Mücahithan Avcıoğlu
20 March 2026•Update: 20 March 2026
ISTANBUL
US stocks closed Thursday with losses as oil prices saw sharp fluctuations amid the war in the Middle East, while European central banks kept policy rates unchanged.
The Dow fell 0.44%, or 203.72 points, to close at 46,021.43.
The Nasdaq composite declined 0.28%, or 61.73 points, to 22,090.69, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.27%, or 18.21 points, to 6,606.49.
The Volatility Index (VIX), often referred to as the market’s “fear index,” fell 4.11% to 24.06.
Oil prices continued sharp fluctuations with Brent crude futures trading between $104 - $119, settling at $107.4 as of 2030GMT.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that a sustained rise in energy prices stemming from the Middle East war could push global inflation higher and weigh on economic output.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced that conflicts in the Middle East are putting significant pressure on global trade growth expectations and pose a downward threat to 2026 trade projections.
The European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) held policy rates steady, citing inflation risks stemming from higher energy prices.
On the data side, new home sales in the US unexpectedly plunged 17.6% month-on-month to 587,000 units in January.
The number of people filing initial claims for unemployment insurance in the US fell by 8,000 to 205,000 last week.
European stocks
The stock markets in Europe also saw losses, with the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 index falling 2.39% to 583.64 points.
Britain’s FTSE 100 lost 2.35% to 10,063.5 points, Italy’s FTSE MIB 30 dropped 2.32% to 43,701.38.
France’s CAC 40 was off 2.03% to 7,807.87, and Germany’s DAX 40 slid 2.82% to 22,839.56 points.
