-- US equity indexes fell in midday trading on Monday amid reports that fighting escalated in the Middle East, with strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for about a fifth of global crude oil flows, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.4% to 25,028.2, the S&P 500 slid 0.5% to 7,197.5, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1% to 49,028.8. All sectors except energy retreated, with materials leading the decliners.
The US military "blew up" six Iranian boats in Hormuz on Monday after Tehran launched "multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats" at American Navy ships and commercial vessels, CNN reported, citing the US Central Command. This came about as the US launched an effort to help vessels transit the crucial waterway, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command.
The UAE, which has backed tougher action against Iran, sounded alerts for the first time since early April, saying four missiles and several drones targeted the country, the WSJ reported. It confirmed that a drone strike sparked a fire at an oil hub in Fujairah.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 4.2% to $106.18, and Brent crude futures surged 6.2% to $114.87.
Most US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year soaring 7.6 basis points to 4.45%, the highest in more than a month on an intraday basis. Two-year yield catapulted 8.7 basis points to 3.98%.
In precious metals, gold futures dropped 2.5% to $4,523.6, and silver futures slumped 3.9% to $73.45.
In economic news, new orders for US factory goods rose by 1.5% in March, above expectations for a 0.6% gain in a Bloomberg-compiled survey, following a revised 0.3% increase in February. Excluding a 0.8% rebound in transportation orders, new orders would have been up 1.6%, above a 1.3% gain expected and the same as in February.
In company news, video game retailer GameStop (GME) proposed acquiring eBay (EBAY) in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $55.5 billion. Shares of eBay jumped 4.7%, among the top gainers on the S&P 500.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) lowered its full-year earnings outlook amid higher fuel costs and weak consumer demand due to the war in the Middle East. The cruise operator's Q1 revenue also fell short of market expectations. Its shares slumped 8%, among the steepest decliners in the S&P 500.
United Parcel Service (UPS) maintained its 2026 sales outlook while flagging a potential demand impact from the Middle East conflict. Shares of the package delivery giant sank 9.5%, the worst performer on the S&P 500.