Wall Street closed sharply lower on Friday, pulled down by tech and financial stocks. Investor mood was jittery on Iran’s retaliation against Israel’s attack, and the situation in the Middle East escalating heavily. All three benchmark indexes closed the session in the red.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) lost 1.8%, or 769.83 points, to close at 42,197.79. Twenty-eight components of the 30-stock index ended in negative territory, while two ended in positive.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 255.66 points, or 1.3%, to close at 19,406.83.
The S&P 500 slid 68.29 points, or 1.1%, to close at 5,976.97. Ten of the 11 broad sectors of the benchmark index closed in the red. The Financials Select Sector SPDR (XLF), the Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) declined 2%, 1.4% and 1.2%, respectively, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) advanced 1.4%.
The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) increased 15.5% to 20.82. A total of 17.9 billion shares were traded on Friday, lower than the last 20-session average of 18.2 billion. Decliners outnumbered advancers by a 6.1-to-1 ratio on the S&P 500.
On Friday, markets felt war jitters as escalating tensions between Iran and Israel unnerved investors and triggered a broad selloff across global equity markets. Reports of missile exchanges and drone strikes between the two nations heightened fears of a larger Middle East conflict, raising concerns over global oil supply disruptions and geopolitical instability.
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Crude oil prices soared above $90 per barrel during intraday trading amid worries that a persisting conflict could disrupt the oil supply chain through the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for global energy supplies. The energy sector saw modest gains due to the surge in oil prices, but that was not enough to offset sharp declines in technology, financials and industrials. Safe-haven assets like gold and U.S. Treasury bonds gained as investors fled equities in search of stability.
If tensions escalate further or end up drawing in other regional powers, the financial implications could be severe, potentially derailing the recent rally in U.S. equities driven by hopes of interest rate cuts and economic recovery. As geopolitical risks intensified, traders trimmed exposure to risk assets, causing a sudden reversal in sentiment that had been largely optimistic throughout early June. However, on cue, defense stocks took center stage.
