US Stocks Ease and Oil Climbs Amid Middle East Tension

Global equity markets experienced a slight pullback on Thursday as investors balanced geopolitical tensions in the Middle East against a wave of corporate earnings reports. In the United States, major indices retreated from recent record highs, with the SPDR S&P 500 ETF TRUST and the INVESCO QQQ TRUST SERIES 1 both edging lower. Market sentiment was weighed down by a video released by Iran showing its commandos boarding a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a move that signaled heightened control over the critical waterway following the collapse of peace negotiations.