Futures for the main Wall Street indexes are trading higher on the night of this Sunday (26), while oil is posting a sharp decline after a pause in the clashes between the United States and Iran.
The S&P 500 Futures was up 0,61%, at 7.493,25 points, with a gain of 45,75 points. Dow Futures advanced 0,44%, to 52.352 points, while Nasdaq Futures gained 1,20%, to 28.622,50 points.
Russell 2000 Futures was also up 0,92%, trading at 2.968,50 points. Meanwhile, the VIX fell 0,64%, to 18,58 points, indicating a slight reduction in the volatility expected by investors.
Truce between the U.S. and Iran favors markets
The rise in U.S. futures comes after Iran signaled that it may suspend the attacks, provided that the pause in the fighting determined by the United States is also maintained.
The possibility of a temporary interruption in hostilities helped reduce part of the pressure on financial markets. Oil reacted with a significant drop amid the prospect of lower tension in the region.
The Crude Oil Sep 26 fell 5,22%, to US$ 84,79, a drop of US$ 4,52. The move also helps explain the improvement in stock futures performance tonight.
Meanwhile, gold moved in the opposite direction. The precious metal rose 0,56%, trading at US$ 4.093,80 per ounce.
Bitcoin today follows the improvement in markets
In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin today was trading at US$ 65.319,74, posting a gain of 1,59%. The appreciation represents a gain of US$ 1.024,13 compared to the previous price.
The move comes as U.S. futures signal a positive opening for the next session. The relationship between Bitcoin and risk assets also places the behavior of Wall Street indexes among the points monitored by cryptocurrency investors.
The improvement, however, comes after a negative week for U.S. stocks. On Friday, the S&P 500 fell 0,6%, while the Nasdaq dropped 2,1%. The Dow Jones lost 0,4% and posted a third consecutive weekly decline.
Tech earnings come into focus
Next week will also be marked by the release of quarterly results from major U.S. companies, including Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft.
Earnings reports may influence investors' perception of companies' high spending on artificial intelligence. The topic gained importance after Alphabet's results increased doubts about the pace of investment in the sector.
The performance of these companies may also have repercussions for semiconductor companies, which are among the main beneficiaries of the expansion of investment in artificial intelligence.
“The biggest risk is the continuation of spending,” said Ken Mahoney, CEO of Mahoney Asset Management. “And the problem is that if they listen to shareholders and cut this spending a bit, or reduce its growth, the rest of the market will not like it.”
“So it's like a seesaw,” he said.
Federal Reserve to decide interest rates this week
In addition to corporate earnings reports, the market will have the latest Federal Reserve decision on Wednesday.
Current expectations point to a possible interest rate cut in September, but investors are also monitoring the possibility of a change in the benchmark rate as early as this week, according to projections followed by the market.
Monetary policy remains one of the main factors for U.S. stocks and risk assets. Therefore, the combination of the Federal Reserve's decision, major companies' earnings reports, and the evolution of international conflicts may define market behavior in the coming days.
In this context, S&P 500 futures start the week up 0,61%, while Nasdaq Futures posts a gain of 1,20%. Bitcoin today follows the positive movement and trades above US$ 65 thousand, with an appreciation of 1,59%.