U.S. stock futures moved lower on Monday evening after the main U.S. equity gauges ended the regular session with gains, reflecting a cautious market posture despite comments from President Donald Trump suggesting the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign with Iran could conclude in the near term.
By 20:25 ET (00:25 GMT), S&P 500 Futures had fallen 0.5% to 6,769.0 points. Nasdaq 100 Futures eased 0.5% to 24,860.50 points, while Dow Jones Futures traded 0.4% lower at 47,584.0 points.
During the regular trading session, Wall Street reversed earlier losses and finished the day in positive territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, the S&P 500 gained 0.8%, and the NASDAQ Composite advanced 1.4%, with market participants citing some reassurance from the president's remarks that the conflict could be drawing to a close.
President Trump said the war could be over soon, implying the military campaign was progressing more quickly than expected. Those comments arrived alongside reports that Iran had rallied behind a new hardline leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Energy markets remained a focal point for investors. Oil prices surged sharply at the start of the week, briefly approaching $120 a barrel on Monday amid concerns that Middle East disruptions might threaten global supply. That spike stoked fears that elevated energy costs could materially slow U.S. economic growth while eroding consumer purchasing power and compressing corporate profit margins. During the Asian trading session on Tuesday, crude prices retreated from the sharp rally seen earlier.
Market attention has also shifted toward forthcoming U.S. inflation data that could influence Federal Reserve policy settings. Investors are preparing for the January consumer price index report due on Wednesday, followed by the February personal consumption expenditures price index - the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge - on Thursday. These releases are expected to provide additional information on inflation trends and thereby affect expectations for interest-rate decisions in the months ahead.
The combination of geopolitical developments and oil market volatility has left investors balancing relief at possible de-escalation against the economic risk posed by volatile energy prices. Traders tightened positions as they awaited the two high-profile inflation prints later in the week that could alter the policy outlook for central banks that had been contemplating a gradual easing path.
Contextual note: The market moves across equity futures and the rally in main indexes occurred alongside the specific numerical moves recorded in futures and the near-$120 oil price observation. The calendar risk of the CPI and PCE releases remains a central theme guiding positioning.