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Tech Selloff Rattles Wall Street as Iran Peace Talks Ease Oil — June 23, 2026

A sharp selloff in technology stocks weighed on North American markets Tuesday as investors continued to digest the fallout from Alphabet's steep decline and reassess valuations across Big Tech. Canada's TSX hovered near the 35,000 level, oil drifted lower on progress in U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, and gold pulled back from recent highs as hawkish Federal Reserve signals kept pressure on precious metals. 🇨🇦 Canada — TSX & Economy Index / Asset Level Change S&P/TSX Composite ~34,857 ▼ −0.32% CAD/USD ~$0.705 USD ▼ −0.19% WTI Crude Oil ~$73.67 USD/bbl ▼ −0.26% Canada CPI (May 2026) 3.2% YoY ▲ Above 3% target The S&P/TSX Composite Index dipped slightly Tuesday, retreating from the 35,000 level it briefly crossed on Monday after Canada's banking regulator freed up capital requirements for major lenders. The pullback came as tech-driven weakness from Wall Street spread northward. Financials had been a bright spot on Monday — RBC and BMO each added more than 1% aft...

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Anticipation and Reaction to Fed’s Rate Decision

 


As investors braced for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision, North American stock markets experienced a mixed close. The Fed maintained its key interest rate at 5.25%-5.50%, leaving the future of rate cuts uncertain. Despite this, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dipped, while the Dow Jones and S&P/TSX Composite saw modest gains.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference offered a glimmer of hope as he dismissed the likelihood of an immediate rate hike, causing a surge in market optimism. He acknowledged the persistent issue of inflation but expressed confidence in the progress towards the 2% target.

The labor market showed signs of normalization, with job openings at a three-year low2. Meanwhile, the earnings season is more than halfway through, with a majority of S&P 500 companies surpassing consensus expectations.

In the corporate landscape, AMD’s AI chip sales forecast led to a 9% drop in its shares, while Amazon’s AI-driven cloud growth pushed its stock up by 2.2%. Johnson & Johnson plans to proceed with a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit settlement, and Starbucks faced a significant sales forecast cut.

The energy sector took a hit due to falling oil prices and a potential Middle East ceasefire, while uranium miners saw a boost from a U.S. ban on Russian imports. Canadian manufacturing activity continued to contract, reflecting ongoing economic challenges.

In summary, the market’s response to the Fed’s decision was a complex interplay of anticipation, relief, and sector-specific movements, highlighting the intricate dynamics of financial markets.

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