New York stock markets opened the week lower as negotiations between the United States and Iran over a Middle East peace agreement reached an impasse. The S&P 500 fell 0.06% to 7,753.13 points, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 0.32% to 26,605.36 points and the industrial Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.11% to 53,976.04 points.
US President Donald Trump has demanded compensation from Tehran over Iranian attacks carried out during the conflict. “Iran is demanding compensation for damage suffered during five months of military conflict,” Trump wrote, adding that the matter had not been raised “in any of the negotiations or meetings.”
Calling the Iranian demand “an interesting idea,” Trump declared he is “also demanding compensation from Iran for all the people they killed and seriously wounded with their roadside bombs and in the many conflicts for which they are famous.”
Oil prices traded higher after optimism surrounding a potential deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was tempered by Iran’s insistence that the United States must first meet its conditions. Brent crude surged 5.12% to US$87.83 per barrel, while WTI crude rose 5.32% to US$82.34 per barrel.
The escalation in tensions sent oil prices up approximately 5% on Monday, amplifying market concerns over a rise in energy costs and, by extension, inflation — a scenario that weighs on equities by reinforcing expectations of further monetary tightening by the Federal Reserve.
The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell to 304.8 million barrels in the week ended 31 July, its lowest level since 1983 — a 43-year low. The Trump administration has released 172 million barrels since the start of the conflict in an effort to cap rising prices, but commercial crude stockpiles also declined to 730.8 million barrels, the lowest since 1984.
Natural gas prices surged as much as 10% at the start of the week, returning to 2023 levels and among their highest since the outbreak of the war with Iran. Uncertainty surrounding the conflict, combined with storage levels below those recorded in the same month last year, continued to apply upward pressure.
The next major test for financial markets will be the release of US inflation data for July.
Investors are awaiting the July Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading, scheduled for Wednesday, which could shift the prevailing narrative on inflation. Federal Reserve members remain divided on the need to raise interest rates, as they monitor the energy shock stemming from the Middle East conflict.
Among notable market moves, Nvidia shares fell 2.86% after the Financial Times reported the company is preparing a US$500 billion financing package with several Wall Street heavyweights — including Apollo Global and Blackstone — to be deployed in the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Intel fell more than 4% after the company announced it would sell US$15 billion in shares to strengthen its balance sheet.
The quarterly earnings calendar is lighter over the coming weeks, with more than 80% of S&P 500 companies having already reported. However, several AI infrastructure companies — including CoreWeave, Nebius, Cerebras Systems, and Super Micro Computer — are expected to deepen investor understanding of the pace of expansion in the sector.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/11/mercados/mercados-mercados/wall-street-fecha-em-queda-com-tensoes-no-medio-oriente-e-petroleo-em-alta/
