Stocks sink as the war escalates; Russell 2000 enters correction territory
The S&P 500 closed lower for the fourth consecutive week as the US deployed more troops and warships to the Middle East.
Stocks sank and oil prices rose as the war in the Middle East escalated, with the US deploying more troops and warships. All stocks in the Magnificent 7 fell for the second consecutive day. Financials was the best-performing sector.
The S&P 500 closed lower for the fourth consecutive week. The Russell 2000 officially entered correction territory.
Bitcoin remained stuck in the $70,000 level, and bitcoin ETFs experienced their second consecutive day of outflows yesterday with a $90 million exodus. Altcoins also continued their slide.
The inflationary pressure pushing the Fed away from further rate cuts continued to hit precious metals and miners. The SPDR Gold Shares ETF and iShares Silver Trust both fell, and producers like Newmont and Freeport-McMoRan also continued to drop.
The market seems to be pricing in some chance of an unpleasant replay, with short-term interest rates spiking and prediction markets broadcasting a 39% chance the central bank hikes rates in July.
(Event contracts are offered through Robinhood Derivatives, LLC — probabilities referenced or sourced from KalshiEx LLC or ForecastEx LLC.)
Stocks that moved higher:
Planet Labs soared after an earnings beat and positive analyst commentary.
Dell ticked higher after rival server maker SMCI sank.
FedEx ticked up after boosting its full-year profit forecast.
Stocks that moved lower:
Super Micro Computer plummeted after its cofounder was charged with allegedly smuggling AI chips to China.
Rivian gave up gains from Uber’s robotaxi investment as planned spending on autonomy pushed back its 2027 profitability target.
Nintendo dipped on reports that the company is planning a “right to repair” compliant Switch 2 for the European market.
First Solar dipped after Reuters reported that Tesla is in talks with Chinese firms to buy $2.9 billion worth of solar equipment.
Figma extended its losses after Google launched the AI “vibe design” platform Stitch.
Micron tumbled as the red-hot stock continued its post-earnings slump.
Rocket Lab, Hims & Hers, and Western Digital, momentum shares beloved by retail traders, took a particular shellacking.
AI energy plays like Vistra, Constellation Energy, and NRG dove.
There was a pronounced push by traders away from anything tied to the data center boom, from memory sellers like Seagate Technology Holdings, to chip machinery companies like ASML and Lam Research, to cable and optics companies like Coherent, Lumentum, and Corning.
Construction companies such as Comfort Systems USA and Quanta Services fell after a recent AI-driven rise.
