US Stock Market Outlook: Trump Delays Iran Strike, Market Fluctuates, Oil and Gold Decline

Written by Michael A. Johnson, Lead Editor & Market Strategist

US Stock Market Update

As of Monday morning, US stock index futures experienced a rapid rise followed by fluctuations. The Dow futures increased by 1.37%, Nasdaq futures by 1.27%, and S&P futures by 1.29%.

Notable Stock Movements

Tech Stocks: Most major tech stocks saw gains, with Micron Technology (MU) down over 1%, ASML up over 2%, and both Nvidia (NVDA) and Apple (AAPL) rising over 1%.
Chinese Stocks: Popular Chinese stocks also mostly rose, with NIO increasing nearly 2%, Xpeng Motors (XPEV) up nearly 4%, and Alibaba (BABA) gaining over 1%.

Gold and Commodities

Gold prices fell for nine consecutive days, briefly dropping below $4100 before rebounding above $4400. The gold market is under pressure due to rising inflation concerns stemming from ongoing Middle East conflicts.

Gold: The price fell over 8% at one point, while silver dropped over 10% to around $61 per ounce.

Cryptocurrency and Oil Prices

Bitcoin fluctuated, initially dropping below $68,000 before rising above $71,000. Oil prices also saw significant drops, with WTI crude oil falling nearly 12% before recovering to a decline of over 5%.

Corporate Highlights

Elon Musk's Terafab Project: Musk announced the Terafab project aimed at producing 1 terawatt of computing power annually, focusing on space deployment.
Apple's iPhone Production: Morgan Stanley reported a significant increase in iPhone production, exceeding market expectations despite a slight slowdown in service business growth.
Palantir's AI Integration: The Pentagon plans to integrate Palantir's Maven AI into military operations, marking a significant step for the company.
United Airlines: The airline plans to cut 5% of its flights in response to rising fuel costs due to geopolitical tensions.

Market Outlook

The ongoing geopolitical tensions and inflationary pressures are expected to continue influencing market dynamics, with traders adjusting their strategies accordingly.

About the author

Michael A. Johnson

Michael A. Johnson, Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University, brings 20 years of expertise in market forecasting and trading strategies. As a former chief economist at Morgan Stanley, he oversees Intellectia’s Top News section, delivering data-driven perspectives on global economic shifts.