Dow Opens Higher, Brent Slips -- WSJ

By Caitlin McCabe

Markets are stabilizing after a wild week.

Brent crude futures fell to trade around $98 a barrel after surging past $101 Thursday. That's easing pressure on government bond yields, which also jumped Thursday on concerns that higher energy prices could reignite inflation.

U.S. stock indexes opened close to flat. After Thursday's close, chipmaker Intel gave an encouraging look at the AI trade, reporting results that crushed Wall Street forecasts. Its shares are gaining premarket.

Even so, markets remain on fragile footing. Brent futures are up another 11% this week, while the SP 500 and Nasdaq are both heading for their first back-to-back weekly losses since March. Investors are bracing for potential escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict after President Trump told Axios that he is considering an attack that would be "bigger than ever before."

This morning brought results from American Express and HCA Healthcare. A reading on U.S. manufacturing and services activity is due soon, as is a report on new home sales for June.

Write to Caitlin McCabe at caitlin.mccabe@wsj.com

This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL (WSJ Live Coverage).

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 24, 2026 09:40 ET (13:40 GMT)