Dow breaks below key moving average, signaling potential trouble ahead

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.8% lower at 52,766.88, dipping below its 50-day moving average for the first time in almost five months and suggesting a potential downtrend after a mid-year correction. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished the day just over their own 50‑day averages. Analysts point to rising Middle East tensions, higher oil prices, inflation and surging Treasury yields as drivers of the weakness, with the 10-year yield around 4.8% raising the risk of further declines and a possible test of prior lows.