US Equity Markets Decline as Bond Yields Reach 52-Week High
The US equity markets saw a decline after the midday session on September 14, 2026, as the benchmark government bond yield reached a 52-week high of 5.01%. The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) fell by 0.5%, while the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) shed 1.2% and the iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) dropped 4.8%. Energy-related exchange-traded funds also took a hit, with the IYE losing 0.6% and the XLE falling by 0.7%
The State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) gained 1.5%, while the VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) rose 0.8%. Healthcare-related funds also saw an increase, with the iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) rising by about 1.4% each.
The cryptocurrency market saw a slight boost, with bitcoin increasing by 2.1% in midday activity. The ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) rose by 2%, while the ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) shed 1.6%