Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., Aug. 7, 2026. <\/p>\n
Jeenah Moon | Reuters<\/p>\n
Stock futures were little changed in overnight trading Monday as investors weighed signs of progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz against lingering doubts that the U.S. and Iran can reach a broader resolution to the conflict.<\/p>\n
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average<\/a> were down 37 points. S&P 500 futures<\/a> were marginally lower, while Nasdaq 100 futures<\/a> traded near the flatline.<\/p>\n In Asia, Hong Kong’s\u00a0Hang Seng index<\/a>\u00a0futures edged higher, compared to the index’s last close of 25,937.49. Futures for Australia’s benchmark S&P\/ASX 200<\/a> were little changed. Japan markets are closed for a holiday. <\/p>\n The moves come after the S&P 500<\/a> finished <\/a>Monday little changed<\/a> as uncertainty over the Middle East conflict continued to hang over markets.<\/p>\n Iran has said it is closing in on a deal with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran has continued to resist direct negotiations with the U.S. until several conditions are met.<\/p>\n Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday there was “no possibility of restarting negotiations” as long as the U.S. continues violating the June memorandum of understanding and does not compensate Iran for those violations, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.<\/p>\n Oil prices jumped<\/a> Monday as uncertainty over the conflict persisted. West Texas Intermediate crude futures settled 5.1% higher at $82.13 a barrel, while international benchmark Brent crude climbed 5% to $87.72.<\/p>\n Investors will next turn to a key batch of inflation data, with the July consumer price report due Wednesday and the producer price index out Thursday. The readings could prove particularly important after a weak jobs report<\/a> complicated the Fed’s outlook. <\/p>\n The inflation reports could put the Fed in a difficult position. Higher oil prices are renewing concerns about price pressures just as the sharp slowdown in hiring raises questions about the strength of consumer spending and the broader economy.<\/p>\n