U.S. stock futures fell sharply on Monday following Friday’s losses. Futures of the major benchmark indices were negative amid the ongoing Iran-U.S. conflict.
Over the weekend, the 86-year-old Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes carried out by Israel and the U.S. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump suggested that the current U.S. and Israel’s military strikes against Iran, also called “Operation Epic Furry,” could persist for “four to five weeks,” if necessary.
According to Polymarket, the chances of the index opening higher on March 2 crashed to a mere 10% chance, a 40% drop from previous levels, as over $1.07 million in volume poured into the contract.
Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 3.97%, and the two-year bond was at 3.42%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 95.4% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged in March.
| Index | Performance (+/-) |
| Dow Jones | -1.15% |
| S&P 500 | -1.12% |
| Nasdaq 100 | -1.51% |
| Russell 2000 | -1.36% |
Stocks In Focus
AMTD Digital
- AMTD Digital Inc. ADR (NYSE:HKD) surged 20% in premarket on Monday after it reported a year-over-year increase in FY25 revenue results.
- HKD had a weaker price trend in the long term but a strong trend in the medium and short terms, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Aardvark Therapeutics
- Aardvark Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:AARD) plunged 53.56% after the company announced it voluntarily paused the Phase 3 Hunger Elimination or Reduction Objective trial.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that AARD maintains a weak price trend over the short and medium terms but a strong trend in the long term.
Avalon Globocare
- Avalon Globocare Corp. (NASDAQ:ALBT) tumbled 22.82% as it announced the closing of up to $9.75 million private placement priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules.
- ALBT maintains a strong price trend in the short term but a weaker trend in the medium and long terms, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
LI Bang International Corporation
- LI Bang International Corporation Inc. (NASDAQ:LBGJ) declined 24.85% after it announced its wholly-owned subsidiary will acquire a 51% stake in food distributor Yufengyuan.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that LBGJ maintains a strong price trend over the short and medium terms but a weak trend in the long term.
MongoDB
- MongoDB Inc. (NASDAQ:MDB) dropped 2.27% as analysts expect it to report earnings of $1.45 per share on revenue of $667.15 million, after the closing bell.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that MDB maintains a weak price trend over the short and medium terms but a strong trend in the long term.
Cues From Last Session
Consumer staples, health care, and energy stocks were the S&P 500’s gainers on Friday, while information technology and financials finished lower.
Insights From Analysts
Mohamed El-Erian‘s latest outlook paints a picture of a global economy facing a “new stagflationary wind” driven by intensifying geopolitical shocks and stubborn domestic data.
Analyzing the fallout from military escalations in the Middle East and hot PPI prints, El-Erian warns that the “last mile” of the inflation fight remains arduous, with January core PPI jumping 0.8%—well above forecasts.
For the U.S. stock market, El-Erian anticipates a period defined by three structural themes: volatility, dispersion, and fragmentation. He notes that while the economy has been resilient, the “supply chain double hit” from rising insurance premiums and maritime rerouting will create logistical friction.
This environment will likely widen the gap between market “winners and losers” as global trade continues to fracture. Crucially, El-Erian observes that as energy costs rise and growth faces headwinds, “the path for central banks becomes even trickier.”
With high-profile labor cuts and private credit anxieties surfacing, he suggests the market must brace for “sharp and sudden news-driven price swings” in an increasingly uncertain macroeconomic landscape.
Upcoming Economic Data
Here’s what investors will be keeping an eye on this week.
Commodities, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets
Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 7.71% to hover around $72.19 per barrel.
Gold Spot US Dollar rose 2.22% to hover around $5,395.00 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $5,595.46 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.66% higher at the 98.2480 level.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was trading 0.10% lower at $66,306.44 per coin, as per the last 24 hours.
Asian markets closed mixed on Monday, as China’s CSI 300 and Australia’s ASX 200 indices rose. Whereas, Japan’s Nikkei 225, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, South Korea’s Kospi, and India’s Nifty 50 indices fell. European markets were mostly lower in early trade.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
