Wealth Club's Susannah Streeter says markets are cautious after a volatile week, with a tech sell-off and Middle East tensions keeping inflation concerns high. UK retail sales fell 0.4%, a much sharper drop than expected, as households cut back on non-essentials such as clothing, footwear and homewares, and high fuel prices weighed on confidence. Brent crude reached $114 a barrel, its highest since May, amid fears that US and Israeli forces could strike Iran's energy infrastructure, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian facilities and risks in the Strait of Hormuz. The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.6% to 26,009 and the S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, as bets on faster rate hikes raise the cost of funding the AI buildout. Futures point to a muted start for Wall Street.
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oil pricesinflationIranStrait of Hormuz
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Related tickers and likely impact
SPY
▼ Likely negativeSPDR S&P 500 ETF
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/22/2026 | 764.02 |
| Change that session | -1.17% |
XAU/USD
▲ Likely positiveRelevance: low
| Market | Gold |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/22/2026 | 4,024.59 |
| Change that session | -2.82% |
DXY
• NeutralRelevance: low
| Market | Currencies |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/22/2026 | 101.62 |
| Change that session | -0.07% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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