【US Stock Futures】Ahead of the February CPI release, Dow futures rise by 121 points, Nasdaq futures up 0.2% (updating continuously)

U.S. stock futures improved Wednesday during Asian trading hours, with Dow futures up 121 points at 47,866, S&P 500 futures up 18 points at 6,805, and Nasdaq futures up 58 points or 0.2% at 25,041. Today, the U.S. will release MBA mortgage applications, MBA 30-year fixed mortgage rate, February CPI, and core CPI data.

Hong Kong stocks and ADR markets are continuously updating. For details, see: Next Page

▼Click image to enlarge

Market Overview:

【01:50】Dow futures up 121 points, at 47,866; S&P 500 futures up 18 points, at 6,805; Nasdaq futures up 58 points or 0.2%, at 25,041.

【12:47】【Iran Crisis】Oil prices rise; Is the Fed turning hawkish? US banks: market may be misjudging the situation; large rate cuts still possible.

【10:48】【Iran Crisis】EIA: Brent crude oil will stay above $95 for the next two months; expected to fall back to around $70 by year-end.

【09:53】NVDA | NVIDIA partners with competitors of OpenAI, supplies 1 gigawatt Vera Rubin chips to Thinking Machines.

【08:59】【Fed Chair】Senator Thom Tillis meets with Waller, reiterates that DOJ will block nominations until investigation of Powell concludes.

【08:31】【Iran Crisis】International Energy Agency reportedly proposes releasing over 180 million barrels of oil reserves; oil prices turn from rising to falling.

【07:45】【AI + Defense】Anthropic states its AI tools are blacklisted, potentially costing the company billions.

【07:25】【AI + ORCL】Oracle earnings beat expectations, surges 8% after hours.

【06:26】【Iran Crisis】Iran plans to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz; thousands in stock. Trump: will face unprecedented military consequences (updating).

$1 and below for March 10 U.S. market overview====

Tuesday: White House: US did not escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz; Dow down 34 points; oil prices narrow losses.

Market focuses on latest developments in Middle East, oil remains soft, Dow turns lower. On Tuesday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted on social media that US Navy successfully escorted a tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, but the post was soon deleted. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the US did not escort any ships.

See US stocks closing:

▼Click image to enlarge

+10

+9

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responds: the claim that the US military escorted oil tankers is pure falsehood; any actions by the US and allies will be blocked within Iran’s missile and drone range.

Market hopes for an end to the US-Iran war; NY crude oil closed Tuesday at $83.45, down 11.94%; Brent crude fell 11.28%, at $87.8.

The Dow once rose 479 points but closed down 34 points at 47,706; S&P 500 declined 0.21%; Nasdaq edged up 0.01%, reflecting China concept stocks’ performance, with the Golden Dragon Index up 1.96%.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Tuesday was the most intense day of military strikes against Iran, deploying the most fighters and bombers. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley said the US is striking Iranian missile boats.

Hegseth stated this was a targeted precision strike, not a prolonged “nation-building” war.

UAE oil refinery halted operations after drone attacks. Seven countries’ energy ministers (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, US) held a meeting Tuesday to discuss releasing oil reserves. CNBC sources say the US considers releasing 300-400 million barrels of oil jointly.

Amazon is returning to the bond market; Bloomberg reports the company plans up to 11 tranches, from 2-year to 50-year maturities. The longest tranche, maturing in 2076, is preliminarily priced about 1.55 percentage points above US Treasuries.

The US dollar index fell 0.3%, to 98.93; US 10-year Treasury yields steadied at 4.159%. Gold rebounded 1.9%, at $5,206 per ounce.

Key stocks: Memory stocks continued rebound; Micron (MU) up 3.5%, back above $400; Sandisk (SNDK) up 5%.

Oracle (ORCL) will report earnings after market close.

JH Henderson Global Multi-Asset Team Head Adam Hetts and Portfolio Manager Oliver Blackbourn say that supply disruptions, rising oil and gas prices, and lack of clear cooling pathways are increasing inflation risks and market volatility. If conflict persists, economic pressure could deepen; but US political considerations may quickly resolve the situation as a “victory” or rapid end, leaving asset outlook uncertain.

Hong Kong stocks and ADR markets are continuously updating. For details, see: Next Page

▼Click image to enlarge

Market Overview:

【21:30】Memory stocks rebound; Micron up 2%; Dow up 101 points; Nasdaq up 0.3%; oil pulls back 8%.

【18:00】Dow futures up 101 points; Nasdaq futures up 0.3%; oil down 7%; Oracle reports earnings after close.

【12:43】Dow futures down 183 points, at 47,586; S&P 500 futures down 24 points, at 6,777; Nasdaq futures down 84 points or 0.3%, at 24,906.

【12:09】【Apple】Apple reduces reliance on China; iPhone production in India now accounts for 25%.

【11:00】AI + Defense | Anthropic sues US DoD to remove blacklist designation.

【10:31】【Iran Crisis】Trump says war will end soon; gold stabilizes and rebounds.

【08:28】【Iran Crisis】Dozens of oil tankers reach the strait attempting to break through; Iran issues new warnings; Trump at press conference: war with Iran will end soon but no timeline given (updating).

【08:26】【AI + NVDA】Nvidia reportedly plans to launch open-source AI platform “NemoClaw.”

【08:00】【Apple】Apple reportedly delays smart home display device launch to wait for new Siri.

$1 and below for March 9 U.S. market overview====

Monday: Trump: War nearly over; oil prices plunge; Dow surges 239 points

US President Trump in an interview said the war is nearly over; it’s very complete now, Iran has no navy, no communications, no air force; their missiles are left only a few scattered.

Their drones are destroyed everywhere, including drone manufacturing plants.

See US stocks closing:

▼Click image to enlarge

+10

+9

“Look at them, they have nothing left. In military terms, there’s nothing remaining,” Trump said. The US can do a lot in the Strait of Hormuz, and warned Iran that any obstruction would have consequences. “They’ve shot all they can, they’d better not play any tricks, or it will be the end of their country… If they do anything bad, it will be Iran’s end, and you will never hear that name again.” Trump also said the strait is currently open, and claims ships are entering, but he is still “considering taking control.”

That same afternoon, the US Defense Department posted on X (formerly Twitter): “We are just getting started” and “No mercy.”

Following the comments, oil prices plummeted, and US stocks rose. Brent crude fell 1.5%, to $91.2; NY oil down 3.4%, at $88.

The Dow initially dropped 886 points to a low of 46,615; S&P 500 fell 1.5%, to 6,636; Nasdaq dropped 1.5%, to 22,061.

The Dow recovered to close up 239 points at 47,740; S&P 500 up 0.8%, at 6,795; Nasdaq up 1.4%, at 22,695.

Brent crude oil initially surged nearly 30%, approaching $120 per barrel. G7 finance ministers held an emergency meeting to discuss coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves by IEA to counter the spike after Gulf tensions.

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said G7 has not yet decided on releasing emergency reserves after US-Israel war.

In Brussels, after G7 finance ministers’ online meeting, Lescure told reporters, “Our consensus is to use all necessary means to stabilize the market, including possible release of reserves.” He added that governments are closely monitoring the situation, with no supply issues reported so far.

Japan’s Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said, “The IEA calls on countries to coordinate releasing oil reserves. Given current circumstances, G7 has agreed to continue closely monitoring energy markets and take necessary measures to support global energy supply, including releasing reserves.” He also said that OECD, World Bank, and IMF officials participated in the meeting. G7 will soon hold a ministerial meeting to discuss further actions.

As of 2022 data, IEA member countries’ emergency oil reserves under OECD control are estimated at over 1.2 billion barrels, mostly crude oil. According to IEA rules, all members must maintain emergency reserves equivalent to at least 90 days of net imports, sufficient to support at least three months of normal consumption.

Market stabilizes; US dollar index down 0.1%, at 98.877; US 10-year Treasury yields fall to 4.107%.

Gold’s decline narrows to 0.6%, at $5,138; silver rises 2.5%, at $86.63.

US military continues to demonstrate strength. BBC reports that US B-52 and B-1 heavy bombers are stationed at Royal Air Force Fairford in the UK, with three B-52s landing in one day—the first appearance of B-52s in the UK since the conflict began.

B-52s are typical “forward-deployed” heavy bombers, indicating a large-scale air campaign or imminent escalation. As heavily armed “old bulls,” once enemy air defenses are weakened, B-52s can deliver massive conventional ground-attack munitions, targeting infrastructure, industrial sites, or large ground forces for sustained destruction.

Additionally, US markets enter daylight saving time, opening one hour earlier at 9:30 PM Hong Kong time.

Swiss bank UBS notes that the oil market has entered a panic state, with prices soaring into triple digits, mainly driven by market sentiment, as the conflict itself has not seen any substantial changes. So far, supply disruptions are mainly due to ships avoiding the Strait of Hormuz out of caution, causing trade delays rather than military blockades. However, this week and beyond, Middle Eastern oil supply could face up to 75% shutdown.

The bank says it will continue to monitor the situation closely. No significant damage to energy infrastructure has been reported; Iran’s military power appears to be weakening. Solutions to ensure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remain feasible. Given the fog of war, they reaffirm a neutral stance on oil and natural gas, maintaining the expectation that energy prices will peak at current or slightly higher levels.

Hong Kong stocks and ADR markets are continuously updating. For details, see: Next Page

▼Click image to enlarge

+3

+2

Market Overview:

【18:20】Dow futures down 492 points; Nasdaq futures down 1.1%; oil surges over 10%, breaking $100; markets open one hour earlier for summer time.

【12:07】Dow futures down 1,006 points, at 46,511; S&P 500 futures down 130 points, at 6,613; Nasdaq futures down 542 points or 2.2%, at 24,127.

【12:07】【Iran Crisis】Iran conflict impacts financial markets; senior strategist Yardeni: probability of stock market crash before year-end increases to 35%.

【11:15】【Tencent】Reportedly plans to acquire Warner Bros. from Paramount, investing hundreds of millions.

【10:33】【Iran Crisis】Oil surges past $100, NY crude up 30%, more Middle Eastern producers cut output.

【10:20】【Iran Crisis】Oil prices spike, dragging down Asia-Pacific stocks; “Black Monday” with Japan and Korea down over 7%; South Korea considers oil price cap measures.

【09:56】【Iran Crisis】JPMorgan: Middle Eastern oil capacity may decrease by 4 million barrels daily by next weekend.

【09:50】【Iran Crisis】Schroders’ Tedder: Oil may hit $100; “I won’t reduce energy stocks in next 2-3 years.”

【08:17】【Iran Crisis】Gold drops over 2%, testing $5,000; oil prices surge, fueling inflation fears.

【07:30】【Iran Crisis】Black Monday begins; oil up 20%, approaching $111; Trump: low cost; Dow futures plunge 1,112 points (updating).

【07:30】【Global Outlook】Focus on Middle East conflict and US inflation data; US markets open one hour earlier.

【07:30】Concerns over oil supply disruptions and worse-than-expected US jobs data caused last week’s sharp decline; Dow once down 945 points, low at 47,009; VIX volatility index soared 21.6% to 28.88; Dow closed down 453 points, S&P down 1.33%, Nasdaq down 1.59%.

See US stocks closing:

▼Click image to enlarge

+10

+9

Last week’s US market activity, details at: 【US Stocks Close】 Iran fires missiles at “Lincoln”; Brent surpasses $92; poor employment data; Dow down 453; Nasdaq down 1.6%.