Stock markets climb worldwide after oil prices and bond yields give back some of last week's jumps

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are climbing with markets worldwide on Monday after oil prices and yields in the bond market gave back some of their jumps from last week.

The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and pulled back within 1.3% of its all-time high set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 224 points, or 0.4%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.8% higher.

They got some help from the price for a barrel of Brent oil falling 3.1% to $100.62. While that’s still much higher than its roughly $72 price from earlier this summer, it’s down from the nearly $110 it touched last week.

Oil prices are swinging up and down as some crude from the Middle East is able to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, though nowhere close to as much as the industry and customers would like because of the war with Iran. Morgan Stanley’s Michael Wilson said another swing higher in prices for oil, gasoline and other refined products is the main risk he sees in the near term that could keep the U.S. stock market from rising to his forecast for the year’s end.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline across the United States has already climbed to nearly $4.48, according to AAA. That's up from less than $4.32 just a week earlier and from $3.18 a year ago.

Monday’s pullback in oil prices helped lower the pressure coming from the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.96% from 5.01% late Friday after it crossed above the 5% threshold last week for the first time in three years.

Higher yields slow the economy by making it more expensive to borrow money, hurting not just the U.S. government that has to borrow to pay its bills but also U.S. households and businesses.

Worries of course remain about how much oil is available for customers worldwide, ING commodities strategists Ewa Manthey and Warren Patterson wrote in a commentary on Monday. However, they said profit-taking by investors after the recent jump in oil prices, together with hopes for constructive discussions at this week’s U.N. General Assembly and at a meeting between China’s and the United States’ leaders, helped improve market sentiment.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters following talks Sunday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York that the U.S. had “a very successful engagement” with the Chinese side. Bessent said talks with China touched on trade and AI. China and the United States have been discussing reciprocal tariff reductions on $30 billion worth of goods from each side.

In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday confirmed that Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the U.S. between Sept. 23 and 25. Experts and policymakers believe trade, tariffs, AI safety, among other items, are likely to be on the agenda. The war in Iran and developments in the Middle East and ties between China and Iran could also be discussed.

On Wall Street, stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry continue to stabilize following their worldwide slide at the start of last week. Leaders of the AI industry have recently warned a slowdown is needed in the industry’s development for the safety of humanity.

Advanced Micro Devices climbed 4.8%, while Nvidia added 0.4%.

Stocks enmeshed in the cryptocurrency industry, meanwhile, rallied after bitcoin's price rose back above $85,000 and returned to where it was in January. Coinbase Global jumped 5.4%, and Robinhood Markets rose 2.8%.

Stock indexes around the world also climbed thanks to the easing of oil prices and bond yields. Indexes gained 1% in France, 1.2% in Hong Kong and 1.6% in South Korea.

AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Michelle Chapman contributed to this report.

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) in the foreign exchange dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders work in the foreign exchange dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A screen shows the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) in the foreign exchange dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

NEW YORK (AP) — When professional home organizer Britnee Tanner visits her clients, she often spots extra reusable bags buried under the kitchen sink or stuffed in a corner of the pantry.

“They just are sneaky,” said Tanner, who lives in Salt Lake City. “I purchased a handful of these and then somehow I've collected ones I've never purchased, and I don't really know where they've come from.”

Reusable totes are intended as durable alternatives to single-use plastic bags. But it's easy to accumulate too many, from freebies at events to giveaways at the grocery store.

The environmental impact of a reusable bag is relatively small, so ending up with a sizable stash isn't a significant problem. Still, paring down can declutter cupboards and lead to a smaller collection that'll actually get used. As for the excess, donate to food banks and thrift stores.

“You don’t want an entire closet of reusable bags,” said sustainability scientist Shelie Miller with the University of Michigan. “You want well-loved reusable items, and that’s really what gives the environmental benefit.”

Single-use plastic grocery bags aren't meant to last. They become urban tumbleweeds or break down in the environment, releasing harmful microplastics. Single-use plastic shopping bags are banned across 12 U.S. states, and several more cities and towns have instituted their own initiatives, including bag taxes.

As a result, many people stock up on reusable bags made from canvas, cloth or thicker plastic. A few solid, durable bags used for errands or groceries can stand the test of time. Environmental economist Kimberly Oremus uses hers for up to a decade. But whether we intend to or not, additional bags of various shapes and sizes worm their way into our homes.

Just like any product, reusable bags require energy and resources to make — like the water that’s used to grow cotton. Researchers have found that the number of times a bag needs to be reused to offset the environmental cost of its production varies widely based on what the bag is made of.

There isn't a magic number of uses to strive for, but durable bags that look and feel thicker tend to accrue more environmental debt than flimsy plastic totes and need to be reused more times to pay it off.

Reusables “are generally good for the environment, with the caveat that they have to be reused,” said Miller.

The simplest way to cut down on a reusable bag supply is to avoid getting new ones. But life gets in the way, and people get stuck at the store empty-handed. When Oremus forgets to bring a reusable bag to the store, she asks the employees if they have any empty cardboard boxes for her to use.

“If you forget it, it's not the end of the world,” Oremus said. She tries to use her reusable bags until they can't be used anymore, then donates the scraps to textile recycling centers.

If you've already accumulated a crowded kitchen cupboard, save the best and give away the rest.

Home organizer Tanner tells clients to pick out their favorites and assign a job to each. Reserve one bag for library books, a handful for groceries and another for packed lunches. After using one, put it back where it came from — be it the trunk of a car or inside a purse — so it's ready for the next use.

As for the extras, give some to a friend or offload a larger amount by donating. Reusable bags generally can't be recycled through curbside programs.

Tanner brings her extras to thrift stores. Other stores or food banks may also accept donations.

Las Vegas Books accepts reusable bag donations to hand out when customers at the used book store in Nevada need one. Burbank Animal Shelter in California uses larger totes for food, toys and other pet care supplies.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey has collected reusable bags since 2022 for neighbors who visit their food pantries. They welcome bag donations as long as the items are reasonably clean and not ripped.

“They're always something that our pantries need, and that we have available on hand whenever we can,” said the organization's president, Elizabeth McCarthy.

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FILE - A woman carries reuable shopping bags to her car March 16, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)