Wall Street skids as Middle East turmoil fans inflation fear

Wall Street skids as Middle East turmoil fans inflation fear

By Noel Randewich and Johann M Cherian

Fri March 20, 2026

It was another day of a thorough drubbing with major 3-digit losses all around, though losses were far more moderate until about 1 pm. Before 1 pm, it was just the usual war/inflation fears. It was probably right around 1 pm that Trump announced thousands of more Marines being deployed to the war region with no signs of the fighting letting up. It was at that point that everything went even further into hell.  

Wall Street ends down as traders see no rate cuts before 2027

Wall Street ends down as traders see no rate cuts before 2027

By Noel Randewich and Utkarsh Hathi

Thu March 19, 2026 

It was another day to get whooped but it started out much worse in the morning and through about 3 pm when all three indexes really took a dive, the Dow down some 500. At 3 pm, there was suddenly a very energetic buying spree that recovered all the day’s losses but unfortunately ended at 3:15 pm when just as suddenly they all went into a big dive again until close. The likely trigger were the European central banks following suit with the Fed and holding rates steady on the well publicized fear of oil-induced major inflation in our future resulting from the war.  

Wall Street ends sharply lower after Fed keeps rates unchanged

Wall Street ends sharply lower after Fed keeps rates unchanged

By Noel Randewich and Utkarsh Hathi

Wed March 18, 2026

It was another huge rout today but the headline “sharply lower after Fed keeps rates unchanged” is not quite accurate. The fact is that for quite some time now analysts have said no rate change in March. For a long while, the hopes were for June but once the war started, it became October and perhaps not at all. So the Fed decision today to keep rates unchanged was already long since priced in to the market. No indeed what happened was today’s PPI report which at 3.4% was considerably higher than the 2.9% forecast which was a foreboding of more inflation and dropping all the indexes considerably right out the gate. There was zero expectation of a rate cut, but major hopes that at least the Fed would signal that oil would not figure in to inflation policy.  

Wall Street ends up as traders turn to Fed

Wall Street ends up as traders turn to Fed

By Noel Randewich and Johann M Cherian

Tue March 17, 2026

For no particular reason, all the indexes closed the day with modest gains except for tech which had a pretty good up day. But the day didn’t start that way with them all way up in the morning, the Dow almost 500. All the usual problems remain with the one positive being that Wall Street is betting on now one more rate cut near the end of the year (up from zero a couple days ago) and that tomorrow’s Fed announcement will bring more clarity on inflation.  

Wall Street ends higher as traders return to AI stocks

Wall Street ends higher as traders return to AI stocks

By Noel Randewich and Johann M Cherian

Mon March 16, 2026

AI is once again today the darling of Wall Street with Meta planning to lay off 20% of its workers on the basis that AI will assist the remaining 80% to work more efficiently, thereby lending more credence in the future profitability of the technology. All three indexes zoomed straight up right out the gate a substantial 3-digits and stayed there all day. Major AI players saw a good boost. Investors also acted on news reports from Washington that Iranian, Indian, and Chinese tankers would soon be moving through the Strait of Hormuz, which dropped oil prices a bit but is also in direct contradiction to statements made by Iran last week.

Wall Street closes lower, posts weekly loss as war on Iran fuels inflation worries

Wall Street closes lower, posts weekly loss as war on Iran fuels inflation worries

By Stephen Culp and Johann M Cherian

Fri March 13, 2026 

All the indexes started in the green, the Dow up some 450 at the outset, but the bad news started pouring in from the boatload of data that was expected today. At least it was a steady rather than chaotic decline on all fronts well into the red by the end of the day with tech getting the brunt of it. 

Wall St ends sharply lower as intensifying Iran war, soaring crude prompt selloff

Wall St ends sharply lower as intensifying Iran war, soaring crude prompt selloff

By Stephen Culp and Johann M Cherian

Thu March 12, 2026  

Today was the worst yet. No bouncing back and forth, just straight down. With the strikes on the two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, hopes of a quick end to the war were also struck down. There were no positives in the tug-of-war, just the war making everyone flee equities for safer havens and all the indexes dropping dramatically right at the outset and staying there all day.