NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are drifting lower on Thursday, while oil prices rise with worries about a potential conflict between the United States and Iran.
The S&P 500 fell 0.4% and was potentially heading for its first loss in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 283 points, or 0.6%, as of noon Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4% lower.
Booking Holdings dropped 7.1% for one of the market's sharper losses, even though the company behind the Booking.com, Priceline and OpenTable brands reported a profit for the latest quarter that edged past analysts’ expectations.
Its stock has been under pressure because of worries that competitors powered by artificial-intelligence technology could upend its industry and take away customers at some point. It's lost roughly a quarter of its value so far this year already.
Such worries have been rolling through the U.S. stock market, hitting industries as far flung as software and legal services and trucking logistics. Investors have been punishing stocks of companies seen as under threat by AI so suddenly and aggressively that analysts have likened it to a “shoot first-ask questions later” mentality.
Carvana sank 9.4% despite also reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Investors may have been paying more attention to how much profit the auto retailer made per vehicle sold, which was lower than expected.
Walmart, meanwhile, pushed and pulled on the market after erasing an early gain of 2.7% and swinging to a modest loss. The retail giant delivered stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but it gave a profit forecast for the upcoming year that fell short of estimates. It was most recently back to a gain of 0.3%.
Helping to limit the market's losses was Deere, which jumped 12.1% after the machinery maker reported a higher profit than analysts expected. CEO John May said it's seeing a continued recovery in demand from construction and smaller agricultural customers, though its global, large agricultural customers are still feeling pressure.
Some of the bigger gains in the S&P 500 came from stocks of oil companies, which climbed with the price of crude. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2.6% to $66.71, while Brent crude added 2.2% to $71.88.
Prices rose with worries about a possible military confrontation between the United States and Iran. President Donald Trump has been raising the pressure on Iran, which is home to some of the world’s largest oil reserves, because of its disputed nuclear program. If a conflict were to break out, it could constrict the global flow of oil.
Occidental Petroleum jumped 8.2% after it also reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.
In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report said the number of U.S. workers applying for unemployment benefits eased last week. That could be a signal that the pace of layoffs is slowing.
A solid job market, in turn, could keep the Federal Reserve on hold for longer before it resumes its cuts to interest rates. Fed officials said at their last meeting that they want to see inflation fall further before they would support cutting rates further this year.
If oil prices keep rising, that would push upward on inflation.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.08% from 4.09% late Wednesday.
Other U.S. economic reports said that growth for manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region is accelerating, but potential homebuyers across the country didn't sign as many contracts in January to purchase. The U.S. trade deficit also widened in December by more than economists expected.
In stock markets abroad, indexes fell in Europe following better performances in Asia.
South Korea’s Kospi jumped 3.1% as trading resumed following a Lunar New Year holiday. Markets in Hong Kong and Shanghai remained closed.
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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.