Stock Market Recap for Monday, May 18, 2026

The major U.S. stock indexes ended **mixed and mostly flat** on Monday, **May 18, 2026**, as Wall Street held its breath ahead of two of the most consequential events of the year: **Nvidia's earnings on Wednesday** and fresh signals out of Washington on the Iran conflict. The calm on the surface masked a growing undercurrent of anxiety in the bond market and among energy traders. The **S&P 500** barely budged, slipping **0.07%** (-5.45 pts) to **7,403.05.** The **Dow** was the lone bright spot, gaining **0.32%** (+159.95 pts) to **49,686.12.** The **Nasdaq** edged down **0.51%** (-134.41 pts) to **26,090.73.** The **Russell 2000** continued to underperform, falling **0.65%** (-18.20 pts) to **2,775.10.** The **VIX** eased **3.53%** to **17.78.** **Gold** was essentially flat, up just **0.05%** to **$4,564.20.** **Brent Crude Oil** held steady at **$108.97/barrel**, down a negligible 0.27%.