US stocks (^DJI,^GSPC, ^IXIC) got off to a rocky start in October after escalating tensions in the Middle East sparked fears of a wider conflict. Traders flocked to more defensive areas of the market in Tuesday's trading session, causing oil prices (CL=F, BZ=F) to spike and gold (GC=F) to hover near its record high.

Defense stocks like Lockheed Martin (LMT) and Northrop Grumman (NOC) also received a boost following the news of Iran's missile attack on Israel.

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This post was written by Melanie Riehl