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US futures tick lower as Iran tensions linger
United States stock futures were little changed on Tuesday night (Wednesday AEDT) following a turbulent session on Wall Street, as investors continued to track developments in the U.S.-Iran conflict and its potential economic fallout. By 10:55 am AEDT (11:55 pm GMT), futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 were each down 0.2%. The muted moves came after major benchmarks closed firmly in negative territory, though well above their intraday lows. The Dow shed roughly 0.8%, S&P 500 fell about 0.9%, while the Nasdaq Composite finished down 1%. Investors spent much of the session assessing how surging oil prices might feed into inflation and influence future monetary policy decisions. President Donald Trump said the United States would provide risk insurance for maritime trade moving through the Persian Gulf in a bid to restore tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The vital shipping route — which handles a significant share of global crude flows — had effectively stalled after a commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened to set fire to vessels attempting to pass. Looking ahead, traders will focus on the upcoming ADP private payrolls report, a key gauge of labour market
Stock Markets
US benchmarks decline; Iran tensions roil markets
United States benchmark averages endured another volatile session on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) as escalating tensions in the U.S.-Iran conflict rattled investors, sending oil prices sharply higher and fuelling concerns about inflation and interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 403.5 points, or 0.8%, to close at 48,501.3. The S&P 500 declined 65.0 points, or 0.9%, to 6,816.6, while the Nasdaq Composite shed 232.2 points, or 1%, to settle at 22,516.7. Markets swung throughout the session as investors weighed the prospect of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East, with the CBOE Volatility Index — often referred to as Wall Street’s fear gauge — climbing to its highest level since November. Comments from President Donald Trump later in the day provided some reassurance, tempering earlier losses. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the U.S. Navy would escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if required, seeking to calm fears over potential disruptions to global energy supplies. "Effective IMMEDIATELY, I have ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide, at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade, es
Stock Markets
US futures tick lower; traders monitor Iran war
United States equity futures were trading slightly lower on Monday night (Tuesday AEDT) as investors assessed escalating geopolitical tensions between Washington and Tehran alongside a fresh batch of corporate earnings. By 10:20 am AEDT (11:20 pm GMT), futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were both down 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures slipped 0.2%. In extended trading, software company MongoDB plunged 24.5% after issuing first-quarter guidance that fell short of market expectations. The company forecast adjusted earnings per share of between $1.15 and $1.19 on revenue of $659 million to $664 million, versus anticipated earnings of $1.21 per share and revenue of $662 million. Shares in Asana added 5.2% after the enterprise work management platform beat fourth-quarter estimates on both revenue and earnings. Non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share (EPS) were reported at $0.08 versus $0.07 expected, while revenues came in at $205.57 million versus $205.14 million expected. By contrast, hydrogen fuel cell company Plug Power rose 8.8% after reporting adjusted losses per share of $0.06 versus expected losses of $0.10, while revenue was reported at $225.2 million, above expectations of $217.38 mill
Stock Markets
US stocks mixed as Iran war lifts oil
United States benchmark indices closed mixed on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) as investors tracked escalating U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran, rising oil prices and fresh economic data pointing to renewed inflation pressures. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 73.1 points or 0.2% to finish at 48,904.8, the S&P 500 edged up 2.7 points or 0.04% to 6,881.6, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 80.7 points or 0.4% to close at 22,748.9. Investor sentiment was dominated by developments in the Middle East after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, marking one of the most consequential moments for the Islamic Republic since 1979. President Donald Trump defended the operation, saying it “was our last, best chance to strike” to “eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime”. He added that he believes the U.S. will “easily prevail” and anticipates the conflict will last four to five weeks, though he cautioned it could continue “far longer than that”. Iranian officials vowed forceful retaliation, heightening fears the confrontation could broaden across the region after explosions were reported in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Oil prices spiked as investors assesse
Stock Markets
US futures slump; oil surges on Iran strike
United States equity futures fell sharply in overnight trade on Sunday (Monday AEDT) after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran over the weekend, sending oil prices surging and injecting fresh geopolitical risk into already fragile markets. By 10:35 am AEDT (11:35 pm GMT), futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 1%, while S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures each declined 0.9%. The joint U.S.-Israeli operation resulted in the death of Ali Khamenei, marking a watershed moment for the Islamic Republic and one of its most consequential developments since 1979. President Donald Trump told CNBC that U.S. military operations in Iran were “ahead of schedule”, though investors remain wary of a prolonged and potentially widening conflict. The large-scale assault followed Iran’s refusal to comply with U.S. demands to curb its nuclear programme. Iranian officials have vowed a forceful response, fuelling concerns that hostilities could spread across the Middle East. Analysts at ANZ said in a note that “enormous uncertainty prevails” over how the strikes will unfold. They expect an initial risk-off reaction, with traditional safe havens such as the Swiss franc, U.S. Treasuries, t

Stock Markets
US markets slip; PPI surprises to upside
Wall Street ended lower on Friday (Saturday AEDT) after a hotter-than-expected inflation report intensified concerns about persistent price pressures and added to growing unease over artificial intelligence-linked valuations and credit risks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 521.3 points or 1.1% to close at 48,977.9. The S&P 500 declined 30.0 points or 0.4% to 6,878.9, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 210.2 points or 0.9% to 22,668.2. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished February in negative territory. The Nasdaq dropped more than 3% over the month, marking its weakest monthly performance since last March, while the S&P 500 slipped close to 1%. The Dow, however, managed a modest monthly gain of about 0.2%. Investor sentiment deteriorated after January’s producer price index (PPI) showed wholesale inflation rising 0.5% for the month, exceeding expectations of a 0.3% increase. More troubling for markets, core PPI, which excludes food and energy, climbed 0.8%, well above forecasts of 0.3%. The data reinforced fears that inflation remains sticky, potentially complicating the Federal Reserve’s policy path. According to the CME Group FedWatch Tool, financial markets are pricing in a 93.6% probability that the centr
Stock Markets
US futures dip ahead of PPI data
United States stock futures edged lower on Thursday night (Friday AEDT), after a weak session for technology shares dragged the broader market into negative territory and investors turned their focus to key inflation and growth data due later in the day. By 10:55 am AEDT (11:55 pm GMT), futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 were down 0.6%, 0.4%, and 0.3%, respectively. In extended trading, shares in Block surged 22.9% after the payments group announced plans to cut more than 4,000 employees, representing around half its workforce. Zscaler tumbled 9.5% as the company reported second-quarter deferred revenue of $2.36 billion, below the StreetAccount consensus of $2.45 billion. Billings of $819.8 million also missed expectations of $893.3 million. Dell Technologies jumped 10.7% after reporting robust fourth-quarter results. The company posted adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.89, beating market estimates of $3.53, while revenue of $33.38 billion exceeded forecasts of $31.67 billion. Space launch provider Rocket Lab slid 4.9% after guiding for a first-quarter adjusted loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of between $21 million and $27 million, wider than the
Stock Markets
Wall St mostly lower; Nvidia down 5.5% post-earnings
United States benchmark indices ended mixed on Thursday (Friday AEDT), as a sharp decline in Nvidia overshadowed broadly solid corporate earnings and weighed heavily on technology shares. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 17 points, or 0.03%, to 49,499.2. In contrast, the S&P 500 fell 37.3 points, or 0.5%, to 6,908.9, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 287.4 points, or 1.2%, to 22,861.5, reflecting weakness across high-growth technology names. Shares in Nvidia declined 5.5%, despite the chipmaker reporting fourth-quarter results after Wednesday’s closing bell that exceeded analysts’ expectations on both revenue and earnings. The company also issued guidance above market forecasts. However, the world’s largest listed company by market capitalisation faced increasingly challenging year-on-year comparisons as its breakneck revenue growth begins to moderate. The weakness spilled over into the broader semiconductor sector. Shares in Broadcom lost 3.2%, Lam Research fell 4.2%, Western Digital dipped 3% and Applied Materials finished 4.9% lower. In contrast, Salesforce rose 4% after reporting quarterly results that topped expectations on both the top and bottom lines. However, the company tempered investor enthusia
Stock Markets
US futures rangebound; tech earnings in focus
United States equity futures were little changed on Wednesday night (Thursday AEDT) as investors assessed a fresh batch of corporate earnings, led by results from chipmaker Nvidia and software group Salesforce. By 10:25 am AEDT (11:25 pm GMT) Dow futures, S&P 500 futures, and Nasdaq 100 futures were trading within a range of ±0.1%. In extended trading, Nvidia shares rose 0.3% after the company reported stronger-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results. The chipmaker posted adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.62, ahead of analyst forecasts of $1.53 per share, according to LSEG, while revenue totalled $68.13 billion, exceeding estimates of $66.21 billion. By contrast, Snowflake shares fell 2.1% after the cloud software provider said first-quarter product revenue is expected to range between $1.262 billion and $1.267 billion, only marginally above the $1.26 billion consensus forecast compiled by FactSet. Salesforce declined 5.1% despite delivering fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that topped expectations. Cloud computing company Nutanix surged 15.3% after announcing a multiyear partnership with AMD to jointly develop an artificial intelligence infrastructure platform. As part of the agreement, AMD will invest