Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange, in New York, Jan. 16, 2026.
NYSE
Stock futures ticked higher on Monday, following a winning week, as traders continue to monitor the latest developments in the U.S.-Iran war and oil prices fell slightly.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 20 points, erasing losses from the earlier session. S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures gained 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively.
Futures erased pared losses following a Reuters report that Iran and the U.S. have received a plan to end hostilities that, if agreed, would result in an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The framework, which could come into effect on Monday, was put together by Pakistan, an unnamed source told Reuters.
Axios reported that the U.S., Iran, and a group of regional mediators were discussing terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, although the chances for reaching a partial deal before the Tuesday deadline were slim.
Wall Street is coming off a strong performance last week, with the S&P 500 soaring nearly 6%. That gain snapped a five-week losing streak and marked the benchmark’s best weekly performance since late November.
The Dow and Nasdaq also ended their respective five-week slides. The former advanced 3% for the week, while the latter popped 4.4%.
Those gains weren’t easy to come by, however. The major averages experienced wild swings during the week, as traders assessed updates on the U.S.-Iran war and gauged when the conflict may end.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump warned the U.S. would strike Iran’s power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t opened by Tuesday. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Oil prices whipsawed in volatile trading at the start of the week. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate for May was last around 0.7% lower at $110.69 per barrel. International benchmark Brent crude prices declined 0.5% to $108.48 per barrel. Crude traded higher overnight.
Monday will mark the first session during which investors will be able to react to the March jobs report, which came out on Friday. (U.S. markets were closed due to Good Friday.)
The U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March, well above the Dow Jones consensus of 59,000. The unemployment rate also fell to 4.3% from 4.4%, though that was largely due to a big drop in labor force participation.
“The March employment data showed a strong rebound from February’s weak numbers but likely won’t completely reassure markets as a deeper look suggests a labor market that is limping along,” said Ryan Weldon, portfolio manager at IFM Investors. “The layoff data from earlier this week ticked up for the first time in three months and job openings remained lower than expected. Higher oil prices are likely to flow through to higher input costs and ultimately higher inflation.”
