Next round of talks to settle the Middle East crisis is on hold after the U.S. forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship. Tehran said it has no plans for the next round of talks. Early signs from the U.S. Futures point to significantly lower open for Wall Street on Monday.
In view of persisting hurdles in oil supply, oil prices are on a rise. Brent crude prices soared nearly 6 percent toward $96 a barrel.
Gold prices traded below $4,800 an ounce on Monday as the dollar strengthened. Spot gold fell 0.8 percent to $4,795 an ounce while U.S. gold futures were down 1.4 percent.
As of 7.55 am ET, the Dow futures were down 251.00 points, the S&P 500 futures were declining 33.25 points and the Nasdaq 100 futures were sliding 121.25 points.
The U.S. major averages ended Friday with strong gains. The Dow surged 868.71 points or 1.8 percent to 49,447.43, the Nasdaq shot up 365.78 points or 1.5 percent to 24,468.48 and the S&P 500 jumped 84.78 points or 1.2 percent to 7,126.06.
On the economic front, the 3-month and 6-month Treasury auction will be held at 11.30 am ET.
Asian stocks ended mostly higher on Monday. China's Shanghai Composite Index advanced 0.8 percent to 4,082.13. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 0.8 percent to 26,366.68.
Japanese markets advanced. The Nikkei 225 Index rose by 0.6 percent to 58,824.89, while the broader Topix Index settled 0.4 percent higher at 3,777.02.
Australian markets ended on a flat note.
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April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.