U.S. stock futures fell early Thursday after Israel’s fresh strikes on Hezbollah targets dimmed hopes for a two-week ceasefire, driving oil prices higher once more. The pullback follows sharp rebounds yesterday, fueled by President Donald Trump’s announcement of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Futures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the S&P 500 Index (SPX), and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were down 0.24%, 0.31%, and 0.36%, respectively, at 5:40 a.m. EST on April 9.
At the time of writing, the global oil benchmark Brent (CM:BZ) rose 1.19% to $99.64 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude (CM:CL) was up 0.66% at $97.36 per barrel.
During Wednesday’s regular trading, the three major indexes surged on ceasefire news. The S&P 500 climbed 2.51%, the Nasdaq rose 2.80%, and the Dow surged 2.85%, marking its strongest day since April 2025.
Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. would pause planned strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure, provided Iran fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz. He called Iran’s 10-point proposal a “solid starting point for talks.”
Notably, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.29% as of the last check. Additionally, the spot gold price in U.S. dollars traded around $4,731 per ounce on Thursday.
On the economic front, traders will turn their focus to the release of core personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge for signs of cooling prices. Also, data on the Q4 GDP estimate, initial jobless claims, and wholesale inventories are due today.
Elsewhere, major European indexes traded lower amid renewed Middle East tensions.
Asia-Pacific Markets Close Lower
Asia-Pacific markets halted their rebound as Middle East conflict flared with Israel’s strikes in Lebanon.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped 0.54%. In China, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.72% and the Shenzhen Component lost 0.60%. Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei declined 0.73% and the Topix decreased 0.90%.