More jumps for oil prices sent tremors through the US bond market on Wednesday, along with hints that some Federal Reserve officials don't want to cut interest rates any time soon. But fat profit reports from Starbucks and other big companies helped the US stock market remain resilient despite that.
The S&P 500 finished nearly unchanged and edged down by less than 0.1%, a day after slipping from its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 280 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite inched up by less than 0.1%.
Oil prices jump again
The action was more dramatic in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in July jumped 5.8% to settle at $US110.44 per barrel. That's where most of the trading is happening in the Brent market, and it got as high as $US111.84 later in the afternoon.
The highest price since the war with Iran began is $US119.50 for the most actively traded Brent contract, reached last month. On Wednesday, the price for a barrel of Brent crude for delivery in June, which is getting less trading action than July's contract, briefly breached that mark and got above $US120.
Oil prices have jumped this week as President Donald Trump appears willing to maintain the US blockade of Iranian ships, which is preventing the country from making money by selling oil. Iran, in turn, is keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed to other oil tankers hoping to carry crude to customers worldwide as long as the blockade continues.
Fed puts interest rate cuts on hold
High oil prices helped push the Federal Reserve to announce Wednesday that it's continuing to hold off on cuts to interest rates. While lower rates could give the economy a boost, they simultaneously risk worsening inflation.
Three Fed officials said they did not want to include anything suggesting more cuts may be coming in the central bank's statement announcing the decision.
US Treasury bond yields climbed in the bond market immediately afterward, adding to gains from earlier in the day due to rising oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.41% from 4.36% late Tuesday.
The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, climbed more. It jumped to 3.93% from 3.84%, which is a notable move for the bond market.
Traders still largely expect the Fed to hold the federal funds rate steady through the end of this year, according to data from CME Group. But they eliminated nearly all their bets for a cut to rates in 2026 in favour of a small chance for a hike.
US share markets remain buoyant
Still, the US stockmarket held near its records as more companies joined the procession reporting stronger profit growth for the start of 2026 than analysts expected.
But those not meeting expectations have gotten punished. GE Healthcare Technologies dropped 13.2% after falling short of analysts' forecasts.
All told, the S&P 500 slipped 2.85 points to 7,135.95. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 280.12 to 48,861.81, and the Nasdaq composite added 9.44 to 24,673.24.
In stock markets abroad, indexes fell in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia. Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 1.7% for one of the world's strongest moves, while London's FTSE 100 fell 1.2%.
The Associated Press
