Ceasefire Hopes Boost U.S. Stock Futures, Nasdaq Futures Up 1.4%
Claire Weston
A proposed 10-day Middle East ceasefire sent all three U.S. futures higher, with Nasdaq 100 futures leading at +1.44%; tariff escalation and Houthi blockade threats remind markets that risk has not fully cleared.
How much did futures rise, and who led?
As of 5:19 a.m. ET, Dow futures gained 189 points (0.36%), S&P 500 futures added 43 points (0.57%), and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 415.75 points (1.44%).
Nasdaq led by the widest margin. This means → capital is snapping back first into the hardest-hit corner: tech and semis.
The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose 3.8% pre-market. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index crossed the −20% bear-market threshold last Friday, yet it remains up roughly 66% year-to-date.
Why can a ceasefire headline move stocks?
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran received a 10-day ceasefire proposal from mediators.
Brent crude pulled back from a one-month high. In plain terms = when oil drops, corporate cost expectations ease, and money rotates from safety back into equities.
Markets have been burned before by similar ceasefire optimism. Whether this proposal advances remains the key swing factor for oil and risk assets.
What is the week's most critical checkpoint?
Alphabet and Intel report earnings this week — both results directly test whether the AI trade can hold.
Chip-stock volatility had already dragged major Wall Street indices down for three straight sessions, even as Q2 earnings season started on solid footing overall.
This means → the market is no longer asking "Does AI work?" but "When does AI spending turn into profit?" — and earnings are the answer sheet.
What is UBS's read on the outlook?
UBS Global Wealth Management CIO Mark Haefele said a ceasefire-driven oil pullback would have limited pass-through to core inflation, keeping central banks from tightening aggressively.
In plain terms = lower oil helps, but central banks won't cut more because of it — the real engine for stocks remains earnings growth itself.
What risks have not left the room?
President Trump announced 50% tariffs on a broad range of Canadian imports on Monday, citing unfair treatment of U.S. autos, alcohol, and dairy.
Yemen's Houthi forces declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, meaning energy-supply risk has not fully dissipated.
This reflects a half-defused minefield — tariffs and shipping threats can reprice risk assets at any moment.
Any single-stock moves worth watching?
Nebius jumped 7.7% pre-market after Nvidia disclosed a 9.3% passive stake in the AI cloud-computing company.
This means → Nvidia is extending its reach from selling chips to taking equity positions in AI infrastructure — the market reads it as a stamp of credibility for Nebius.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.