US Market Mixed as Middle East Tensions Escalate, Boosting Oil Prices; Dow and S&P Fall, Nasdaq Supported by Tech Giants.

The US stock market experienced a volatile trading day today, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions. The US resumed strikes against Iran, effectively ending a ceasefire, which led to a significant surge in oil prices, with Brent crude climbing over 5%. This reignited inflation fears and concerns over interest rates, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.1% to 52,348.39 and the S&P 500 down 0.3% to 7,482.71. In contrast, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2% to 25,870.65, primarily buoyed by strong performances from key technology stocks like Nvidia and Broadcom, the latter boosted by a multi-year chip deal with Apple. However, other tech shares, including Intel, faced downward pressure due to manufacturing delays and broader profit-taking in the AI sector, while travel-related stocks suffered from rising fuel costs. The Federal Reserve's June meeting minutes also revealed significant divisions among officials regarding the future path of monetary policy and inflation, adding to market uncertainty.