
Wall Street ends sharply lower as Iran retaliates against Israel attack
14 June 2025 00:41
NEW YORK (REUTERS)Wall Street ended sharply lower on Friday after Iran launched missiles at Israel in response to intensive Israeli strikes on Iran.Oil prices surged nearly 7% on fears the conflict could disrupt crude supply from the Middle East. US energy stocks rose in tandem, with Exxon up 2.2% and Diamondback Energy rallying 3.7%.Airline stocks fell on fears that fuel costs could climb. Delta Air Lines lost 3.8%, United Airlines fell 4.4% and American Airlines declined 4.9%.Defense stocks climbed, with Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation and Northrop Grumman all gaining over 3%.The S&P 500 declined 1.13% to end the session at 5,976.97 points.The Nasdaq declined 1.30% to 19,406.83 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.79% to 42,197.79 points.Ten of the 11 S&P 500 sector indexes declined, led lower by financials, down 2.06%, followed by a 1.5% loss in information technology.Volume on U.S. exchanges was 17.9 billion shares traded, compared with an average of 18.2 billion shares over the previous 20 sessions.For the week, the S&P 500 dipped 0.4%, the Nasdaq lost 0.6% and the Dow fell 1.3%. Photoshop maker Adobe fell 5.3% as concerns that the company's pace of AI adoption was too slow overshadowed an increased annual revenue forecast. Oracle jumped 7.7% to a record high, rallying for a second day after the technology company gave an upbeat forecast driven by demand for its AI services.Nvidia dipped 2.1% and Apple lost 1.4%. Visa and Mastercard both fell more than 4% after the Wall Street Journal reported that major retailers are exploring cryptocurrencies that could eliminate the need for payment intermediaries. A tame consumer price report, softer-than-expected producer price data and largely unchanged initial jobless claims earlier this week helped calm investor jitters around tariff-driven price pressures. US Federal Reserve policymakers are widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged at their meeting next week. With investors betting the United States will reach trade agreements that reduce President Donald Trump's steep trade barriers, the S&P 500 is now trading just below its February record highs. The University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers showed consumer sentiment improved for the first time in six months in June amid trade uncertainty.Declining stocks outnumbered rising ones within the S&P 500 by a 6.1-to-one ratio.
The S&P 500 posted 10 new highs and 6 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 37 new highs and 131 new lows.
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Khaleej Times
40 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
Wall St Week Ahead: Fed meeting in focus as investors seek rate-path hints
The Federal Reserve's balancing act between concerns about a weakening labour market and still above-target inflation will take centre stage for investors in the coming week as they weigh risks to the rally in the U.S. stock market. The benchmark S&P 500 has rebounded sharply over the past two months as worries about the impact of trade barriers on the economy have eased since President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" announcement on April 2 sent the market plunging. The rally hit a stumbling block on Friday as stocks fell globally and investors moved to safe-haven assets after Israel launched a military strike on Iran, and Iran fired missiles in response. Major US indexes ended down over 1% on Friday, with the S&P 500 falling 1.1%. The Fed's two-day monetary policy meeting could present the next major obstacle for markets. While the US central bank is widely expected to hold interest rates steady when it announces its decision on Wednesday, investors are eager for any hints about whether the Fed might be poised to lower rates in the coming months. The fed funds rate has been at 4.25%-4.50% since the central bank last eased in December, by a quarter percentage point. "What the Fed is going to have to try to do next week is encourage the belief that they are able to act without actually promising anything," said Drew Matus, chief market strategist at MetLife Investment Management. "If they move rates lower too early before there is evidence that there is weakening in the economy that they can then point to, they raise the risk of actually boosting inflation expectations further." At its last meeting in May, the central bank said risks of both higher inflation and unemployment had risen. The Fed has a dual mandate to maintain full employment and price stability, and investors will be seeking any signs of whether officials are more concerned about one of those goals and what that means for the path of rates. One area of focus on Wednesday will be an update to Fed officials' projections about monetary policy and the economy, which were last published in March. Larry Werther, chief US economist of Daiwa Capital Markets America, will be watching estimates for unemployment. While the Fed officials' last projection was for unemployment to end 2025 at 4.4%, Werther is projecting a year-end rate of 4.6%, saying recent data including jobless claims has indicated softening in the labor market. "If the unemployment rate is expected to move higher, just aligning with what we've seen in the labour market, and inflation isn't expected to move much beyond what the Fed is projecting, then it opens the door to further easing in support of the labor market later this year," Werther said. Fed funds futures indicate markets expect two rate cuts by the end of this year, with the next one likely in September, according to LSEG data. Such bets were bolstered by benign inflation reports this week. Investors are also focused on Trump's selection to succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell, with the president regularly urging the central bank to lower rates. Trump earlier this month said a decision on the next chair would be coming soon, although he said on Thursday that he would not fire Powell, whose term ends in May 2026. The release of monthly retail sales on Tuesday will also be in focus. Investors want to see if tariffs are leading to higher prices that pressure consumer spending. Trade developments are likely to continue to keep markets on edge, with a 90-day pause on a wide array of Trump's tariffs set to end on July 8. A trade truce this week between China and the United States offered hope that the two countries can reach a lasting resolution, but the absence of detailed terms left room for potential future conflict. The S&P 500 is up 1.6% so far this year. But the index has gained 20% since its low for the year on April 8, and is 2.7% off its record high set in February. "The market has rallied so hard, so fast," said Marta Norton, chief investment strategist at retirement and wealth services provider Empower. "There is vulnerability to anything that doesn't support that kind of benign narrative that has been established."


ARN News Center
an hour ago
- ARN News Center
India orders inspection of Boeing 787s after Air India crash
India's aviation regulator has ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected after an Air India crash killed 270 people this week, the aviation minister said on Saturday, adding the authorities were investigating all possible causes. The aviation regulator had on Friday ordered Air India to conduct additional maintenance checks on its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft equipped with GEnx engines, including assessments of certain take-off parameters, electronic engine control tests and engine fuel-related checks. "We have also given the order to do the extended surveillance of the 787 planes. There are 34 in our Indian fleet," aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu told reporters in New Delhi. "Eight have already been inspected and with immediate urgency, all of them are going to be done." He did not say whether government officials will be involved in the inspections. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board bound for Britain's Gatwick Airport began losing height seconds after take-off on Thursday and erupted in a fireball as it hit buildings below, in what has been the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. Air India operates 33 Boeing 787s, while rival airline IndiGo has one, according to data from Flightradar24. IndiGo did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement, Air India said it is currently completing the one-time safety checks directed by the Indian regulator, adding that "some of these checks could lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays on certain long-haul routes". The planes, however, have not been grounded, but a source on Friday told Reuters the Indian government was considering that as an option. Naidu also said the government will look at all possible theories of what led to the crash. Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down, Reuters has reported. At least 270 bodies have been recovered from the site of the crash, Dhaval Gameti, president of the Junior Doctors Association at B.J. Medical College, told reporters. Only one of the 242 passengers and crew on board survived while others were killed as the plane struck the medical college's hostel as it came down. The crisis has cast a shadow on Air India, which has for years struggled to rebuild its reputation and revamp its fleet after the Tata Group took over the airline from the Indian government in 2022. Tata's chairman said on Friday the group wants to understand what happened, but "we don't know right now". Naidu said a government panel was investigating the crash and will issue a report within three months. "We are going to improve every necessary thing that is going to come our way, to improve the safety," he said at the briefing, declining questions from journalists. Later in the afternoon, authorities removed the tail of the aircraft that was stuck on top of a building, while hospital and rescue officials said a body of a cabin crew member was recovered from the wreckage. Air India said it will provide an interim payment of 2.5 million rupees ($29,000) each to the families of the deceased and to the survivor, to help address immediate financial needs, in addition to 10 million rupees in support announced previously by the Tata Group. "The process of reuniting next of kin with their loved ones and personal effects has begun," Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in a statement, as authorities started handing over bodies of passengers and crew members to their families, nearly 48 hours after the crash. Dozens of anxious family members have been waiting outside an Ahmedabad hospital to collect the remains, as doctors were working overtime to gather dental samples from the deceased to run identification checks and DNA profiling. At least 11 DNA samples have been matched so far, and authorities expect to hand over three bodies by Saturday evening, said Rajnish Patel, a senior official at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. He told reporters that the matching of samples was a meticulous process that had to be done slowly.


Al Etihad
3 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Iran-Israel tensions: Analysts optimistic about stability of oil supplies
15 June 2025 16:56 A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)Most analysts remain optimistic about the stability of crude prices and the continuity of global oil shipments, especially through the Strait of Hormuz, despite escalating tensions between Iran and the conflict has fuelled market speculation, most industry analysts and trade experts continue to express confidence in the resilience of global energy trade. Their view is anchored in historical precedent, economic pragmatism, and the deeply interwoven trade relationships that characterise the Arabian Gulf Strait of Hormuz — a narrow but critical maritime corridor at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf — handles close to 30% of the world's crude and refined petroleum exports and around 20% of global LNG flows. A complete closure would undoubtedly shake global energy markets. However, most observers consider such an outcome unlikely. "While we don't yet foresee a war escalating to a Hormuz blockade, its closure would severely impact global energy flows," a Chinese oil trader told S&P Global. But despite rising tensions and military strikes between Israel and Iran, there has been no significant disruption to commercial shipping so far. Historical confrontations between the two countries have also avoided this red a note issued on June 13, JP Morgan analysts assessed the risk of Iran closing the Strait as 'very low', citing Iran's reluctance to damage its economic lifeline — especially its vital trade relationship with to S&P Global Commodity Insights, Iran pumped 3.24 million barrels per day (b/d) in May, most of which is exported to China. Any move to restrict traffic through Hormuz would not only sever this economic artery but also affect its ability to send supplies to initially reacted with concern. ICE Brent crude futures spiked 8.97% on June 13 — the sharpest single-day gain in five years. But analysts at S&P Global and Goldman Sachs expect such price volatility to be temporary, barring direct attacks on energy infrastructure. 'We've seen these spikes before. Prices jump, then retreat when it's clear that oil flows are not actually impacted,' said Richard Joswick, Head of Near-Term Oil Analysis at S&P this outlook is the presence of alternative logistics. The UAE's Habshan–Fujairah pipeline, for instance, enables crude to bypass Hormuz altogether. Long-term LNG supply contracts between China and exporters like Qatar and the UAE also offer stability and reduce reliance on spot risk insurance premiums in the Arabian Gulf, which cover ships navigating high-risk zones, remain steady at 0.05%–0.07% of vessel hull value — unchanged for 18 months. Though freight charges could rise if hostilities deepen, there is no current indication of a shipping refiners are the largest buyers of Gulf crude. 'Extreme actions could provoke responses from Asian military powers. So both Iran and Israel are likely to exercise caution,' said a Tokyo-based feedstock manager. Refiners in South Korea, Japan, and Thailand have echoed similar sentiments, underscoring confidence that the Strait of Hormuz will stay Goldman Sachs, while adjusting its geopolitical risk premium, predicts Brent crude to fall back to the $60s in 2026, assuming no long-term infrastructure damage and a compensatory output from OPEC+.In a potential escalation scenario, Goldman estimates a temporary loss of 1.75 million b/d from Iran if its export infrastructure is damaged — but believes this shortfall could be partially offset by OPEC+ spare capacity. Under such conditions, Brent could peak over $90/b, before normalising as supply recovers.S&P Global concurs that the real inflection point would be a direct disruption to exports. 'Unless exports are impacted, the price upside will fade,' its analysts noted. Joswick reinforced this by citing 2024, when similar flare-ups triggered short-term price movements that quickly reversed once it became clear supply was Pollack, vice president for policy at the Middle East Institute, noted: 'If Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, the US would come in with all guns blazing.' Analysts warn that such a move would not only provoke military responses but would be viewed by Gulf neighbours as a direct economic threat.'There is no doubt the situation in the Arabian Gulf is very tense. We have reports that more shipowners are now exercising extra caution and are opting to stay away from the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf,' said Jakob P Larsen, Chief Safety & Security Officer at BIMCO, the world's largest international shipping association.'There is currently no indication that Iran will seek to disrupt shipping in the Gulf, and no indication at this point that the Houthis will seek to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. The tripwire will be the perception of the US' involvement. If the US is suddenly perceived to be involved in attacks, the risk of escalation increases significantly,' Larsen told Aletihad.'BIMCO encourages shipowners to follow developments closely and implement ship defence measures according to the industry guidance document,' he added. Meanwhile, broader OPEC+ dynamics are also at play. Eight OPEC+ member states are moving to restore 2.2 million b/d of curtailed output to regain their market share. 'We'll likely see more unwinding of voluntary cuts,' said Harry Tchiliguirian, Head of Research at Onyx Capital Advisory. This will likely have a mitigating impact on oil prices.