US STOCKS-Wall St falls as bond yields test multi-decade highs

By Shashwat Chauhan and Tharuniyaa Lakshmi

Sept 29 (Reuters) - US stocks were under pressure on Tuesday, with most sectors taking a hit as government bond yields resumed their uptrend, though gains in AI-linked stocks on optimism about Anthropic's plan to go public helped limit losses.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond climbed to 5.278% — near its highest level since 2007 — and the one on the 30-year maturity was at its highest since 2002.

"Pressure is building on equities... Markets are feeling the squeeze from several directions this week," said Lukman Otunuga, head of Market Research at FXTM.

Higher yields raise the cost of capital and dent the relative appeal of equities, while raising the discount rate applied to companies' future earnings.

Oil prices retreated slightly on Tuesday but held near recent highs, fueling inflation concerns. Brent crude futures were around the $105 per barrel mark.

There were no signs of progress towards a peace deal between the US and Iran. President Donald Trump earlier said he has offered Iran nothing to end the war, rejecting media reports that he was willing to extend some relief from sanctions.

Nine of the 11 sectors on the S&P 500 were trading lower, with consumer staples .SPLRCS and health care .SPXHC leading declines, down around 1% each.

Chipmakers helped offset some declines as they recovered from Monday's sharp fall. The broader Philadelphia chips index .SOX climbed 1.8%.

Megacap and growth stocks were mixed. Meta Platforms META.O and Nvidia NVDA.O advanced, while Alphabet GOOGL.O fell 1.2% and Apple AAPL.O dropped 2%.

Tech stocks were in focus as Anthropic's IPO prospectus showed how the AI lab has grown sharply in the last year but also posted wider losses. The company is targeting a $2 trillion-plus valuation, possibly setting a benchmark for how Wall Street measures AI leaders.

At 11:50 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 279.70 points, or 0.54%, to 51,201.81; the S&P 500 .SPX lost 16.48 points, or 0.21%, to 7,667.30, and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC lost 17.30 points, or 0.06%, to 26,803.08.

US consumer confidence, meanwhile, dropped to the lowest level in more than 12 years in September, while a separate reading showed job openings reduced in August.

Economic data has been under scrutiny, with the Federal Reserve dialing back commentary on policy outlook under Chair Kevin Warsh.

"The case for another Fed hike is getting stronger," Otunuga said. Traders currently see a 68% chance of another interest rate hike in October, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

At least six Fed officials, including New York Fed President John Williams, are set to speak on Tuesday.

Among other movers, used-car retailer CarMax KMX.N jumped 6.1% after reporting increased second-quarter profit and revenue.

Credit-scorer Fair Isaac Corp FICO.N slumped 26.4% after Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will move to a single pricing grid.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.18-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.7-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 posted 6 new 52-week highs and 28 new lows while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 28 new highs and 172 new lows.