U.S. stocks have shed $2 trillion
U.S. equity markets have wiped out roughly $2 trillion in market cap over the past month amid Iran tensions and rising oil — a sharp reminder that geopolitics is driving volatility, reported. Internals are weakening too: the S&P 500 is tracking a third straight weekly decline and its indicators are at their weakest since April 2025, reported March 13.
WTI and Brent crude surged into the mid‑$90s in early March, with the EIA reporting WTI at $94.65 and Brent at $94.35 on March 9, 2026, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran raised a geopolitical risk premium for oil. (eia.gov) U.S. equities swung sharply: on March 3 the Dow fell as much as ~1,200 points intraday and finished the day down roughly 400 points, while broader indexes showed renewed weakness into March 13 when the S&P 500 posted a 2026 low. (cnbc.com) Volatility and rates moved together — the CBOE VIX jumped into the mid‑20s (a roughly 23–31% intraday rise reported on March 3) and the 2‑year Treasury yield traded around 3.5%–3.6% in early March as investors re‑priced near‑term policy and inflation risk. (markets.financialcontent.com) The shock extended beyond U.S. markets: Bloomberg estimated roughly $6 trillion wiped off global stocks during the rout, U.S. retail gasoline averages climbed to about $3.25 a gallon (up ~30¢ from the prior Sunday), and the White House signaled the Navy could escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz amid shipping‑security threats. (bloomberg.com)
