Dow drops 1.7%, Nasdaq sinks 2% as US-Iran conflict deepens

De amerikanske aktier styrtdykkede tirsdag og omvendte en kraftig rebound fra foregående handelsdag, efterhånden som oliepriserne steg, og investorerne blev stadigt mere bekymrede for, at US-Iran-konflikten kunne vare længere end oprindeligt forventet.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 844 points, or 1.7%.

The S&P 500 declined 1.7%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2%, reflecting broad-based selling across sectors.

Den fornyede markedsvaghed fulgte et spring i oliepriserne.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed above $84 a barrel, rising 8% Tuesday after a 6% gain on Monday.

West Texas Intermediate crude jumped 8% to above $77 per barrel, also extending a 6% advance from the previous session.

Hormuz-trussel øger forsyningsbekymringer

Ifølge medieoplysninger sagde en kommandør i Irans Revolutionary Guard, at Strait of Hormuz — bredt anset som verdens mest kritiske transitrute for råolie — er blevet lukket, og advarede om, at Iran ville sætte skibe, der forsøgte at passere, i brand.

Udtalelsen intensiverede frygten for langvarige forsyningsafbrydelser på de globale energimarkeder.

Yderligere udviklinger tegnede på en eskalering af konflikten, da den gik ind i sin fjerde dag.

The US embassy in Riyadh was reportedly struck by drones as Iran escalated its attacks.

The US State Department ordered evacuations of personnel from Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan.

Den Tehran-backed Hezbollah affyrede missiler og droner mod Tel Aviv, og bekymringer voksede om, hvor længe Gulf states such as the UAE kan modstå fortsatte missil- og dronebarrager.

President Donald Trump warned that the conflict could extend beyond four weeks.

Inflation fears return

Stigningen i energipriserne pressede også Treasury yields højere, da investorer frygtede, at højere olieomkostninger kunne genetablere inflationspresset.

Den dynamik kommer på et tidspunkt, hvor market participants have been positioning for additional Federal Reserve rate cuts to support the economy.

Monday’s session had followed a more optimistic script.

Stocks staged a significant intraday comeback, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq erasing steep early losses to finish slightly higher.

Investors leaned on a historical playbook that geopolitical flare-ups often prove short-lived and have limited long-term economic impact.

However, the overnight jump in oil and the widening scope of the conflict undermined that narrative.

Energy gains, tech slides

Energy stocks were among the few bright spots Tuesday, buoyed by higher crude prices. Most other sectors traded lower.

Technology shares, which had led Monday’s rebound, were under renewed pressure.

Nvidia and Broadcom each fell about 2%. US memory stocks also declined, tracking sharp losses in South Korean memory chipmakers.

The majority of stocks within the S&P 500 traded in negative territory.

Shares of Blackstone dropped 7% after the Financial Times reported that one of its private credit funds experienced $1.7 billion in net outflows during the first quarter.

Rapporten tilføjede til investorernes uro i finanssektoren midt i en bredere risk-off stemning.

The CBOE Volatility Index jumped to its highest level since November, reflecting heightened demand for downside protection.

Med olie- og gaspriser i stigning og geopolitiske risici, der tiltager, genovervejer investorer antagelsen om, at konflikten vil blive begrænset.

For nu er energimarkederne stadig den vigtigste barometer, og aktievolatiliteten vil sandsynligvis vedvare, så længe usikkerheden om forsyningsruter og regional stabilitet fortsætter.