Finance

U.S. equities rebounded to close the final week of July on a positive note, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all advancing. Despite the late-month rally, July overall remained mixed as the Nasdaq and S&P 500 logged monthly losses, while the Dow recorded a small gain.

Treasury yields trended significantly higher, with the 10-year note touching its highest level since early 2025 and the 30-year bond climbing to a 19-year peak. This fixed-income selloff followed a central bank meeting where three policy committee members dissented from keeping interest rates steady, advocating instead for an immediate hike.

A severe escalation in the conflict involving Iran has driven crude oil prices roughly 21% higher over the course of July, with prices settling back above the $85 per barrel threshold. Wall Street continues to monitor these geopolitical tensions as the spike in energy costs threatens to entrench stubborn inflationary pressures across the broader economy.