Finance

Shares of the nation's largest retailer plummeted up to 8% after reporting a decelerating trend in its latest domestic comparable sales. Despite beating top and bottom-line estimates for the past quarter, Walmart's cautious forward guidance triggered broader concerns regarding the strength of consumer sentiment.

Digital assets experienced a sharp upward move, with Bitcoin climbing past the $71,000 threshold and Ether reaching a three-month high. The sector-wide surge was propelled by the White House's vocal push for Congress to advance the industry-friendly Clarity Act, which significantly lifted digital asset shares like Coinbase and Strategy.

International oil benchmarks marched higher following administrative threats of economic warfare targeting Iran. The escalating tensions in the Middle East fueled immediate inflation anxieties on Wall Street, driving Brent crude prices toward $94 a barrel and boosting major domestic energy producers.