Stocks edged lower on Tuesday as investors assessed escalating tensions in the Middle East and a disappointing set of retail sales data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 129 points, or 0.3%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite each slipped 0.4%.
Market sentiment took a hit following renewed conflict between Israel and Iran.
On Monday evening, US President Donald Trump urged civilians to “immediately evacuate Tehran” via a post on Truth Social.
Trump left the G7 summit in Canada early to address the situation, departing without finalizing trade deals with several member nations.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Trump had offered to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
However, Trump rejected the claim, stating his early departure had “nothing to do with a Cease Fire” and was prompted by “much bigger” matters.
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East dominated the G7 agenda.
“We’re all in a bit of a limbo in terms of whether anything substantive came out of the summit and whether Trump was alluding to new information with his post and his early G7 meeting departure,” Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid wrote in a note.
Oil prices rebounded as the conflict intensified. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 1.4%, while Brent futures gained 1.6%, reversing Monday’s losses.
Meanwhile, weak economic data added to the pressure. US retail sales fell 0.9% in May, underperforming the Dow Jones estimate for a 0.6% decline, raising concerns about the strength of consumer spending.
Retail sales data disappoints
US retail sales declined more than expected in May, as consumers pulled back spending amid falling gas prices and mounting economic uncertainty.
Retail sales dropped 0.9% for the month, steeper than the 0.6% decline forecast in the Dow Jones consensus, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.
The data, adjusted for seasonality but not inflation, also marked a second consecutive monthly drop, following a 0.1% decline in April.
Spending remained 3.3% higher compared to the same month last year.
However, the month-over-month pullback adds to concerns over consumer sentiment amid heightened geopolitical risks and tariff-related uncertainty.
Excluding autos, sales were down 0.3%, missing expectations for a 0.1% gain.
Meanwhile, the control group—which strips out volatile categories like autos, gas, and building materials—rose 0.4%, suggesting consumer demand remains somewhat resilient in areas more directly tied to GDP calculations.
A breakdown of the report showed notable weakness in several key categories.
Sales at building materials and garden supply stores fell 2.7%, while gasoline station receipts declined 2% on the back of lower energy prices.
Motor vehicle and parts dealers saw sales drop 3.5%, and spending at bars and restaurants fell 0.9%.
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