Global markets started the week on a more positive note this Monday (20), with Wall Street futures trading higher and Bitcoin trading above US$ 65 thousand. The move comes as investors track the earnings season of the technology giants and remain attentive to developments in the conflict between the United States and Iran, which continues to support oil prices.
Before the market opened, S&P 500 futures were up 0,25%, at 7.516,25 points, indicating a positive opening for U.S. stocks. Nasdaq futures showed the best performance among the main indexes, up 0,63%, at 28.955,75 points, while Dow Jones contracts rose 0,02%, to 52.387 points. Meanwhile, Russell 2000 futures posted a gain of 0,07%, aos 2.975,70 pontos.
In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin was trading around US$ 65.000, with a slight gain of 1% over the last 24 hours. The market's leading cryptocurrency was following the moderate appetite for risk assets, favored by the recovery of U.S. futures indexes.
Despite the improvement at the start of the week, investors are still monitoring market volatility. The VIX, known as Wall Street's fear gauge, remained at 18.77 points, up 12,19%, indicating that some participants remain cautious in the face of geopolitical risks.
Last week, Wall Street's three main indexes closed lower. The S&P 500 lost 1.6%, the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.9%, and the Dow Jones dropped 0.9%, pressured mainly by the sharp correction in semiconductor company shares.
The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) posted its third week of losses in the last four weeks, with a decline of մոտ 9%. The sector's performance continues to be closely watched, especially after profit-taking in chipmakers.
In addition to corporate earnings, the conflict between the United States and Iran remains on investors' radar. The clashes recorded over the weekend kept concerns about the global energy supply elevated and boosted oil futures contracts.
The WTI for September 2026 was rising 2,23%, trading at US$ 83,60 per barrel, while gold was falling 0,46%, to US$ 4.000,40 per ounce. In the stock market, attention is also turning to the earnings reports of Alphabet, Tesla and Intel, which will be released throughout the week and may set the pace of trading in the coming days.