US stocks were mixed on Monday after President Trump ordered a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of US-Iran negotiations.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) led the retreat, down 0.3%, as surging oil prices revived concerns about inflation and risks to global growth. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 (^GSPC) hovered above the flatline after trimming early trading losses. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) flipped into positive territory to rise 0.2%.
Trump’s move to block all maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz escalated already high tensions in the Middle East. That has piled on even more risk for markets whose hopes for a cessation in hostilities were dented by the breakdown in negotiations in Islamabad.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The blockade was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET on Monday.
Iran responded by vowing to target all Persian Gulf ports if its own energy hubs are threatened, calling the US move “an act of piracy.”
Oil prices jumped back above $100 a barrel on the threat to global energy flows, with the global benchmark Brent crude (BZ=F) rising 5%, while the US counterpart, West Texas Intermediate futures for May delivery (CL=F) rose about 5% to top $101 per barrel.
Closer to home, Goldman Sachs (GS) kicked off bank earnings with strong profits, though shares fell alongside broader stock losses. First quarter results from Bank of America (BAC), Wells Fargo (WFC), Citigroup (C), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), and Morgan Stanley (MS) will follow as the week progresses.
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