US equity indices closed mixed yesterday. The S&P 500 fell by 0.37%, Nasdaq 100 dropped by 1.32%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.28%.

Tech led the decline for the second session running. The MSCI All Country World Index slipped by 0.5%, and Asian markets lost more than 2% after closing at record highs. The epicenter of the sell-off was once again South Korea's Kospi, plunging by over 6% amid renewed concern that the chip-makers' rally had become overstretched. This morning, S&P 500 futures are down about 0.8% and Nasdaq 100 futures about 1.3%.

This correction looks more like profit-taking than a change of trend. Investors are trimming positions in this year's big winners ahead of two key uncertainties: the course of US–Iran negotiations and upcoming quarterly earnings. Concern is also growing over the returns on unprecedented AI-infrastructure investments — when a sector is so richly valued, any hint of disappointment triggers sharp reactions.

The day's paradox is that oil is weakening, but the market is not celebrating. Brent slipped below $78 after Monday's drop of more than 3% on progress in the first round of US–Iran talks. The US granted Iran a 60-day licence to sell oil in the international market, an economic lifeline for Tehran. Yet markets are more worried about the overnight decline in US techs than soothed by lower oil. Risk-off sentiment dominates, and even positive headlines tend to be viewed through a negative prism.

Precious metals and crypto also fell: gold lost over 1%, silver plunged by more than 3%, and Bitcoin declined by over 1%. The logic is familiar — inflation concerns and a hawkish Fed outweigh the geopolitical relief. Treasury yields steadied after Monday's drop. The US dollar strengthened against most currencies, while the yen held near its weakest levels since 1986.

Technically, the S&P 500 analysis suggests that today's primary task for buyers is to overcome the immediate resistance level of $7,404. That would show renewed upside and open the way to $7,427. Controlling $7,451 would further strengthen the bull case. On the downside, buyers must defend around $7,380. A break below that level would quickly push the index back to $7,355 and open the path toward $7,339.