United States stock futures edged lower on Thursday night (Friday AEST) as investors remained cautious over the durability of a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
By 10 am AEST (12 am GMT), futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 were each down 0.1%.
Wall Street had extended its gains in the previous session after Donald Trump agreed to pause military action against Iran for two weeks, fuelling optimism that tensions in the Middle East could ease.
The Dow and S&P 500 climbed 0.6% apiece, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.8%.
Market sentiment was also supported after Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would begin negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible”, helping oil prices retreat from intraday highs and supporting equities.
However, geopolitical risks remain elevated. Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Israel’s continued strikes on Lebanon constituted a breach of the ceasefire agreement.
Equities had surged earlier in the week following the initial ceasefire announcement, with all three major indexes rising more than 2% and the Dow posting its strongest session since April 2025.
Despite the slight pullback in futures, major U.S. benchmarks remain on track for solid weekly gains. The S&P 500 has risen nearly 3.7% so far this week, putting it on course for its best performance since November. The Dow has added 3.6% over the same period, while the Nasdaq is set for a 4.3% weekly advance.
Looking ahead, investors will turn their attention to key economic data, particularly the March consumer price index (CPI), which is expected to show a 0.9% month-on-month increase and a 3.3% rise over the past year.
