Wall Street Stumbles on Quadruple Witching Friday as Iran Conflict and Energy Shocks Fuel Stagflation Fears

U.S. equity markets are navigating a turbulent afternoon session this Friday, March 20th, 2026, as investors grapple with a volatile cocktail of geopolitical tension, "quadruple witching" derivatives expiration, and a hawkish-leaning Federal Reserve pause. As of mid-afternoon trading, major indexes are broadly lower, putting Wall Street on track for its fourth consecutive weekly decline—the longest losing streak in over a year.Major Market Indexes and Afternoon PerformanceThe afternoon session has seen a de ...