Wall Street pauses amid Middle East tensions and inflation watch

Real Estate Market - Existing home sales in the US increased by 1.7% in February, reaching an annualized pace of 4.09 million units, partially recovering from January's decline, although weather conditions may have limited activity [1] - The inventory of single-family homes remains tight at 1.18 million, which is 18% lower than February 2019 levels [1] - The median single-family home price saw a modest year-over-year increase of 0.2%, with regional variations showing stronger gains in the Northeast (+4.0%) and Midwest (+2.3%), while the South (+0.2%) and West (-2.2%) experienced slower or negative appreciation [2] Small Business Sentiment - Small business optimism declined for the second consecutive month in February, as firms reduced capital spending and hiring plans, primarily due to weak demand for workers rather than labor shortages [3] - Despite the downturn, a net 15% of small business owners believe current conditions favor expansion, and 18% expect favorable conditions in the next six months, both figures above pandemic-era averages [4] Stock Market Performance - Wall Street opened with mixed results, as the Dow and S&P 500 fell by 0.4% and 0.25% respectively, while the Nasdaq remained slightly positive, influenced by declines in technology and energy stocks [5] - Notable declines included Salesforce (-3.3%), IBM (-1.5%), and Chevron (-1.2%), with Chevron's drop reflecting a pullback in oil prices [5] - Major companies such as Disney, Microsoft, Visa, and Nike also saw declines of around 0.7-0.9% [6]