S&P 500 Drops 4.6% in Q1 — Can Markets Recover in Q2 Amid War and Rate Uncertainty?

📊 S&P 500 🔻4.6%, Nasdaq 🔻7.1%, Dow Jones 🔻3.6% January started on a strong and optimistic note. Economic growth was accelerating, the Federal Reserve appeared ready to continue cutting rates, and the AI boom still had plenty of runway. The mood across markets was genuinely positive. Then February 28 happened. The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran — and just like that, sentiment collapsed. 📅 The Quarter That Wasn’t Q1 2026 turned into one of the most difficult quarters in recent years: S&P 500 fell 4.6% Nasdaq Composite dropped 7.1% Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 3.6% All three indexes recorded their worst quarterly performance in nearly four years. The Nasdaq officially entered correction territory on March 26, falling more than 10% from its recent peak — a level traders closely watch as confirmation that selling pressure is no longer temporary. The Dow followed a day later. Since the conflict began: Oil prices surged 63% Bond yields moved sharply higher The S&P 500 era