S&P 500 Posts Fifth Consecutive Weekly Loss — Longest Streak Since 2022

The S&P 500 extended its losing run to a fifth consecutive week on March 26 — the longest weekly decline streak since late 2022 — driven by rising oil prices from the Iran conflict, inflation fears, and erased expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts. The S&P 500 fell approximately 1.7% on the day, the Nasdaq dropped 2.1%, and the 'Magnificent Seven' tech stocks lost over $330 billion in combined market capitalization. The five-week losing streak compounded recession anxiety as investors wrestled with a stagflation dynamic: a slowing economy, but still-rising inflation driven by energy prices. The drawdown was the sharpest sustained equity correction since the 2022 rate-hike cycle.