US equity indexes fell after the annual inflation rate jumped to the highest in three years and President Donald Trump's reported comment about Iran "we are going to be attacking them very hard" in the aftermath of the Apache downing.
The Nasdaq Composite slid 0.7% to 25,501.7, with the S&P 500 down 0.5% to 7,348.8, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower by 0.8% to 50,449.1 after midday Wednesday.
Industrials, consumer discretionary, and technology led the decliners.
The US seasonally adjusted consumer price index, a measure of inflation, rose by 0.5% in May, as expected, following a 0.6% increase in April, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, rose by 0.2%, below the consensus estimate for a 0.3% increase. Core CPI rose by 0.4% in April.
The year-over-year rates for overall and core CPI increased to 4.2% and 2.9%, respectively, from 3.8% and 2.8% in the previous month. The headline rate was the strongest since April 2023, according to data compiled by Finviz.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 2.4% to $90.57, and Brent crude futures climbed 2.3% to $93.71 .
Iran is taking "too long to negotiate a deal" and that "now they will have to pay the price," Trump said Wednesday. The US launched airstrikes early Wednesday against Iran after the US president blamed Tehran for the crash of an American attack helicopter, and Iran fired back at countries in the region, according to a report from the Associated Press.