Fading hopes for Middle East peace pushed oil prices higher, which in turn triggered an increase in U.S. 30-year Treasury bond yields to their highest levels since 2007. Ten-year bond yields touched their highest level since January 2025.
The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index tumbled as investors fled stocks that had rallied previously on booming AI-related demand. Rising borrowing costs lowered how much investors were willing to pay for potential growth in technology profits.
“It starts off almost like a domino effect. Talks break down. That leads to oil prices going up. That leads to higher inflation expectations and bond yields rise,” said Burns McKinney, portfolio manager at NFJ Investment Group. He added that “every time bond yields rise, that tends to disproportionately hit the technology names.”
According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 lost 51.97 points, or 0.67%, to end at 7,692.10 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 350.45 points, or 1.31%, to 26,294.46. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 115.93 points, or 0.22%, to 53,343.85.
Among the S&P 500’s 11 major sectors, the information technology sector created the biggest index-point drag on the day and was the benchmark’s biggest percentage loser.
The S&P 500’s biggest drags from individual stocks came from chip companies, including leading AI chipmaker Nvidia and memory chipmaker Micron Technology, which fell on Tuesday after rising almost 18% in the previous five sessions.Other hard-hit stocks included data storage firms Sandisk and Western Digital, while the Roundhill Memory ETF tumbled after five straight sessions of gains.
“There’s nothing that can crack a momentum rally quite like interest rates moving higher and you’re getting evidence of that today,” said Tony Welch, chief investment officer at SignatureFD, who added that rising yields suggested that Federal Reserve policy is too easy for the growth and inflation outlook.
While they left high-growth sectors, investors flocked instead to more defensive sectors such as healthcare and consumer staples. Wall Street’s fear gauge rose to its highest level since August 5. With support from rising oil prices, the S&P 500 energy sector also outperformed. By late afternoon, U.S. crude oil futures had pared most of their gains but still settled up 0.5%, after Iran threatened to shift to a “fully offensive” military posture and Washington ruled out extending a ceasefire deal. Shares of home-improvement retailer Home Depot inched up after beating second-quarter sales estimates.
Investors awaited results due later this week from other retailers, including bellwether Walmart. Minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s July meeting, due on Wednesday, could offer more clues about how the central bank is assessing the current environment.
Investors see Nvidia’s upcoming quarterly report as the next big test for the AI-driven momentum.
