US equity benchmarks were mixed on Monday as a rebound in Treasury markets bolstered traditional, rate‑sensitive sectors, while technology shares lagged. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.6% and the S&P 500 edged higher, but the tech‑heavy Nasdaq 100 slipped into negative territory.
Crude oil and refined product prices climbed further after Houthi attacks raised the risk of export disruptions in the Red Sea, while President Trump issued additional warnings to Iran should a deal fail to materialize soon. Even so, Treasury yields eased back from recent highs, suggesting investors are weighing potential growth headwinds from energy shortages alongside persistent inflation risks.
Financials outperformed amid the pullback in yields, with major banks and financial services firms such as JPMorgan, American Express, and Blackstone gaining between 1% and 3%. In contrast, semiconductor stocks extended last week’s selloff after new research from Alphabet heightened optimism about more compute‑efficient AI models, pressuring demand expectations for high‑end chips. Micron, Lam Research, and Western Digital each fell by roughly 7%.
