04:13 PM EDT, 03/12/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes closed lower on Thursday as government bond yields and crude oil prices gained amid the ongoing Iran conflict.

* If the current crude oil pricing persists, it will increase the headline consumer price inflation by 0.6 percentage points and headline personal consumption expenditures by 0.4 percentage points in the near term, according to Macquarie.

* Most US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year yield up 5.5 basis points to 4.26%. The two-year yield jumped 9.6 basis points to 3.73%.

* April West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $9.12 to settle at $96.37 per barrel, while May Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $9.47 at $101.45.

* LyondellBasell Industries ( LYB ) shares were up roughly 10% after Citigroup upgraded the company to buy from neutral and raised its price target to $76 from $49.

* Estee Lauder ( EL ) said Thursday it has sued perfumer Jo Malone, her new fragrance brand, and Zara's UK business for alleged trademark infringement. Shares of the company fell nearly 8%.