Renewed inflation worries, combined with gains in oil prices, have shifted expectations for Federal Reserve policy. Traders have scaled back bets that the central bank will cut in

Technical analysis of the S&P 500 and silver price as they slide while EUR/GBP probes key support amid fears of a prolonged war in the Middle East.

S&P 500 futures are pointing +0.37% higher ahead of Friday’s open, a modest recovery attempt after the index shed 1.52% on Thursday flirts with $100 a barrel pricing. The session’s tentative optimism rests on a complicated foundation: energy prices that are surging toward levels not seen since 2022,

The index may be overdue for a decline.

As of the close on March 11, the S&P 500 is just a short distance from its central mean trendline. Which is to say the level of the S&P 500 has finally returned to its established mean.

The broad-based index shed 0.61%, putting it 5% below its recent high. The Nasdaq Composite declined 0.93%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 119.38 points, or 0.25%.

The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq rebounded sharply after President Trump suggested the conflict in Iran was going to end sooner than expected.

The classic way to bet on the direction of the S&P 500 Index is in the options market, buying puts or calls tied to a preset price.

The materials sector of the S&P 500 has been the strongest of the index’s 11 sectors since Feb. 27.