Stock Futures Rise Amidst Tensions with Iran
On June 15, 2026, morning trading at the New York Stock Exchange saw slight increases in stock futures. This small uptick comes in the wake of escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, following recent attacks in the Middle East that pose the risk of prolonged conflict.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 124 points, or about 0.2%. Meanwhile, S&P 500 futures were up by 0.4%, and Nasdaq 100 futures saw a rise of 0.5%.
Over the weekend, the U.S. targeted Iranian military sites in response to attacks in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. President Trump expressed a strong stance on social media, claiming, “US aircraft just attacked Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar facilities in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Again!”
A Pakistani source involved in peace negotiations mentioned to MS NOW that while talks are currently on hold, delegates from each nation are in Switzerland, waiting for the right moment to continue discussions.
In early trading on Sunday, oil prices also experienced gains. International Brent crude increased by 0.8%, reaching $72.57 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures climbed by 1.1%, hitting $70.
This past week was busy for Wall Street, marked by a noticeable shift of investors moving from technology stocks to other sectors. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices fell nearly 2% and 4.6%, respectively, with companies like Nvidia and Alphabet dropping more than 8%. In addition, major players like Meta, Apple, and Amazon saw decreases over 4%, while SpaceX faced a substantial decline of 17%.
In contrast, companies in the Dow—those less tied to technology—managed to increase by about 0.6%. Merck and Johnson & Johnson stood out, gaining 13% and 11.5% respectively.
Ed Yardeni, the president of Yardeni Research, noted a shift in investor sentiment, stating, “Investors appear to be experiencing AI fatigue. They wonder whether hyperscalers’ massive spending on AI infrastructure will pay off… They worry that new technologies will quickly make current technologies obsolete in a process known as ‘creative destruction.’”
As June draws to a close, the S&P 500 has seen a decline of 3% for the month, and the Nasdaq is down over 6%. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen more than 1% during this period.
