By Caitlin McCabe
Oil and natural-gas prices remained elevated Thursday after the latest round of attacks on Middle Eastern energy facilities stoked fears of a full-blown energy crisis.
U.S. stocks climbed back from earlier declines, trading down less than 0.5% on the day. Oil and stocks both pared their moves after President Trump said he wouldn't "put troops anywhere" when asked about moving forces toward Iran. Trump added that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack oil and gas fields in Iran, a day after Israel struck facilities linked to Iran's South Pars gas field.
Government bond yields around the world headed higher, with the latest energy-price jump exacerbating fears about inflation. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.281%. The 2-year Treasury yield, which often rises and falls with expectations for Federal Reserve-set interest rates, moved higher to 3.83%.
Gold tumbled, declining for the sixth time in seven sessions. Stocks in Europe and Asia-regions that rely heavily on oil and gas from the Middle East-fell, with the Stoxx Europe 600 erasing its gains for the year so far.
The European Central Bank and its counterparts in the U.K., Switzerland and Japan followed the Fed in holding interest rates steady Thursday, but policymakers signaled they're prepared to hike rates if the conflict drags on.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 19, 2026 16:19 ET (20:19 GMT)
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