Conflict Without Closure

U.S. equity markets fell for a fifth-straight week— pulling several major benchmarks into correction territory— as the Iran conflict remained locked in a volatile stalemate, keeping energy markets on edge. The fourth week of the Iran conflict delivered little progress toward de-escalation, as Washington maintained strikes on Iranian nuclear sites while Tehran continued retaliatory attacks across the Persian Gulf. The S&P 500 declined 2.1% this week and now sits 8.7% below its late-January record. The Dow and Nasdaq both entered "correction" territory, while the VIX volatility index topped 30.