The stock market experienced a volatile week ending March 13, 2026, marked by a third consecutive weekly decline, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, surging oil prices, and disappointing U.S. employment data. The major indexes, including the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq and the Russell, fell as investors feared rising inflation and slower economic growth. The S&P 500 broke below key technical support levels, closing below 6,700 on Thursday, and the Nasdaq dipped below its 200-day moving average. The VIX opened the week trading at 35--just a monster increase in volatility.

The stock market experienced a volatile week ending March 6, 2026, driven by a "perfect storm" of surging oil prices due to the escalating Iran conflict and a surprisingly weak February jobs report. The major market indices all posted significant weekly losses, with the Dow having its worst week since April 2025. Oil prices saw their biggest weekly gain since 1983, with WTI crude topping $90 per barrel amid concerns about supply disruptions and U.S./Israeli strikes on Iran. The February employment report showed a shocking loss of 92,000 nonfarm payrolls, far below expectations of a gain, with the unemployment rate ticking up to 4.4%.

The Dow suffered its biggest weekly drop since mid-November, falling 1.3%. One of the reasons for this week's drop in the market was NVDA, which despite reporting strong Q4 results, dropped significantly, signaling potential fatigue in the AI trade and skepticism over the longevity of high-cost, mega-cap capital expenditures. Market weakness was further driven a hotter-than-expected PPI inflation report, which showed a 0.8% monthly gain, the biggest jump since July 2025, and a 3.6% core year-over-year increase, raising concerns about stubborn inflation and a more hawkish Fed. President Trump announced that a decision had been made about Iran, hinting that military action was immiment. That attack began a few hours later. How will that affect oil and the energy sector next week?