’s “criminal” attacks on energy infrastructure from Iraqi territory. They added that they remain ready to protect themselves going forward.
“While we value our friendly relations with the Republic of Iraq, we call on the Iraqi government to take the necessary measures to immediately stop attacks on its neighboring countries,” the joint statement said.
Despite contradictory statements made by the US and Iran regarding peace talks between the two countries, Wall Street is emerging from a winning session and major averages are on track for a winning week.
Tobin Marcus, head of U.S. policy and politics at Wolf Research, believes recent market movements indicate investors are convinced that Iran may be “lying.”
“The market appears to be concluding that Iran’s negative public messaging may be a smokescreen for a more flexible private stance,” he said in a note. “We’re not too sure, and with President Trump’s five-day deadline for consultations underway, there can’t be much more ambiguity.”
—CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger contributed reporting.
