Stocks Slip, Oil Holds Above $100 as Iran Tensions Cloud Sentiment

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, on March 6, 2026. Reuters/Brendan McDermidU.S. stocks opened lower while oil prices held above $100 a barrel on March 24, as lingering doubts over easing Middle East tensions weighed on sentiment, tempering a relief rally from the previous session despite President Donald Trump’s delaying strikes on Iran’s power grid and energy infrastructure, citing progress in peace talks.At the open, Wall Street’s main indexes gave back some of the prior session’s gains that followed Trump’s decision to extend by five days his weekend ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, after he pointed to “productive” discussions with Tehran.