S&P 500 Futures Dip With No Iran Deal, Oil Steady: Markets Wrap

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(Bloomberg) — US equity-index futures edged lower and oil held gains as efforts to revive a peace deal with Iran showed little progress.

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Contracts for the S&P 500 Index fell 0.3% and those for the Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.4% as conflicting signals clouded prospects for a deal. The Wall Street benchmarks both closed at record highs on Monday as President Donald Trump said talks with Iran are continuing at a rapid pace, with the market also rising on enthusiasm for the artificial-intelligence trade.

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Futures contracts for Asian gauges were mixed after the MSCI Asia Pacific Index closed at an all-time high on Monday.

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Weighing on sentiment was a rally in oil prices. US crude held near $92.30 a barrel after surging almost 5.5% in the previous session on reports that Tehran had suspended talks with Washington in protest over Israel’s attacks in Lebanon. The commodity pared some of those gains after Trump said talks were continuing.

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Gold was flat early Tuesday around $4,485 an ounce, while Treasuries fell in the US session as the impasse in negotiations fueled concerns that higher energy costs will stoke inflation and push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.

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Even as the AI-driven rally continues to propel equities to record highs, financial markets have been whipsawed by geopolitical headlines after an escalation in Middle East hostilities jeopardized peace negotiations. While investors still see a path to a US-Iran agreement, fragile conditions in the Strait of Hormuz have kept energy prices in focus as a key driver of the near-term outlook for inflation and rates.

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“Expectations for a US-Iran agreement remain fluid,” said Jason Pride and Michael Reynolds at Glenmede. “Recent strikes and conflicting statements from both sides highlight that key details remain unresolved.”

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Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered differing accounts of a call about the fighting in Lebanon, as the US struggled to get efforts toward an Iran peace deal back on track. The mismatched statements were the latest example of confusing signals on progress to end the war, now in its fourth month.

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After a flare-up of violence in Lebanon threatened to derail negotiations to end the war in Iran, Trump said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop fighting. Trump touted a “productive” call with Netanyahu, along with “very good” talks with Hezbollah.

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Still, the S&P 500 notched its eighth straight advance, its longest winning streak since May 2025, as signs of the AI boom continued to emerge. 

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Alphabet Inc. unveiled plans to raise $80 billion through equity offerings, including an investment deal with Berkshire Hathaway Inc., highlighting the scale of spending tied to the race to build AI infrastructure.