(Updates with latest market prices and developments.)
US benchmark equity indexes were lower intraday amid a post-earnings sell-off in Netflix (NFLX) shares, while oil prices jumped as hostilities in the Middle East escalated.
The Nasdaq Composite was down 1.1% at 25,593.7 after midday Friday, while the S&P 500 fell 0.8% to 7,471.1. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6% to 52,258.2. Barring energy, all sectors were in the red, led by communication services.
Netflix was 7.8% lower intraday, among the worst performers on the S&P 500. The steaming giant's move to annual engagement reporting and its soft US and Canada revenue in the second quarter are apparently weighing on the stock, BofA Securities said in a note. Netflix's June quarter revenue fell short of Wall Street's estimate late Thursday.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 4.5% at $82.48 a barrel intraday Friday, while Brent rose 4.4% to $87.89.
Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar have come under attack by Iran, while Tehran also claimed it targeted US military assets in Oman and Bahrain, CNN reported Friday.
"Crude oil extended its rally, with Brent climbing back above $85 a barrel, as energy and refined fuel flows through the Strait of Hormuz continues to slow amid the escalating conflict between the US and Iran," Saxo Bank said in a report. "The renewed disruption has interrupted the recent recovery in regional supply, reviving concerns about tighter global markets."
US Treasury yields were mixed intraday, with the two-year rate up 1.6 basis points at 4.17% and the 10-year rate falling 2.4 basis points to 4.55%.
In other corporate news, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) shares slumped 13%, the steepest decline on the S&P 500. Growth in the company's da Vinci robotic surgery procedures in the US moderated due in part to changes in Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, even as it reported better-than-expected quarterly results late Thursday.
SpaceX (SPCX) share were down 4.3% intraday Friday. The company's Starship rocket triggered an "automatic launch abort," with the next launch to be rescheduled possibly in a few days, SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a Thursday post on X.
Travelers (TRV) shares jumped 8.3% intraday Friday, the top gainer on the S&P 500 and the Dow. The property and casualty insurer's second-quarter earnings unexpectedly increased year over year, while its written premiums came in ahead of market estimates.
In economic news, US consumer sentiment this month hit its highest level since February amid easing price pressures at the pump, though renewed tensions in the Middle East could weigh on confidence going forward, according to a survey by the University of Michigan.
US housing starts increased more than expected last month amid a sharp jump in multi-family projects, government data showed.
Gold was up 0.7% to $4,019.30 per troy ounce, while silver gained 0.3% to $56.33 per ounce.
