Stocks lost ground in early trading Tuesday, while oil prices moved higher, as investors monitored developments in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and digested disappointing economic data.

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks slumped on Tuesday under the weight of another jump for the price of oil. It was a return to form for financial markets after Wall Street’s worries about Israel’s fighting with Iran had seemed to calm a bit on Monday.

We also discuss how China is maintaining a strong grip over rare earths, despite U.S. and China trade officials striking a deal last week in London.

Stock futures rebounded slightly early Monday as the spike in oil prices due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran eased for a moment. Stock gains were muted as investors remained concerned about the rising geopolitical risk to the global economy.