US Equity Markets Close Lower Amid Rising Tensions With Iran

04:14 PM EST, 02/19/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes closed lower Wednesday after President Trump suggested that a military conflict may arise between the US and Iran.

* US initial jobless claims dropped sequentially to 206,000 in the week ended Feb. 14 from an upwardly revised 229,000, falling below the expectations of 225,000 in a Bloomberg-compiled survey.

* The US international trade deficit increased to $70.31 billion in December from a $53.04 billion gap in November, compared with a $55.5 billion gap expected by analysts in a Bloomberg-compiled survey.

* March West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $1.56 to settle at $66.75 per barrel, while April Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $1.59 at $71.94.

* Omnicom (OMC) shares were up roughly 16% after the company reported higher Q4 results late Wednesday and announced a $5 billion share-repurchase program.

* EPAM Systems (EPAM) shares fell nearly 17%, the biggest loser on the S&P 500, following its Q4 results and guidance for Q1 and the full year. Goldman Sachs also cut its price target to $235 from $250 after the results.

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