NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market is drifting near its all-time high on Wednesday after oil prices halted their weeklong run of easing.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.1 per cent in early trading and is 0.5 per cent below its record set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 107 points, or 0.2 per cent, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3 per cent from its own all-time high.
Stocks felt pressure as the price for a barrel of Brent oil rose 1.3 per cent to US$100.55. It reverses a decline for Brent, which had been falling since nearly hitting US$110 last week on worries that the war with Iran will keep oil bottled up in the Middle East for a long time. Talks are continuing with mediators between U.S. and Iranian officials, but nothing concrete has come from it yet.
Even with its decline over the last week, the price for a barrel of Brent remains much higher than the roughly US$72 it cost before the war with Iran began.
The climb in oil prices has helped push yields higher in the bond market, which in turn slows the economy by making it more expensive for everyone to borrow money. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.99 per cent from 4.96 per cent late Tuesday.
Last week, the 10-year yield topped 5 per cent for the first time since 2023 because of worries about high oil prices, the U.S. government’s growing debt load and other concerns.
Strong growth in profits for U.S. companies have helped Wall Street run nearly to records despite the worries about expensive oil, high interest rates and high inflation.
KB Home became the latest to deliver a stronger profit report for the latest quarter than analysts expected. But its stock nevertheless slipped 1 per cent after the homebuilder’s executive chairman said conditions weakened in the already tough housing market over the last three months.
Potential customers are becoming more cautious because of higher mortgage rates caused by the rise in the 10-year Treasury yield. They also are feeling pressure from “geopolitical uncertainty and broader economic headwinds,” Jeffrey Mezger said.
General Mills likewise reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, even as higher costs eroded how much the company behind the Cheerios and Progresso brands made off each US$1 of revenue.
But the company said it also expects growth this fiscal year to fall below its historical track record “driven by a continued challenging consumer backdrop,” and it did not raise its forecast for profit over the full fiscal year. Its stock fell 1.2 per cent.
U.S. consumers have been feeling more discouraged about their finances because of how much prices keep rising for fuel, groceries and other costs of living.
In stock markets abroad, indexes slipped across much of Europe and Asia.
Stock indexes fell 1 per cent in Hong Kong and 0.4 per cent in Shanghai ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington, which is kicking off Wednesday, and his meeting this week with President Donald Trump.
The leaders are expected to attempt to steady fragile ties in their third meeting since Trump returned to the White House. That is despite the world’s two largest economies seeking the upper hand on artificial-intelligence developments and trade, while pushing for leverage in persistent hot spots like Iran and Taiwan.
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Stan Choe, The Associated Press
AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Michelle Chapman contributed to this report.
