US Stocks Rebound as Oil Slides on Hormuz, 2026

Wall Street steadies after a tough tech start

U.S. equities rose on Wednesday as technology shares stabilised after a difficult start to the week. The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 were up about 0.4% during the session, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average also advanced about 0.4%. The rebound came a day after sharp losses, with selling concentrated in AI-linked and semiconductor names. Investors were also tracking a sharp move lower in crude oil, which eased one of the market’s major near-term pressures.

A key driver of sentiment was oil sliding to levels not seen since the onset of the U.S.-Iran conflict, helped by the resumption of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Even with the shipping flow improving, the broader backdrop remained sensitive to developments in U.S.-Iran discussions and the risk that headlines could quickly shift again.

Oil drops as tankers resume the Strait of Hormuz route

Crude prices fell as the market reacted to improving supply expectations linked to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures settled down 4% at $13 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate fell to $10 per barrel. Another update in the same news flow said Brent briefly dipped below $15 per barrel in the morning, described as the first time since the conflict began, as pressures in the Persian Gulf eased and more oil became available.

The oil move mattered for equities because lower crude can reduce inflation anxiety and support consumer-facing sectors. It also tends to ease pressure on bond yields, which had been another constraint for growth and tech valuations.

Wednesday’s open: small moves, big focus on Micron

As U.S. markets opened on Wednesday, trading was described as modest, with investors waiting for Micron’s earnings announcement for fresh direction in semiconductors. In early moves, the Nasdaq Composite led with a roughly 0.5% rise. The Dow was described as stable at the open.

The focus on Micron reflected how much of the week’s volatility was tied to chipmakers and AI-related expectations. A strong report could help confidence in the sector, while a weak print risked extending the rotation out of richly priced tech.

Tuesday’s futures slide: AI investment durability questioned

The week’s earlier stress showed up clearly in futures trading. On Tuesday, Nasdaq 100 futures fell 2.6%, while S&P 500 futures dropped 1.2%. Dow futures, which have less direct exposure to technology, dipped 0.4%.

The decline was linked in the article to weakness in memory chip manufacturers and renewed questions about the sustainability of AI investment spending. This tech pressure weighed on broader risk appetite, even as there were signs of progress in U.S.-Iran diplomacy.

Asia feels the shock: Kospi tumbles 10%

The technology-led sell-off in the U.S. spilled into Asia. Korea’s Kospi Composite index fell 10% on Tuesday, leading a broader regional downturn described in the article. The decline came amid a fresh wave of investor doubt over how long an AI-driven market boom can last.

In parallel, oil was still trending lower on optimism around U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, highlighting how markets were attempting to price two moving targets at once: tech earnings momentum and geopolitical risk.

Thursday rebound: deal headlines lift sentiment, AP says

Another leg of the rebound came on Thursday, with the article citing a recovery helped by falling oil prices and easing Treasury yields after an agreement to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In early trade, the S&P 500 rose 1%, the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.2%, and the Dow added 383 points, according to AP.

Oil also moved lower in that session: Brent fell $1.19 to $18.36 a barrel, and U.S. benchmark crude dropped $1.56 to $14.45 a barrel. The combination of easing energy prices and lower yields supported investor sentiment after a period where geopolitical risk had been feeding directly into inflation and rate expectations.

Inflation also enters the frame, above 4%

Not all pressure came from geopolitics and tech. The article also referenced a session in which major U.S. indices started the day lower as the decline in technology shares intensified and inflation topped 4%, the highest level in three years.

That inflation datapoint is important context for why markets reacted sharply to oil swings. Higher inflation can raise concerns about policy staying tighter for longer, which typically weighs on long-duration assets such as technology and other growth stocks.

Oil whiplash across sessions: from $10 to above $100

The article’s snapshots show how quickly oil prices shifted across the period. On June 9, 2026, it noted oil prices retreating after Trump said a deal with Iran might be done in “two or three days,” adding, “Things should progress swiftly.” In that same update, WTI crude was up 3.3% at $13.93 per barrel.

In another segment focused on heightened Middle East tensions and exchanged strikes, Brent rose about 3% to roughly $16 per barrel and WTI climbed about 3% to around $13 per barrel. Elsewhere, a separate update described Brent at $104 per barrel and WTI back below $100 after a reported U.S.-Iran deal brokered with Pakistan’s assistance.

Key numbers at a glance

Market impact: why oil and tech drove the tape

The article links multiple equity moves to two dominant variables: technology positioning and crude oil volatility. Tech indices moved sharply as investors reassessed AI-linked earnings and chip demand, with memory chip weakness cited as a trigger for broader concern. Oil’s fall, in turn, helped relieve pressure on inflation expectations and supported a rebound in risk appetite.

At the same time, the presence of inflation above 4% in the narrative explains why oil shocks mattered beyond energy stocks. When inflation is already elevated, large moves in crude can quickly influence expectations for consumer prices, bond yields, and the valuation of growth shares.

Conclusion: investors track earnings, data, and diplomacy

Across the week’s updates, U.S. stocks oscillated between tech-led selling and rebounds tied to easing oil and geopolitical headlines. The clearest signposts were crude’s drop to around $10 to $13 in one session, the sharp fall in Nasdaq 100 futures of 2.6% on Tuesday, and the subsequent relief rally described on Thursday.

The next market catalysts cited in the article flow were company earnings, including Micron’s results, alongside continued attention to U.S.-Iran negotiations and how quickly conditions in the Strait of Hormuz normalise.