U.S. equities are mixed: the S&P 500 +0.00% at 7,765, the Nasdaq +0.45% at 27,244, the Dow -0.36% at 51,864. The VIX sits at 14.2 (-4.4% today), inside its normal range.
The 10-year Treasury yield is climbing at 4.97% — the number behind mortgage rates and Washington's interest bill. The dollar index is at 100.5 (+0.1%). Elsewhere: gold up 0.5% at $4,407/oz; WTI crude down 6.7% at $89.38/bbl; Bitcoin at $86,194 (-0.5%).
Among big names, INTC leads gainers at +1.71%, while WFC lags at -3.92%. Rate moves and energy prices feed straight into the political fight over inflation — match this against the headlines above.