Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on March 30, 2026 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images
U.S. stock futures were little changed on Wednesday night after the major averages all rose to start the second quarter. Traders also awaited the latest updates on the war in the Middle East.
S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures shed less than 0.1%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were also trading around the flatline.
On Wednesday evening, all eyes will be on President Donald Trump, who is slated to deliver an address at 9 p.m. ET “to provide an important update on Iran.” The speech could be market moving, as Brent oil futures have jumped nearly 40% since the Iran war started in late February.
All three major indexes advanced in regular trading Wednesday, as investors became more optimistic that the end of the U.S.-Iran war was in sight. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite respectively gained 0.72% and 1.16%. The Dow rose 224.23 points, or 0.48%.
Cooling oil prices lent support to the market, with West Texas Intermediate futures settling down 1.24% to $100.12 per barrel and Brent futures slipping 2.7% to settle at $101.16 a barrel.
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, Trump said that Iran’s president had asked the U.S. for a ceasefire. However, Trump said that the U.S. would only “consider” the offer once the Straight of Hormuz was “open, free, and clear.” He added that “until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”
The announcement came after the president told reporters at the White House on Tuesday afternoon that he expects U.S. military forces will leave Iran in “two or three weeks.”
“We don’t know how long this is going to last, but as market participants we need to understand the damage that has already been done,” Sebastien Page, head of global multi-asset and CIO at T. Rowe Price, said on CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t think we stabilize quickly back to normal levels of inflation. It’s a slow-moving macroeconomic chain.”
“You have this background of still a robust economy, but you have to worry you’re on the knife’s edge for a growth shock,” Page added.
Thursday marks the last trading day of the shortened week, as markets are closed for Good Friday. On Thursday morning traders will watch out for initial jobless claims for the week ending March 28, while March’s jobs report is set for release on Friday morning.
