The U.S. stock market’s record-breaking rally slowed after uncertainty rose over the weekend about what will happen next in the Iran war.
The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% Monday, beating its all-time high set on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2% to its own record.
The moves were stronger in the oil market, where prices climbed more than 2% as tankers still find the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed. That’s keeping crude stuck in the Middle East and away from customers worldwide, including oil produced by Iran that’s being blockaded by the U.S. Navy.
Iran has offered to reopen the strait if the United States ends its blockade, while proposing that discussions on the larger question of its nuclear program would come in a later phase. But U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan.
Over the weekend, Trump told U.S. envoys not to go to Pakistan, which has been playing a crucial mediating role. By saying the Iranians could call Washington with any proposal, Trump appeared to signal he’s content to try to continue to squeeze Iran with the blockade.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June climbed 2.8% to settle at $108.23. Brent to be delivered in July, which is where more of the trading is happening in the oil market, rose 2.6% to $101.69 per barrel.
Brent prices were at only about $70 per barrel before the war and have briefly shot to nearly $120 a couple times when fears about the war have hit their heights.
Most big U.S. companies have nevertheless been reporting profits for the start of 2026 that have topped analysts’ expectations. That in turn has helped the S&P 500 jump 13% since hitting a low in late March.
This upcoming week could see much bigger movements for markets in a blockbuster week. Several of Wall Street’s most influential stocks are scheduled to deliver their own profit reports, including Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft all on Wednesday. Apple will report on Thursday.
Verizon Communications joined the list of companies Monday topping expectations, and its stock rose 1.7% after the company said it added more postpaid phone customers than it lost during a first quarter for the first time since 2013. It also raised its forecast for profit growth this year, even though its revenue for the first quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations.
Domino’s Pizza helped drag on the market and fell 9% after it reported weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.
In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher with the rise in oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.33% from 4.31% late Friday.
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The Federal Reserve will announce its latest move on interest rates Wednesday, and the consensus expectation among traders is that it will hold rates steady. Lower rates would give the economy a boost, but they would also threaten to worsen inflation when oil prices are in flux and tariffs are also threatening to raise prices for all kinds of products.
Wednesday will likely be the final meeting where Chair Jerome Powell will lead the Fed. His term as chair is scheduled to expire next month, and Trump has already named a nominee for his replacement, Kevin Warsh.
The European Central Bank, Bank of Japan and Bank of England will also be announcing their own interest-rate decisions this week.
In stock markets abroad, indexes slipped in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.2%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.4% for two of the world’s bigger moves.
