Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on June 26, 2026 in New York City. Miguel M. Santiago | Getty Images Stock futures fell early Monday after the United States attacked Iranian rocket launchers on the island of Larak in the Strait of Hormuz, reigniting fears of an escalation. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures traded 155 points lower, or 0.29%. S&P 500 futures also fell 0.36%, while Nasdaq-100 futures lost 0.4%. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.14%, while South Korea’s Kospi reversed its losses to close up 0.46%. Mainland China’s CSI 300 gained 0.35% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed flat. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.18% to 9,076. Wall Street is about to conclude a month of gains, led by the technology sector. The Dow Jones rose 2.1% in August, on track for its fifth consecutive monthly gain. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were headed for their first monthly gains since May, up 3% and 4%, respectively. Both the S&P 500 and Dow also hit all-time highs in early August. Technology led the trend this month, with stocks linked to artificial intelligence outperforming. The technology sector of the S&P 500 is up almost 6% for the month. Nvidia is up more than 8%, while Microsoft and Micron Technology advanced 11% and 13%, respectively. August has certainly been a turbulent month, as inflation fears drove Treasury yields to multi-year highs. The Treasury Department tried to stem the slide by saying it would increase debt buybacks, but yields at the long end of the curve remain elevated. Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh also said Friday that he is concerned about inflation, noting that “while inflation this summer [inflation] The readings were better than expected, they don’t tell me that underlying trends have improved significantly.” “While we doubt this was a harbinger of September tightening given their distaste for the signals, their aggressive discussion makes a 25bp hike in September more likely than unlikely. Given its inflation metrics, our baseline calls for another one in December,” Barclays economist Jonathan Millar wrote in a note. 2.8% to $90.59. Investors will get more information on the state of the economy this week, with the August jobs report due out on Friday morning.
