U.S. stock futures were steady ahead of Thursday’s session as inflation concerns and rising oil prices, driven by Middle East tensions, weighed on sentiment. The move followed a weak session on Wall Street that saw the Dow fall to a fresh 2026 low. Futures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), and the S&P 500 Index (SPX) were lower by 0.04%, 0.01%, and 0.01%, respectively, at 12:30 a.m. EST on March 19.
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Forget margin or options. Here's how the pros trade QQQAt the time of writing, Brent crude (CM:BZ) was up 4.13% to $111.68 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude was down 2.98% at $99.19 a barrel.
Major indices fell sharply on Wednesday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that rising oil prices could pressure inflation expectations. Overall, the Dow Jones, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq dropped 1.63%, 1.36%, and 1.46%, respectively.
In after-hours trading, Micron shares fell more than 4%, even as the company reported a strong quarter. The semiconductor firm nearly tripled its revenue, driven by a shortage in memory supply.
Looking ahead, on the economic front, weekly jobless claims are due Thursday morning, along with the latest Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index. Also, Alibaba (BABA), FedEx (FDX), and Darden Restaurants (DRI) will report earnings tomorrow.