U.S. stock futures rallied on Monday morning after President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. and Iran held “productive talks” over the past two days. President Trump ordered a five-day postponement of all strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure. Futures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the S&P 500 Index (SPX), and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) jumped 1.51%, 1.50%, and 1.67%, respectively, at 8:35 a.m. EST on March 23.
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Trade QQQ with leverageOver the weekend, President Donald Trump warned of potential strikes on Iranian power plants unless Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping route. Iran responded by threatening to target U.S. infrastructure in the Gulf, including energy and water facilities. Nonetheless, Trump’s new comments have eased concerns about geopolitical risks.
At the time of writing, the international oil benchmark Brent (CM:BZ) was down 7.55% at $103.72 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude (CM:CL) traded lower by 6.9% at $91.50 per barrel.
U.S. stocks faced pressure last week on concerns over a prolonged Middle East conflict. The DJIA fell 2.11% last week and is down 5.17% year-to-date. The Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.98% on a weekly basis and 5.35% for the year. The S&P 500 is down 1.90% over the week and 4.95% so far in 2026.
Turning to trending stocks, shares of Delta Air Lines (DAL), United Airlines (UAL), and Southwest Airlines (LUV) jumped more than 4% in Monday’s pre-market trading on news of favorable discussions between the U.S. and Iran.
Meanwhile, Synopsys (SNPS) stock rose 2.3% after The Wall Street Journal reported that activist investor Elliott Investment Management has a multibillion-dollar stake in the chip company.