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 million.
The muted tone followed a mixed regular session on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed marginally higher, rising 0.04% and 0.4% respectively, while the Dow fell 0.2%.
Market sentiment remains sensitive to developments in the Middle East after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, over the weekend.
U.S. military leaders have confirmed additional forces are heading to the region, while President Donald Trump said the campaign is projected to last four to five weeks but could continue “far longer than that”.
Crude prices surged on fears the conflict could disrupt regional oil infrastructure and fuel supplies. An Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander declared the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most vital transit route for crude — closed, warning that vessels attempting passage would be set ablaze.
A sustained halt in shipments through Hormuz would pose significant upside risks to energy prices and global inflation, complicating the outlook for central banks.
Looking ahead, investors are preparing for key quarterly results from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and retailer Target on Tuesday.
Later in the week, chipmaker Broadcom and warehouse retailer Costco are also due to report.
