Iran conflict shakes markets, but stocks and Bitcoin weather the storm

The Iran war has upended markets this month, with bond yields hitting multi-year highs and Brent crude rising above $100 per barrel, yet the S&P 500 remains essentially flat, up just 0.1%. Bonds have slumped, with the Vanguard total US bond market ETF down 5% this year, while cruise lines and airlines have suffered from fuel cost surges. Precious metals also fell, with gold down over 5% this month. Big Tech stocks like Meta and Microsoft rallied sharply, propping up the S&P 500, while energy stocks surged on higher oil prices. Bitcoin gained over 40% this quarter, though it remains below its record high.