{"id":58793,"date":"2026-02-19T13:09:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T17:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/dowjonestodaydow-jones-slips-as-geopolitical-tensions-drive-oil-prices-higher\/58793\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T13:09:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T17:09:38","slug":"dowjonestodaydow-jones-slips-as-geopolitical-tensions-drive-oil-prices-higher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/dowjonestodaydow-jones-slips-as-geopolitical-tensions-drive-oil-prices-higher\/58793\/","title":{"rendered":"[DowJonesToday]Dow Jones Slips as Geopolitical Tensions Drive Oil Prices Higher"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/dowjones\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Dow Jones Today\">Dow Jones<\/a> Index (^DJI)<\/strong> was down <strong>339.47 (-0.6836%)<\/strong> points today, trading at <strong>49,323.19<\/strong>, while <strong>Dow Futures (YM=F)<\/strong> was down <strong>279.00 (-0.5611%)<\/strong> points to <strong>49,443.00<\/strong>. The primary narrative driving the market lower was escalating <strong>geopolitical tensions<\/strong> between the United States and Iran, which sparked a surge in <strong>crude oil prices<\/strong> to over <strong>$66 per barrel<\/strong>. This &quot;geopolitical angst&quot; raised immediate concerns about energy-driven inflation, potentially complicating the <strong>Federal Reserve&#39;s<\/strong> path toward interest rate cuts. Additionally, a record <strong>U.S. trade deficit<\/strong> and a cautious outlook from retail giant <strong>Walmart (<a href=\"\/stock\/WMT\">WMT<\/a>)<\/strong> added to the risk-off sentiment.<\/p>\n<p>Investors sought refuge in defensive sectors and energy plays as the broader market retreated. <strong>Verizon (<a href=\"\/stock\/VZ\">VZ<\/a>)<\/strong> was up <strong>1.36%<\/strong> to <strong>$48.7450<\/strong>, leading the gainers, followed closely by <strong>Chevron (<a href=\"\/stock\/CVX\">CVX<\/a>)<\/strong>, which was up <strong>1.16%<\/strong> to <strong>$185.9900<\/strong> due to the spike in oil futures. Consumer staples also showed resilience; <strong>Procter &amp; Gamble (<a href=\"\/stock\/PG\">PG<\/a>)<\/strong> was up <strong>0.94%<\/strong> to <strong>$158.3700<\/strong>, and <strong>McDonald&#39;s (<a href=\"\/stock\/MCD\">MCD<\/a>)<\/strong> was up <strong>0.83%<\/strong> to <strong>$330.4550<\/strong>. Industrial heavyweight <strong>Caterpillar (<a href=\"\/stock\/CAT\">CAT<\/a>)<\/strong> also remained in positive territory, as it was up <strong>0.71%<\/strong> to <strong>$757.8900<\/strong>, supported by its record backlog and global infrastructure demand.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, consumer discretionary and financial stocks were the hardest hit by the day&#39;s volatility. <strong>Nike (<a href=\"\/stock\/NKE\">NKE<\/a>)<\/strong> was down <strong>1.94%<\/strong> to <strong>$64.3335<\/strong>, making it the Dow&#39;s biggest loser amid fears of slowing global consumer spending. The financial sector struggled as well, with <strong>American Express (<a href=\"\/stock\/AXP\">AXP<\/a>)<\/strong> down <strong>1.81%<\/strong> to <strong>$340.3000<\/strong> and <strong>Goldman Sachs (<a href=\"\/stock\/GS\">GS<\/a>)<\/strong> down <strong>1.67%<\/strong> to <strong>$919.2900<\/strong>. Technology and software equities also faced selling pressure; <strong>Salesforce (<a href=\"\/stock\/CRM\">CRM<\/a>)<\/strong> was down <strong>1.73%<\/strong> to <strong>$184.9800<\/strong>, while <strong>IBM (<a href=\"\/stock\/IBM\">IBM<\/a>)<\/strong> was down <strong>1.55%<\/strong> to <strong>$256.8150<\/strong>. Even tech leaders like <strong>Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>)<\/strong> and <strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> were down <strong>0.38%<\/strong> and <strong>0.26%<\/strong>, respectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Dow Jones Index (^DJI) was down 339.47 (-0.6836%) points today, trading at 49,323.19, while Dow Futures (YM=F) was down 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