Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq slide as Treasury yields and oil prices climb

US stocks took a sharp hit on July 29 as a late-session selloff dragged all three major indices into the red. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,153 points, or 2.2%, closing at 51,594.14. The S&P 500 shed 1.5% to land at 7,316.15, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.7% to 24,442.94. The culprits were familiar ones: climbing oil prices and rising Treasury yields, a combination that has repeatedly punished equities throughout 2026. May 2026 sessions showed similar dynamics, with stocks declining as both oil and yields pushed higher. The 10-year Treasury yield hit notable peaks in July, reflecting deep-seated anxiety about inflation’s staying power. Oil and yields: the market’s least favorite tag team The Fed has maintained interest rates, signaling that it isn’t ready to cut even as markets wobble. Persistent inflation is keeping that option off the table. Geopolitics as the invisible hand Much of the oil price volatility in 2026 traces back to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly the evolving situation between the US and Iran. In late July, Brent crude prices plummeted over 9% and WTI dropped more than 8% after pauses in US-Iran strikes signaled a potenti...