03/19 U.S. stocks shrink fall on Netanyahu

03/19 U.S. stocks shrink fall on Netanyahu comments
Dow -0.44%, Nasdaq -0.28%, S&P 500 -0.27%

The U.S. index fell by around 1 percent in the day due to international oil prices that topped 100 U.S. dollars due to Israel's attack on the gas field. In addition, major tech stocks are holding market events ahead of the expiration date of options, leading the weakening market. However, international oil prices have not risen due to Trump's remarks during the U.S.-Japan summit that he conveyed his opposition to Israel's attack on energy facilities.

Ahead of the market close, Netanyahu argued that Iran has lost the ability to produce missiles and that the war will end much faster than expected. In addition, the fact that additional attacks are pending at the request of the U.S. also contributed to the decline in international oil prices. Although it is not new, international oil prices have stabilized amid speculative trading

As a result, interest rates on government bonds fell, the dollar weakened, and the stock market significantly reduced the decline. In the meantime, the announcement of easing sanctions on Russia, such as the U.S. reselling after importing Russian oil, is also a factor in lowering international oil prices and reducing the index's decline ahead of the market close

The feature is Micron, which reported a significantly better-than-expected performance, but fell 3.78%, citing increased capital spending. While many investment companies raised their target prices, Summit Insights also downgraded its investment opinion to neutral from buy, saying the rise would slow in the second half of fiscal 2026 (after the second quarter of 2026). Those factors led to a nearly 4% drop in Micron, while semiconductor components and equipment companies rose. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 0.88%.

Meanwhile, South Korean overnight futures fall around 2 percent before turning higher after growing volatility after Netanyahu's comments. MSCI's Korea Index ETF rose 2.23 percent. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 0.88 percent. The dollar/won exchange rate closed at 1,495.00 won, while the overnight market strengthened after Netanyahu's remarks, pushing the one-month NDF dollar/won exchange rate to 1,485.00 won