Stock Market Today: Dow, S&P 500 Slip as Treasury Yields Near 24-Year Highs

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 239 points, or 0.47%, to 50,940, while the S&P 500 declined 0.39% to 7,771. The Nasdaq Composite lost around 0.55%, retreating to 27,387 after recently reaching record territory.

The biggest pressure came from bonds. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed to roughly 5.3%, remaining close to its highest level since 2002. Brent crude simultaneously jumped more than 4% above $104 per barrel, creating another potential source of inflation pressure.

Treasury Yields Put Pressure on Stocks

The bond selloff has become one of the biggest obstacles facing an equity market that was setting records only days ago.

Higher Treasury yields increase borrowing costs across the economy while making government bonds more competitive with stocks. They are particularly challenging for highly valued technology companies because a larger discount rate reduces the present value of expected future profits.

The latest move extends the pressure seen during Wednesday's bond selloff, when the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also retreated as long-term yields climbed.

Amazon shares fell around 1% Thursday, while Tesla lost roughly 1.4%. Micron declined about 1.8%, even after Samsung projected record quarterly profits, showing that strong AI and semiconductor fundamentals were not enough to overcome the broader macro pressure.

Oil Above $104 Adds Another Inflation Risk

Oil is making the bond-market problem harder.

Brent climbed above $104 as concerns over Middle East supply and hurricane-related disruptions in the U.S. Gulf pushed energy prices higher.

That reverses the setup that helped stocks reach fresh highs earlier this week, when falling oil and easing Treasury yields gave investors temporary relief.

Eight of the S&P 500's 11 sectors traded lower Thursday. Energy and consumer staples were among the few areas gaining.