04:18 PM EDT, 07/17/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes closed lower on Friday as crude oil prices jumped amid escalating attacks by the US and Iran in the Middle East.

* US Central Command said in a post on X that it completed the sixth consecutive wave of attacks against Iran. In response, Iran launched missiles into Qatar and Kuwait, the Associated Press reported.

* The University of Michigan's preliminary consumer sentiment index rose to 54.4 in July from 49.5 in June, above expectations for 51.0 in a Bloomberg survey.

* August West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $2.95 to settle at $81.90 per barrel, while September Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $3.25 at $87.48.

* Travelers (TRV) shares rose 9.3%, the top gainer on the S&P 500, after the company's Q2 earnings unexpectedly increased, while its written premiums came in ahead of market estimates.

* Intuitive Surgical's ( ISRG ) shares fell 14%, the biggest drop on the S&P, as growth in the company's da Vinci robotic surgery system in the US moderated amid changes in Affordable Care Act subsidies.