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Update: US Equity Indexes Fall as Treasury Yields, Crude Oil Gains Reflect Concern Over Widening Disruption to Energy Supplies
(Updates with index/price moves and company/geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes fell on Wednesday as government bond yields followed crude oil prices higher amid concern that disruption to energy supplies is likely to both extend and expand in the Middle East.The Nasdaq Composite declined 0.6% to 25,690.90, with the S&P 500 down 0.1% to 7,498.96, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average leaned slightly lower to 52,218.58. Communication services and consumer discretionary led decliners while utilities and energy topped the gainers.Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA), both a part of the so-called Magnificent-7 group of stocks with a significant index sway, reported after the bell on Wednesday.Alphabet reported Q2 earnings of $9.11 per diluted share, up from $2.31 a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $2.88. Revenue for the three months ended June 30 was $119.80 billion, up from $96.43 billion a year earlier. Analysts expected $117.06 billion.Tesla reported Q2 adjusted earnings of $0.33 per diluted share, versus $0.40 a year ago. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $0.53. Sales for the quarter were $28.24 billion, up from $22.50 billion a year earlier. Analysts expected $26.42 billion.In geopolitical news, the US plans to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant, including those in and around Tehran, every time it attacks ships in the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday. US Central Command has struck Iran for 11 consecutive nights to degrade the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps' ability to attack maritime traffic in the chokepoint to about a fifth of global crude oil and gas flows.Meanwhile, seven tankers have changed course in the Red Sea to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since the Houthis' threat on Tuesday to block Saudi oil exports, Reuters reported. The Iran-aligned Houthis have reportedly completed preparations to target vessels near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed due to tensions between the US and Iran."Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. "Those who contribute to such aggression, whatever the kind of support, will also be considered as legitimate targets."The front-month US West Texas Intermediate climbed 2.5% to $86.41 a barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent jumped 3% to $93.75 a barrel.US Treasury yields rose, extending gains from Tuesday. The 10-year marched 3.1 basis points higher to 4.66%, its strongest level in a month. The two-year jumped 4.3 basis points to 4.3% after yields hit the highest in 52 weeks.Markets are pricing in a more hawkish path for central banks, with yields moving higher around the world as a result, a Deutsche Bank note said, referring to the recent moves in real yields.Next week, the probability of the Federal Reserve leaving its policy unchanged for July slumped to 66% from 89% a week ago, the CME FedWatch tool showed Wednesday. The likelihood of a pause continuing across September, October, and December also declined.In precious metal markets, gold futures jumped 1.5% to $4,136.1, and silver futures advanced 1.5% to $59.98.
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