Stock Market Today: Crude Oil Slips on New Hopes for Peace Talks -- WSJ

By Caitlin McCabe

Markets are stabilizing after a wild week.

Brent crude futures fell 4.5% to about $96 a barrel, after Reuters reported that Pakistan and Iran are exploring a path towards new talks with the U.S.

Oil's decline, which had started earlier in the session, eased pressure on government bond yields, which jumped yesterday with crude prices on concerns that resurgent Mideast tensions could reignite inflation.

U.S. stock indexes turned higher, led by the Dow industrials. Intel shares slipped more than 4% though, despite results after Thursday's close that gave an encouraging look at the AI trade.

Markets remain on fragile footing. Brent futures are still up about 9% this week, while the Nasdaq is heading for its first back-to-back weekly losses since March. Investors have been 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."

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 24, 2026 12:39 ET (16:39 GMT)