04:15 PM EDT, 05/04/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes ended lower on Monday after an escalation in the Middle East, with strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude oil prices higher.

* The US military "blew up" six Iranian boats in Hormuz on Monday after Tehran launched "multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats" at American Navy ships and commercial vessels, CNN reported, citing the US Central Command.

* New orders for US factory goods rose by 1.5% in March, above expectations for a 0.6% gain in a Bloomberg-compiled survey, following a revised 0.3% increase in February

* June West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $3.32 to settle at $105.26 per barrel, while July Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $5.85 at $114.02.

* GameStop ( GME ) has proposed to acquire eBay ( EBAY ) in a cash-and-stock deal worth about $55.5 billion. eBay ( EBAY ) shares were up about 5%, among the top gainers on the S&P 500, while GameStop ( GME ) fell more than 10%.

* Norwegian Cruise Line ( NCLH ) shares were down nearly 9%, the biggest decliner on the S&P 500, after the company lowered its full-year earnings outlook amid higher fuel costs and weak consumer demand due to the war in the Middle East, and its Q1 revenue fell short of market expectations.