Futures Point Higher After Volatile Session; Bitcoin, Crypto-Tied Stocks Surge

Stocks were poised for a higher open Wednesday, a day after major indexes fell but finished well above early lows, as Middle East fighting entered its fifth day.

Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed up 0.7%, 0.4%, and 0.4%, respectively, about an hour before the opening bell.

In a wild session yesterday, the tech-heavy Nasdaq, benchmark S&P 500, and blue-chip Dow finished down 1.0%, 0.9%, and 0.8%, respectively, with the Dow shedding 400 points but recouping a decline of about 1,250 points in early trading.

Markets have been volatile since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran over the weekend, killing its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and Iran retaliated against Israel and U.S. interests in several countries across the region.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures, the U.S. benchmark, were near flat at $74.55 a barrel after surging the past two sessions. On Monday, Reuters reported that Iranian state media said the nation claimed the important strait was closed and it would set fire to any ship trying to pass, while yesterday President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social network that “if necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible.”

Shares of U.S. oil companies Exxon Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), Marathon Petroleum (MPC), Occidental Petroleum (OXY), and Phillips 66 (PSX) were down modestly before the bell, while defense contractors Lockheed Martin (LMT), RTX (RTX), and Northrop Grumman (NOC) were little changed after declining mildly yesterday. Palantir Technologies (PLTR), another government contractor, was up less than 1% in premarket trading after having risen more than 7% over the first two trading days this week.

Shares of U.S. carriers Delta Air Lines (DAL), United Airlines Holdings (UAL), and American Airlines Group (AAL) and cruise operators Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), Carnival (CCL), and Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) were mostly slightly higher before the bell.

Nvidia (NVDA) shares, which ended down 1.3% yesterday, pointed 1% higher, while its Magnificent Seven brethren were mixed.

Shares of Broadcom (AVGO), which reports quarterly results after markets close today, rose less than 1%. Moderna (MRNA) popped 11% after the firm settled a COVID-19 vaccine patent dispute for $2.25 billion. In post-earnings moves, shares of Ross Stores (ROST) surged 6%, Box (BOX) rose 5%, and GitLab (GTLB) sank 9%.

Bitcoin, which sank to as low as $63,000 in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on Iran on Saturday, was trading above $71,000, up from overnight lows around $67,400. Shares of cryptocurrency-tied stocks Strategy (MSTR), MARA Holdings (MARA), Coinbase Global (COIN), and Robinhood Markets (HOOD) were up between 4% and 7%.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury notes, which affects interest rates on all sorts of consumer loans, ticked higher to 4.08% from Tuesday’s close at 4.07%. The yield had ended last week at 3.95%

Gold futures rose 1% to $5,180 an ounce, and silver futures advanced 2.5% to $85.50 an ounce. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the value of the greenback against a basket of currencies, was 0.2% lower at 98.83.

Earlier Wednesday, South Korea’s Kospi index plunged 12%, its worst one-day decline ever, with steep losses recorded by companies like Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Hyundai Motor. Shipper Pan Ocean shares plummeted 17% amid tanker issues navigating the Strait of Hormuz.