By Caroline Valetkevitch and Harry Robertson
NEW YORK/LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) – Major U.S. stock indexes fell as U.S. bond yields rose again on Tuesday, while oil prices eased after U.S. President Donald Trump said he paused a planned attack on Iran and referred to a “good chance” for a nuclear deal.
Trump said on Monday he had halted a planned resumption of attacks against Iran to allow time for negotiations to take place on a deal to end the war, after Tehran sent a new peace proposal to Washington.
He subsequently said there was a “very good chance” the U.S. could reach an agreement with Iran to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Yields on U.S. Treasuries moved higher. The 10-year yield had climbed as high as 4.659% on Monday, which was its highest level in 15 months.
The focus for investors right now is on rising yields, said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York.
“We’re seeing the long end of the market continues to rise,” he said. “That is the reason why we’re seeing (stocks) on the defensive, and why what would have been good news is somewhat being ignored,” Cardillo said, referring to Trump’s comments on a halt to planned Iran attacks.
The Nasdaq led declines on Wall Street. The all-important artificial intelligence trade will be tested by earnings from chipmaker Nvidia that are due on Wednesday, with expectations sky-high for the world’s most valuable company.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 170.38 points, or 0.34%, to 49,515.42, the S&P 500 fell 47.16 points, or 0.63%, to 7,356.14 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 255.26 points, or 0.98%, to 25,835.47.
MSCI’s gauge of stocks across the globe fell 6.07 points, or 0.55%, to 1,092.16.
European stocks were higher, however, further recovering ground lost on Friday when they dropped 1.5% as bond market jitters spread to equities.
Stocks in Europe, which is a net importer of energy and has fewer major tech firms, remain below pre-war levels and have lagged far behind their U.S. peers.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.3%.
U.S. crude fell 0.52% to $108.09 a barrel and Brent fell to $110.26 per barrel, down 1.64% on the day.
U.S. YIELDS UP AGAIN
U.S. Treasury yields rose as worries remain about a lasting inflationary shock from the Iran war.
The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes rose 4.6 basis points to 4.669%, from 4.623% late on Monday. Yields move inversely to prices.
British bond yields fell after news reports said the most likely challenger to Prime Minister Keir Starmer will not overhaul the country’s borrowing rules.
