A rise in oil prices on Thursday is sending worries about inflation and yields in the bond market higher, erasing some of the relief the United States Treasury Department created the day before. The higher yields and a big drop for Walmart helped drag the United States stock market lower. The S&P 500 fell 0.7 per cent and is on track for a fourth loss in the five days since setting its all-time high last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 612 points, or 1.2 per cent, as of 2:28 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.1 per cent lower.

The S&P 500 just triggered a bullish signal, barely.

Stock markets fell Thursday on doubts about a US move to rein in soaring government bond yields, which could hike borrowing costs for major economies worldwide.