US stocks fall on spiking bond yields, higher oil prices

On Monday, August 17, Wall Street stocks experienced a decline as oil prices surged due to the ongoing lack of progress in reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a rise in US Treasury yields. The United States and Iran failed to reach a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz after nearly six months of conflict, despite Monday being the day a US-Iran ceasefire would have ended.

US President Donald Trump threatened military action against Oman if it interfered with potential negotiations. Analysts attributed the oil price surge to the ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran, with crude prices increasing by more than two percent. US Treasury yields climbed to 5.31 percent, the highest level since June 2007, signaling investors' expectations of persistent inflation and a high US deficit.

Consequently, the three major US indices closed lower, with the S&P 500 falling by 0.5 percent. The European Central Bank also expressed concern over potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence on European markets. In the corporate sector, retail giants Walmart, Home Depot, and Target were set to release their earnings reports, which could provide insights into American consumer sentiment.

While weakening labor market data and slower consumer spending may have a positive effect on the US stock market, a decline in major US indices was observed, with Tokyo advancing due to the notable performance of Kioxia, a chipmaker.