Iranian Turmoil Leads to US Stock Market Decline, Crude Oil on a Four-Day Winning Streak

Tensions in Iran drive oil prices to surge temporarily, U.S. stocks fluctuate and close lower, software stocks suffer significant losses, but the semiconductor sector strengthens against the trend, setting a historical record of 17 consecutive days of gains for the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index.

(S&P futures index intraday trend)

Situation in the Strait of Hormuz continues to be a market focus:

Before the U.S. stock market, Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to sink any ships attempting to mine the strait, and the U.S. military also stated that it had intercepted two supertankers attempting to evade the blockade.

During the U.S. stock market lunch break, Iranian media reported that on the evening of the 23rd local time, there were explosions in the sky over Tehran, Iran's capital, with air defense systems activated, firing at "hostile targets". Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, withdrew from the negotiating delegation.

A series of Iranian-related news headlines emerge densely, market sentiment suddenly becomes tense. The three major U.S. stock indexes accelerated their decline, with the Nasdaq falling more than 1% at one point. International crude oil futures expanded gains,刷新ing daily highs, with both U.S. oil and Brent oil once surging by more than 5%.

(U.S. oil fluctuates higher intraday)

During the U.S. stock market, subsequent reports clarified that the aforementioned reports were misinterpretations or system tests, and U.S. stocks quickly recaptured most of their losses, but still closed lower. Brent crude broke through $105, and WTI crude closed at $96.42, up 3.7%, a two-week high.

(Iranian situation stirs fluctuations in U.S. stock indexes)

After the U.S. stock market, technology stocks successively released strong quarterly reports. Intel surged nearly 20%, AI-driven guidance exceeded expectations; SAP ADR once rose 10%, cloud business revenue exceeded expectations, with a year-on-year increase of 19%.

Forex.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada stated:

There is a significant degree of uncertainty in diplomacy between the two countries, and there is no clue as to when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen, which continues to put pressure on the market.

Infrastructure Capital Advisors CEO Jay Hatfield also pointed out:

We are toggling between earnings reports and war headlines, and recent gains have been considerable, with many investors using geopolitical risks as a reason to reduce positions.

Among the various sectors of the S&P, the software sector performed particularly poorly, plunging 6% and ending its upward trend for eight consecutive quarters.