Markets Enter Fifth Week of Selloff as Iran Tensions Push Oil Higher

Stocks declined for a fifth week as US-Iran tensions rattled markets, pushing the Dow and Nasdaq into correction territory and lifting oil prices. Analysts questioned the effectiveness of White House assurances on the conflict’s timeline, while strategists noted the 60/40 portfolio is under pressure. Opinions varied from view that the move is short-term volatility driven by geopolitical risk to warnings that sustained high oil prices could keep inflation and volatility elevated, with scenarios suggesting oil could stay elevated through the quarter and potentially affect growth.