S&P 500 ends down as oil tops US$100 per barrel

On September 9, US stocks closed lower as oil prices surged above $100 per barrel, while Apple's stock dipped and Treasury yields rose ahead of crucial inflation data. Fears of a broader regional conflict due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, coupled with high oil prices, fueled inflation concerns. The S&P 500 energy index rose, while all other sector indexes fell.

Apple ended down 0.3 percent following its first smartphone launch under new CEO John Ternus. The 10-year US Treasury yield climbed to its highest since November 2023, with the Treasury Department planning to buy up to $6 billion in 10- to 20-year government bonds. Higher yields make stocks less attractive to investors. Analyst Rob Haworth noted market concern due to limited earnings expectations until third-quarter reporting.

The S&P 500 declined 0.48 percent to 7,636.46 points, while the Nasdaq fell 0.64 percent to 26,253.34 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.77 percent to 52,381.02 points. The S&P 500 remains down around 2 percent from its August 13 record high, and it is up about 12 percent in 2026. Meta's AI assistant boosted its stock over 6 percent, helping to offset the market's decline.

Alphabet's stock fell 2.3 percent after Google announced a $15.1 billion investment in AI infrastructure in Finland, including a major nuclear power deal. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose, with Advanced Micro Devices gaining 3 percent. Within the S&P 500, declining stocks outnumbered rising ones by a ratio of 4.1-to-one.

The S&P 500 posted seven new highs and 25 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 41 new highs and 170 new lows. US exchange volume was relatively light, with 14.7 billion shares traded compared to an average of 14.9 billion over the previous 20 sessions.