U.S. stocks slumped after a report said inflation was primed to worsen even before the war with Iran sent oil prices spiking. That and comments from the head of the Federal Reserve pushed Wall Street on Wednesday to see less chance of getting the lower interest rates that it loves. The S&P 500 fell 1.4% for its first loss this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.6%, and the Nasdaq composite slid 1.5%. Treasury yields climbed in the bond market, which hurts prices for all kinds of investments. Gold fell back below $5,000 per ounce.

A drop in oil prices helped send the U.S. stock market to its best day since the war in Iran began. The S&P 500 climbed 1% Monday for its biggest gain in five weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.2%. The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude fell toward $93 after topping $102 in the morning. The fall in oil prices not only helped boost stocks of companies with big fuel bills but also helped Treasury yields ease in the bond market. The S&P 500 pulled back to just 4% below its record.

Wall Street’s losses deepened as the ongoing fallout from the war in Iran keeps pushing oil prices higher, ratcheting up inflationary pressure on the global economy. After briefly easing early Friday, crude oil prices rose again, bringing the benchmark oil price back above $100 a barrel. The S&P 500 fell 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.3% and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.9%. A measure of inflation closely monitored by the Federal Reserve moved higher in January, even before the war with Iran sent energy prices higher.

The U.S. stock market remained calm, even as the price of oil got back to rising. The S&P 500 edged down 0.1% Wednesday for a second day of modest moves following what had been a wild stretch caused by the war with Iran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%. Oracle limited Wall Street’s losses after jumping following a strong profit report. Oil prices climbed even though the International Energy Agency said its members will release a record amount of crude from stockpiles set aside for emergencies. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.

Inflation stayed stubbornly elevated last month as gas prices rose in a snapshot of what consumer prices looked like before the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran sent energy costs soaring. Wednesday’s data has been overtaken by the conflict that began when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, which has caused wild gyrations in oil prices as shipping lanes through the Persian Gulf have suffered a rare shutdown. Gas prices have already jumped and are expected to push inflation much higher when inflation data for this month is released in early April.