The S&P Falls Close to 1% As Oil Blasts Past $100 A Barrel

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Michael Williams

Fri, March 20, 2026 astatine 10:26 AM CDT 4 min read

  • Super Micro Computer (SMCI) is the S&P 500’s worst performer contiguous connected company-specific concerns, portion Nvidia (NVDA), CrowdStrike (CRWD), and Western Digital (WDC) are nether unit arsenic high-multiple tech stocks endure successful a risk-off environment. Energy stocks including Chevron (CVX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM) are gaining arsenic Brent crude trades astatine $108.60 per tube aft spiking to $119 earlier successful the week.

  • Iranian strikes connected Gulf vigor infrastructure and disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz person triggered a geopolitical vigor crisis, with lipid prices surging 48% since mid-February and pushing the VIX to 24.06 arsenic markets terms successful stagflation hazard from higher costs, tighter credit, and slower maturation converging simultaneously.

  • A caller survey identified 1 azygous wont that doubled Americans’ status savings and moved status from dream, to reality. Read much here.

The S&P 500 fell to 6,557.94, down 0.73% arsenic of mid-morning Friday, with each 3 large indexes connected gait for a 4th consecutive losing week arsenic surging lipid prices and Middle East struggle weighed connected sentiment. Brent crude is trading astatine $108.6 a tube aft spiking arsenic precocious arsenic $119 earlier successful the week, with Iranian strikes connected Gulf vigor infrastructure keeping proviso fears beforehand and center. SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) is down 1.11% connected the day, extending a 3.24% year-to-date loss.

A geopolitical vigor situation has accelerated sharply successful caller weeks. Iranian strikes connected LNG facilities successful Qatar importantly reduced the country's export capacity. The Strait of Hormuz is besides disrupted, and the Pentagon is deploying an further 2,200 to 2,500 Marines to the region, leaving markets with nary near-term way to de-escalation.

WTI crude sits astatine $95.77 aft reaching a one-year precocious of $98.48 connected March 13. The monthly surge successful WTI is 48% from mid-February levels, 1 of the fastest lipid terms accelerations successful caller memory.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the U.S. is considering removing sanctions connected Iranian lipid astatine oversea to escaped up astir 140 cardinal barrels, and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to halt strikes connected an Iranian state installation astatine President Trump's request. Those efforts person steadied prices somewhat from the week's highs but haven't reversed broader marketplace anxiety.

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