The 🇺🇸 US stock markets suffered sharp declines on March 18, 2026, following the Federal Open Market Committee's decision to keep interest rates unchanged in the 3.5%-3.75% range, with Jerome #Powell emphasizing limited progress on taming inflation, uncertainties from the ongoing #Iran conflict driving oil prices higher, and the Fed's reluctance to ease policy or signal an imminent step down from its current stance

All major indices closed down over -1%, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunging more than 750 points (approximately -1.6%), the S&P 500 dropping about 1.3-1.36%, and the #Nasdaq Composite falling around
1.4-1.46%, reflecting broad-based selling pressure amid hotter-than-expected producer price data and geopolitical risks
This sell-off contributed to significant market value erosion, with a wipeout exceeding $700 billion across US equities as investor disappointment mounted over the Fed's hawkish tone and lack of dovish forward guidance