S&P futures, Dow Futures and Nasdaq futures were up in the pre-market ahead of Wednesday's regular trading hours for the U.S Stock Market. Good sign is that the most big U.S. companies have been reporting both profit and revenue for the start of 2026 above what analysts expected. The strong performances have helped vault U.S. stocks to records, even with all the uncertainty around oil prices and the war with Iran.
Stock markets in much of the rest of the world pulled back from their gains the day before, as fighting continued in the region and the U.S. military said it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines. Markets have rallied in the past on hopes for a coming end to the war with Iran, only to see the conflict drag on.
Oil Prices
Oil prices fell as Brent Crude slipped. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, was down at $95.97. The price for a barrel of U.S crude oil, meanwhile, fell 2.8 per cent to settle at $93.89.
Treasury Yields
Lower oil prices helped pull yields down in the U.S. bond market, which eased the pressure on Wall Street. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.49 per cent from 4.56 per cent late Friday.
It’s a respite following recent gains for yields in bond markets worldwide, which threatened to slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and all kinds of other investments. High yields have already forced the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate to its most expensive level since last summer, and they could curtail companies’ borrowing to build the artificial-intelligence data centers that have supported the U.S. economy’s growth recently.
S&P 500, Dow Jones, Nasdaq
On Tuesday, S&P 500 climbed 0.6 per cent after trading resumed following Monday’s holiday and set an all-time high. The Nasdaq composite rallied 1.2 per cent to set its own record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 118 points, or 0.2 per cent, from its all-time high. Overall, the S&P 500 rose 45.65 points to 7,519.12. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 118.02 to 50,461.68, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 312.21 to 26,656.18.
