Stocks Tank on Mideast Tensions
March 26,2026 8:41 AM EST
U.S. stock futures fell on Thursday, weighed by higher oil prices, as traders followed the latest developments out of the Middle East.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials dropped 306 points, or 0.7%, to 46,405.
Futures for the S&P 500 index ditched 48.25 points, or 0.7%, to 6,592.50.
Futures for the NASDAQ let go of 225.75 points, or 0.9%. to 24,142.
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that Iran “better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won’t be pretty.”
Trump also labeled Iranian negotiators as “very different” and “strange,” claiming they were “begging” the U.S. to make a deal to end the now four-week war.
This comes after Iran’s foreign minister reportedly told state media on Wednesday that top authorities in the Middle Eastern nation are reviewing an American proposal to end the war, but Tehran has no intention of having talks with the U.S.
Meanwhile, Gulf countries issued a joint statement Thursday condemning Iran’s “criminal” strikes on their energy infrastructure. They added that they are ready to defend themselves going forward.
Meta suffered stinging rebukes in two high-profile court cases this week, adding to the company’s challenges as it tries to navigate an increasingly complex social media environment while also chasing rivals in artificial intelligence.
Both trials — one in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the other in Los Angeles — pointed to the struggles Meta has faced to adequately police Facebook and Instagram, which remain the company’s primary cash engines due to their dominant position in digital advertising.
Jurors in Santa Fe determined on Tuesday that Meta misled users about the safety of its social apps when it comes to children being targeted by online predators. A day later, a jury in LA ruled against Meta and Google’s YouTube in a personal injury trial, determining that their negligence was a “substantial factor” in causing mental health-related harms to a plaintiff identified as K.G.M., or Kaley.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 lost 0.3%, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng weakened 1.9%.
Oil prices went higher $3.67 to $94.01 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices sagged $118.00 to $4,434.30 U.S an ounce.
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