Traders were active on the New York Stock Exchange on the morning of March 10, 2026, in New York City.
Stock futures showed a slight increase as Wall Street attempted to bounce back from another tough week, with investors keeping a close watch on oil prices and the latest updates regarding the conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 153 points, or 0.3%. Meanwhile, S&P 500 futures also rose by 0.3%, and the Nasdaq-100 futures matched that increase as well.
This uptick followed a rough run for the S&P 500, which marked its third consecutive weekly decline, ending Friday at its lowest point for the year. The benchmark index wrapped up the week down 1.6%, while the Dow and Nasdaq saw decreases of about 2% and 1.3%, respectively.
Last week, oil prices saw a notable rise, with Brent crude surpassing $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022. The ongoing war has significantly impacted prices, particularly as transit through the Strait of Hormuz—a crucial shipping channel—has been nearly halted.
In early trading, WTI crude increased by 1% to reach $100.06 a barrel, and Brent crude rose by 2.2% to hit $105.37 a barrel.
On Friday, President Donald Trump ordered an attack on Iranian military installations on Kharg Island. He stated that the operation did not target oil infrastructure, but warned that further actions might be considered if Iran continued to obstruct the Strait.
Trump mentioned to NBC that Iran is looking to negotiate a deal over the weekend, but it’s clear that stages of readiness vary on both sides.
A report from the Wall Street Journal earlier in the week likely provided a bit of reassurance to markets. Officials indicated that the U.S. would soon form a coalition to protect shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Even with rising geopolitical tensions, the drop in stock values has been relatively light. Notably, the S&P 500 is currently only about 5% below its record high from earlier this year.
Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research, remarked on the S&P 500’s surprising resilience, attributing it to positive forecasts from industry analysts regarding earnings per share in 2026 and 2027. He noted that it seems some analysts might not fully appreciate the possible adverse impacts of continuing the war and the closure of the Straits.
Investors will be watching Nvidia closely as the semiconductor company’s GTC conference is set to start on Monday. Additionally, the Federal Reserve is scheduled for its second monetary policy meeting of the year, though no changes in interest rates are anticipated.
