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Stocks retreated from the day's highs on new developments in the Trump-Russia saga. A Washington Post report alleges a senior White House adviser is now a person of interest, while a New York Times story said Donald Trump told Russian officials last week that firing FBI Director James Comey had relieved pressure on the investigation. Crude oil ended higher, driving gains in the energy sector. The commodity held in the green even as the number of active oil rigs in the U.S. rose for an 18th week in a row. Oil rigs climbed by eight. Autodesk rallied after positive earnings over its recent quarter. The stock also got a boost after Bank of America and RBC each lifted their price targets. Gap surpassed analysts' estimates over its first quarter. Revenue held flat, though exceeded targets, while first-quarter same-store sales increased by 2%.

Stocks continued to claw back from a mid-week selloff thanks to another jump in crude oil. West Texas Intermediate recaptured its $50-a-barrel level earlier in the session, while the energy sector enjoyed some of the best of the day's gains. Foot Locker reported a decline in quarterly profit and meager growth in sales. Same-store sales growth of 0.5% missed consensus of more than 1%. The sports shoe retailer blamed a slow start in February tied to a delay in income tax refunds. Salesforce gained after a better-than-expected quarter and outlook. The cloud-software developer reported a nearly 25% jump in quarterly revenue. Deere boosted both profit and sales over its recent three-month period as demand strengthened. The company more than doubled its full-year equipment sales growth outlook.

President Trump's first stop on the international trip is Saudi Arabia where he's expected to discuss terrorism and sign a number of agreements on U.S. and Saudi economic policy. The entire trip is 8 days and will take the President to the Middle East and parts of Europe. This is President Trump's first international trip since taking office. Brazilian stocks are plunging on an emerging political scandal. A Brazilian newspaper reported that new President Michel Temer gave his blessing to an attempt to pay a potential witness to remain silent in the country's biggest-ever graft probe. The country's stock market dropped nearly 9%. IBM tells its employees that work from home that they need to get back to the office. The tech giant helped pioneer the concept of allowing its workers to work from home but it now pulling the plug on the remote working policy. They say it will create a more collaborative workforce.

Losses for stock futures picked up after a Reuters report on members of Trump's campaign communicating with Russian contacts. U.S. stocks are coming off their worst day this year on worry about distractions in Washington delaying reforms that could stimulate the economy, like tax reform. Wall Street is evaluating the choice of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel for the Trump-Russia probe. Mueller will have sweeping powers and the authority to prosecute any crimes he would uncover. Mueller is know for being bi-partisan. The U.S. Justice Department is preparing to possibly file suit against Fiat Chrysler . Bloomberg reports the filing will happen if talks to resolve differences over the automaker's alleged violations of the U.S. clean air rules with its diesel vehicles. The suit being prepared alleges the company used illegal defeat devices, like software, to disable pollution control systems.

Another scandal from the White House rocked financial markets in the most punishing day of the year and the worst for the S&P 500 since September. Financials stocks were the hardest hit. Colgate-Palmolive surged on reports CEO Ian Cook is contemplating a sale. Cook reportedly told institutional investors that a potential deal could put Colgate at $100 a share, pushing the total value to $88 billion. Urban Outfitters declined after disappointing quarterly sales. Revenue inched 0.2% lower, falling short of consensus. Net income also missed expectations. Advanced Micro Devices tumbled following weak earnings guidance. The chipmaker surged a day earlier on a rumored licensing deal with rival Intel .

Stocks were on track for one of the worst sessions of the year as another Donald Trump scandal shook the White House. The latest flood of distractions appears to have put progress on tax reform on the backburner. Crude surged to three-week highs after U.S. oil inventories declined for their sixth week in a row. The Energy Information Administration also reported that gasoline and distillate stockpiles had dropped. American Eagle Outfitters tumbled on second-quarter guidance. The teen retailer anticipates same-store sales to come in flat to down slightly, disappointing analysts looking for a 0.5% rise. Ford confirmed reports of job cuts, announcing plans to cut workforce costs by roughly 10% in North America and the Asia Pacific this year. Ford expects to reduce its employee base by as many as 1,400 jobs by September.

Stocks are set for the worst start to a trading day in a month as investors grow increasingly worried that the chaos in Washington will delay President Trump's pro-business agenda. Reports from the New York Times and others say the President asked FBI Director James Comey to shut down the investigation of then NSA Director Mike Flynn, something the White House denies. The U.S. dollar is dropping as well. Target beat earnings and revenue expectations. The company reported a $1.21 a share in earnings versus .91 cents expected. However, Target executives say they are experiencing headwinds. Target shares are surging in the premarket. Jack in the Box could sell its popular Qdoba Mexican Grill restaurant chain. Nation's restaurant news says the company has hired Morgan Stanley to help it evaluate all of its alternatives.

Stocks lost earlier gains to trade mixed as crude oil prices made a surprise move lower. Oil settled at a two-week best a day earlier on hopes of an extension to a production cut deal. Etsy soared after investment firms TPG Group and Dragoneer Investment reported a collective 8% stake in the homemade goods marketplace. New CEO Josh Silverman said the company is now reviewing strategic and operational plans. TJX Companies was one of the worst performers in the consumer goods space after disappointing quarterly sales and weak guidance. Same-store sales rose 1%, below consensus of 1.6%. Home Depot was one of the few retail names posting a solid quarter. The DIY retailer anticipates both revenue and same-store sales to increase by 4.6% for the full year.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq booked fresh record closes to begin the week as a crude rally put oil at its highest level in two weeks. Oil surged on hopes for an extension to OPEC's production cut deal. Sears slumped after CEO Eddie Lambert warned that one of the retailer's supplies would soon file a lawsuit to dissolve a supply agreement. Sears and supplier One World have done business together for nearly a decade. Coach climbed after Deutsche Bank upgraded its rating to buy from hold. Analysts remain optimistic Coach can effectively boost profit with its acquisition of Kate Spade. Snap surged in one of its best performances since going public in March after filings showed investment firms Fidelity and BlackRock had stakes in the company. Daniel Loeb's Third Point also disclosed a position in Snap as of the end of March.

Stocks moved higher after energy ministers from Russia and Saudi Arabia called for an extension to an oil production cap agreement. The energy sector drove the bulk of gains on Wall Street to begin the week. Homebuilder sentiment improved in May as confidence in demand remained strong. The National Association of Home Builders said "existing home inventory remains tight" meaning that demand for new construction should continue. Buffalo Wild Wings increased after analysts at Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to buy from hold. The firm said cost-cutting initiatives could lessen the impact of potential headwinds to sales and profit. Cybersecurity companies were on the upswing after a massive cyberattack crippled computer networks across Europe. Symantec , FireEye , and Palo Alto Networks each moved higher.