Business
Industrial Average Closes Lower at 46,021 Amid Inflation Concerns and Oil Price Surge
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 203.72 points, or 0.44%, to close at 46,021.43 on Thursday, March 19, 2026, extending a string of declines as persistent inflation fears and a surge in oil prices weighed on investor sentiment. The benchmark index pared steeper intraday losses, having dropped nearly 500 points at one stage, reflecting volatility driven by economic data and energy market dynamics.
The broader market finished mixed to lower. The S&P 500 declined 0.27% to 6,606.49, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.28% to 22,090.69. Eight of the 11 S&P 500 sectors closed in the red, with materials, consumer discretionary and consumer staples posting the steepest losses. The Dow’s performance marked the second consecutive day of declines, contributing to a month-to-date drop exceeding 5% in some sessions earlier in March — on pace for its weakest monthly showing since 2022.
Thursday’s session followed a sharp sell-off the prior day, when the Dow plunged 768.11 points, or 1.63%, to 46,225.15 on March 18 — its lowest close of 2026 at that point — after hotter-than-expected producer price index data and Federal Reserve comments reinforced worries about sticky inflation. The index briefly breached below its 200-day moving average, a technical level watched closely by traders.
Key drivers on March 19 included renewed pressure from crude oil prices, which spiked amid supply concerns and geopolitical tensions in energy-producing regions. Higher energy costs fed into inflation expectations, prompting caution among investors. Boeing led decliners among Dow components with a 2.28% drop, followed by McDonald’s (-1.95%) and 3M (-1.63%). On the upside, Chevron gained 1.39%, Cisco Systems rose 1.15% and Goldman Sachs added 0.58%.
Futures trading early Friday, March 20, showed limited movement. Dow futures hovered near flat to slightly positive in pre-market hours, trading around 46,051 as of early Asian sessions, suggesting a subdued open. Traders awaited further economic indicators, including any follow-through from recent Fed signals on interest rates. The central bank held steady in its latest meeting but highlighted ongoing vigilance on inflation, contributing to market jitters.
The Dow’s recent volatility contrasts with earlier March strength. On March 17, the index closed at 46,993.26 after modest gains, and March 16 saw it end at 46,946.41. However, broader month-to-date performance turned negative, with the index down roughly 2-5% depending on the tracking period amid choppy trading. Year-to-date, the Dow remains positive overall but has shed ground from peaks above 50,000 earlier in the year.
Analysts attribute the pullback to a combination of factors: elevated inflation readings pressuring rate-cut expectations, energy-driven cost pressures and lingering uncertainty over global supply chains. Oil’s surge above recent levels amplified concerns that consumer spending could soften if gasoline and heating costs rise further.
Despite the downturn, some sectors showed resilience. Energy names benefited from higher crude, while certain tech and financial components held up better than expected. Volume on the New York Stock Exchange reached approximately 484 million shares for the Dow-tracking session, indicating solid participation.
Looking ahead, market participants eye upcoming data releases, including consumer sentiment surveys and any corporate earnings previews that could influence sentiment. The index’s proximity to key support levels — including the recent lows around 45,700-46,000 — will be watched closely for signs of stabilization or further downside.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, comprising 30 blue-chip stocks, serves as a barometer for U.S. economic health and investor confidence. Thursday’s close at 46,021.43 reflects ongoing adjustments to a higher-for-longer interest rate environment and external pressures from commodities.
As trading resumes Friday, March 20, focus remains on whether the index can rebound from recent lows or extend the correction amid broader macro uncertainties. Investors continue monitoring Fed rhetoric, energy markets and inflation trends for directional cues in the near term.
Business
Annexon, Inc. (ANNX) Discusses Vision Preservation in Geographic Atrophy With C1q Inhibition and Key Insights From ARCHER Trials – Slideshow (NASDAQ:ANNX) 2026-03-20
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Operator
Good morning, and welcome to the SigmaRoc plc investor presentation. [Operator Instructions] The company may not be in a position to answer every question it received during the meeting itself. However, the company can review all questions submitted today and publish responses where it’s appropriate to do so. Before we begin, I’d like to submit the following poll.
And I’d now like to hand you over to the management team. Max, good afternoon, sir.
Maximilian Alphonos Vermorken
CEO & Executive Director
Welcome, everyone, to the 2025 SigmaRoc results presentation. We have a slide deck for you, which will run in 4 sections. We’ll give you an update on the group’s performance, operationally focused. Jan will take over for the financial section. I’ll take over again after that for strategic delivery and outlook. The slide presentation was fundamentally run in 2 main themes: theme on the left, integration completed, theme on the right, ready to scale.
What do these mean? Integration completed, we are one group, one culture with, of course, local specificities with 3,000 people strong who have contributed materially to the results we post for 2025. The results of 2025 show us that this group can perform, is resilient with whichever market conditions are in front of us. We have delivered synergies, 2 years ahead of plan with more to come on that front. We’ve optimized our portfolio by selling several assets to owners better placed to make those assets work for them. And we innovate, we invest, we decarbonize, we find further potential through those levers.
And with that, we have a group which is ready for
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SoFi CEO Snaps Up Stock After Muddy Waters Short Report
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Natera co-founder Jonathan Sheena sells shares worth $908,301
Europe’s top central bankers warned that the escalating war in the Middle East would drive up inflation and knock growth.
The conflict is threatening the global economy, but Europe is seen as particularly vulnerable because of its dependence on imported energy. European-natural gas prices have nearly doubled since the conflict began.
“The war in the Middle East has made the outlook significantly more uncertain, creating upside risks for inflation and downside risks for economic growth,” ECB President Christine Lagarde said Thursday.
The European Central Bank and its counterparts in the U.K., Switzerland and Sweden all left rates unchanged Thursday. That follows the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep rates steady a day earlier. The Bank of Canada and the Bank of Japan have made the same call this week.
Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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Amazon is reportedly developing a new smartphone more than a decade after scrapping its Fire Phone, with plans for an AI-driven device integrated with Alexa and its broader services ecosystem.
The tech giant’s new effort is called “Transformer” and is being developed within the company’s devices and services unit, according to Reuters, citing four people familiar with the project.
The outlet said the new phone could be a mobile personalization device able to sync with the voice assistant platform Alexa.
Details about the anticipated price of the phone, along with Amazon’s financial commitment to the project and revenue projections, were not immediately clear.
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The Amazon logo is displayed on the façade of Amazon Germany’s headquarters in Parkstadt Schwabing, Munich, Bavaria, Jan. 27, 2026. (Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Sources told Reuters the project’s timeline is also unclear, noting it could still be scrapped.
An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment to Reuters. Fox Business has reached out to Amazon for comment.
Amazon introduced the Fire Phone in 2014, packaging the product with a free year of Amazon Prime.
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Amazon is reportedly developing a new AI-driven smartphone integrated with Alexa, marking a potential return to the highly competitive mobile market. (fizkes/iStock/Getty Images Plus / Getty Images)
While the smartphone was launched with a lot of hype, it received mixed reviews with complaints ranging from a lackluster operating system to its high price, which was initially $649.
The company canceled the smartphone after just 14 months, taking a $170 million charge for unsold inventory, Reuters reported.
Apple and Samsung together commanded about 40% of global smartphone sales last year, according to Counterpoint Research, a market Amazon would now be reentering with its reported new device.
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The logo of Amazon’s Alexa+ is displayed on a screen during an Amazon Devices launch event in New York City Feb. 26, 2025. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid / Reuters)
According to Reuters, the new smartphone would include personalization features that would allow users to easily access Amazon.com, Prime Video and food delivery apps like Grubhub.
The project is focused on integrating artificial intelligence into the device, which could eliminate the need for traditional app stores, the outlet added.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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