{"id":72183,"date":"2026-09-24T10:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T14:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-new-home-sales-surge-as-markets-open-lower-amid-energy-and-geopolitical-tensions\/72183\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T10:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T14:08:09","slug":"us-new-home-sales-surge-as-markets-open-lower-amid-energy-and-geopolitical-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-new-home-sales-surge-as-markets-open-lower-amid-energy-and-geopolitical-tensions\/72183\/","title":{"rendered":"US New Home Sales Surge as Markets Open Lower Amid Energy and Geopolitical Tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US New Home Sales surged 6.4% in August<\/strong> to an annualized rate of <strong>684,000<\/strong>, significantly outperforming the economist estimate of <strong>616,000<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wall Street opened in the red<\/strong>, with the <strong>Nasdaq<\/strong> dropping over <strong>0.7%<\/strong> and <strong>Oracle (<a href=\"\/stock\/ORCL\">ORCL<\/a>)<\/strong> shares falling <strong>5.7%<\/strong> to their lowest levels since early August.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden<\/strong> warned that the &quot;balance of risks has shifted,&quot; suggesting the BoE may need to respond if energy price risks crystallize.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The United States seized three tankers<\/strong> carrying nearly <strong>six million barrels of Iranian crude<\/strong> oil, valued at approximately <strong>$600 million<\/strong>, as part of sanctions enforcement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Russia raised its 2026 oil export outlook<\/strong> to <strong>244.7 million tons<\/strong>, even as global energy supply chains face ongoing geopolitical friction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>US Housing Market Shows Unexpected Strength<\/h2>\n<p>The US housing market provided a major upside surprise on Thursday as <strong>New Home Sales for August reached 684,000<\/strong>. This figure represents a <strong>6.4% month-over-month increase<\/strong>, rebounding sharply from a revised July contraction. The data suggests that despite broader economic uncertainty, demand for new construction remains resilient.<\/p>\n<p>While sales volume increased, the <strong>median sale price fell to $393,700<\/strong>, a <strong>5.8% decrease<\/strong> compared to August 2025. This downward trend in pricing may be a key driver for the increased sales volume, as builders offer incentives and lower price points to attract buyers.<\/p>\n<h2>Markets Open Lower as Tech and Energy Weigh on Sentiment<\/h2>\n<p>Major US indices opened lower on Thursday morning. The <strong>Nasdaq Composite<\/strong> led the decline, falling <strong>208.33 points (0.77%)<\/strong> to <strong>26,727.71<\/strong>. The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/dowjones\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Dow Jones Today\">Dow Jones<\/a> Industrial Average<\/strong> dropped <strong>0.34%<\/strong>, while the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/sp500\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"snp500 today\">S&amp;P 500<\/a><\/strong> slipped <strong>0.50%<\/strong> in early trading.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Oracle (<a href=\"\/stock\/ORCL\">ORCL<\/a>)<\/strong> was a notable laggard, with shares tumbling <strong>5.7%<\/strong>. The sell-off brought the software giant to its lowest valuation since August 3, weighing heavily on the tech sector. Meanwhile, <strong>Paramount Skydance Corp<\/strong> began syndication for a <strong>$7.50 billion<\/strong> incremental term loan facility, signaling major activity in the media financing space.<\/p>\n<h2>Bank of England Signals Hawkish Shift on Energy Risks<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Bank of England (BoE)<\/strong> Deputy Governor <strong>Sarah Breeden<\/strong> delivered a series of cautious remarks regarding inflation and energy prices. Breeden noted that it is &quot;not at all obvious&quot; that there is a path to lower energy prices in the near term. She emphasized that the <strong>balance of risks has shifted<\/strong>, making it increasingly likely that the BoE will need to respond if these risks crystallize.<\/p>\n<p>Breeden highlighted that while the indirect pass-through of energy prices has been limited so far\u2014suggesting some slack in the economy\u2014policymakers <strong>&quot;can&#39;t wait too long&quot;<\/strong> for conclusive evidence of second-round effects. She noted that the BoE is closely monitoring the <strong>Decision Maker Panel (DMP) survey<\/strong> and <strong>PMI data<\/strong> to guide future pricing decisions.<\/p>\n<h2>Geopolitical Tensions and Energy Supply<\/h2>\n<p>In a significant escalation of sanctions enforcement, the <strong>United States captured three tankers<\/strong> linked to Iran in the Atlantic Ocean. The vessels, including the <em>Majestic X<\/em> and <em>Tifani<\/em>, are reportedly carrying nearly <strong>six million barrels of <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">crude oil<\/a><\/strong> worth roughly <strong>$600 million<\/strong>. The US War Department confirmed the seizures targeted ships supporting sanctioned Iranian entities.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, <strong>Russia<\/strong> has increased its <strong>2026 oil export outlook to 244.7 million tons<\/strong>, according to Interfax. In the Middle East, diplomatic movements continue as Israeli Prime Minister <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong> arrived in the US for the <strong>UN General Assembly<\/strong>, where he is expected to deliver a high-stakes speech later today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways US New Home Sales surged 6.4% in August to an annualized rate of 684,000, significantly outperforming the economist 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