NASDAQ:XPON 14 November 2025

March 21, 2026, 1:23 AM EDT. Stocks plunged sharply Friday with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq 100 hitting 6.25-month lows amid escalating US-Iran tensions. Pentagon plans for possible US ground troop deployment and control of Iran's Kharg Island fanned fears. Elevated energy costs from the Iran conflict, disrupting 7.5% of global oil supply, pressured inflation and growth outlooks. Crude oil prices remain high despite emergency stock releases. Global bond yields rose, with the US 10-year Treasury yield hitting a 7.5-month peak at 4.39%. The market factors a 12% chance of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in April amid volatility. Overseas markets tumbled too, with Euro Stoxx 50 closing down 2%. The conflict's extension casts a shadow over energy markets and investor sentiment.