The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday edition that a combination of elevated oil prices and surging bond yields has derailed a broadening in the rally that was supposed to propel stocks to new records. A Bloomberg dispatch to the Post says bulls are confronting a harsh reality: Adding major positioning doesn't appear to be worth it right now. The bond sell-off is capping the appeal of equities, a strengthening U.S. dollar is hampering liquidity and the threat of Iran war re-escalation has kept U.S. benchmark crude oil prices around $90 (U.S.) a barrel. The deteriorating picture leaves investors, reluctant to cash out more than they have already, wondering what's next. "It's risk-off until the dollar peaks," said Bank of America strategists, adding the greenback is spiking on credit event risk, while tighter financial conditions are crushing equity breadth. After reducing risk during the summer, investors seem to have little appetite to pull back further. Bond-market jitters are back, but equities are so far disregarding them. The U.S. economy is still growing, the latest services and manufacturing numbers have been strong, the job market is resilient, and earnings growth shows no sign of weakness.