US Equity Markets End Lower as Oil, Treasury Yields Gain Amid Middle East Tensions

04:22 PM EDT, 10/23/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes fell Friday as government bond yields and crude oil prices climbed amid rising tensions in the Middle East. * S&P Global's October flash reading of manufacturing conditions rose to 56.0 from 55.9 in September, versus the 55.5 forecast in a Bloomberg survey, indicating an expansion to a 53-month high. * The final October reading of the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index was 48.0, above the preliminary estimate of 46.3 and compared with expectations for no revision in a Bloomberg survey. * Iran has drawn up detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if the US and Israel attack Iran again, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters. * Saudi Aramco ordered the evacuation of its headquarters in Dhahran as fighting intensified with the Iran-aligned Houthis, Reuters reported. * December West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $4.22 to $103.69 per barrel, while December Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $4.05 at $117.22. * Bloom Energy's (BE) shares fell 11%, the biggest drop on the S&P 500. The stock faces near-term pressure after higher working capital requirements eroded Q3 cash flow, Oppenheimer said. * Crown Castle (CCI) shares rose 9.1%, the top gainer on the S&P, a day after Bloomberg reported the company is among those in discussions with Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX), which plans to secure at least 80,000 cell sites across the US.