20.04.202613:38:55UTC+00US Stocks Inch Down on Monday

US stocks edged lower on Monday, taking a breather after last week’s surge that propelled major indices to record highs. The pullback came as renewed doubts about prospects for peace in the Middle East and fresh risks to global energy supplies weighed on sentiment. The S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq 100 all traded slightly in the red.

In a setback for diplomatic efforts, Iranian officials reversed a signal given on Friday that they would permit all vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz. That earlier indication had raised hopes for a gradual normalization of global energy flows and a potential opening for improved relations with the US. Tensions were further exacerbated when US forces targeted an Iranian container ship, dealing another blow to negotiators’ efforts.

The weakness was led by heavyweight technology names, pressuring broader risk appetite and particularly speculative tech plays. Shares of Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, and Oracle each slipped about 1%. Tesla, by contrast, inched higher ahead of its earnings release this week, the first report among the so‑called “Magnificent 7” megacap stocks. Intel moved in the opposite direction, falling more than 1% ahead of its own earnings call.