US Stock Market Summary – July 13, 2026

On July 13, New York equities closed lower across all three major indexes. The S&P 500 fell 0.79% to 7,515.34, the Nasdaq dropped 1.55% to 25,873.18, and the Dow slipped 0.26% to 52,498.64. The trigger was the Middle East. President Trump announced that he would again block Iranian vessels from transiting the Strait of Hormuz and impose transit fees on all cargo (Bloomberg, WSJ). As global oil prices spiked, rate-sensitive overvalued tech stocks wobbled. Coming just ahead of the next day's June Consumer Price Index (a measure of inflation) release, bets grew that surging oil would fuel inflation and give the Federal Reserve (the U.S. central bank) reason to raise rates in July (CNBC). The Volatility Index (VIX) jumped 13.51% to 17.06, and the Fear & Greed Index fell to 44, sliding from "Neutral" into "Fear" territory.

The session was defined by a clear rotation (the flow of capital from one sector to another). Oil-linked energy stocks rallied alone, while capital fleeing rate-sensitive tech flowed into defensive assets such as financials and consumer staples.

Top gainers split between oil beneficiaries and software and financial names that received capital fleeing semiconductors.

The declines were concentrated in semiconductor and storage stocks.

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> "When the situation with Iran is this fluid, it is a very difficult environment in which to make strategic investment decisions."

> — King Lip, Chief Strategist at Baker Avenue Wealth Management

> "If inflation comes in hotter, or if we see signs over the coming months that it stays elevated, the probability of a rate hike by year-end could rise further."

> — Anthony Saglimbene, Chief Market Strategist at Ameriprise

> "Escalating geopolitical tensions and surging oil are once again unsettling momentum trades. That will weigh on the tech and semiconductor rally."

> — Kathleen Brooks, Research Director at XTB

> "A breakdown of the U.S.–Iran ceasefire carries the risk of re-accelerating inflationary pressures. That, in turn, could pressure the Fed into raising rates."

> — Ed Yardeni, President of Yardeni Research

Our aggregated technical signals came in at an even split: 120 bullish versus 120 bearish (240 total). Despite the sharp one-day decline, signals did not skew one-sided because the shock was concentrated in specific axes — semiconductors and energy. The refiners that rallied sharply have pushed into upper Bollinger Band breakouts (a short-term overbought signal), while the semiconductor names that sold off had flashed bullish signals not long ago before the news shock overtook them. View the Technical Signals Report. If tomorrow's June CPI comes in quietly, today's oil shock could pass as a one-day event.