Wall Street Mostly Red as Investors Weighed Down by Iran Threats and Stagflation Concerns
Wall Street lost momentum during Tuesday 10 March 2026 trading (Wednesday morning Jakarta time).
After briefly moving into positive territory at the start of the session, the main US equity indices reversed course as market hopes faded for a swift resolution to the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran.
The resurgence in geopolitical tensions, coupled with growing concerns about stagflation risks, prompted investors to adopt a more cautious stance.
Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index weakened by 14.51 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 6,781.48.
In contrast with the two other main indices, the Nasdaq Composite managed to post a marginal gain of 1.16 points, or 0.01 per cent, reaching 22,697.10.
Of the 11 sectors within the S&P 500 index, the technology sector was the sole gainer.
Conversely, the energy sector recorded the steepest decline after crude oil prices experienced sharp corrections.
Amid these conditions, semiconductor company shares displayed positive performance.
Nvidia shares rose 1.2 per cent, while SanDisk surged 5.1 per cent and Western Digital gained 1.6 per cent.
In contrast, the S&P Software & Services Select Industry index, which has been under pressure in recent months due to concerns about disruption from artificial intelligence developments, again became one of the worst-performing sectors, falling 1.7 per cent.
Wall Street’s weakness occurred after US President Donald Trump responded to reports that Iran had planted mines in the Strait of Hormuz—a vital energy shipping route—with threats of retaliation and calls for Iran’s complete surrender.
“The market showed strength momentarily, but then lost it all,” said Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist at Ingalls & Snyder in New York.
According to him, geopolitical uncertainty left investors confused about determining the market’s direction.
“You see headlines from the White House that offered hope to the market. But then reality returns and the market realises that this conflict remains far from resolution,” he said.