Stock Futures Fall as U.S. Oil Rises Above $100

S&P 500 on 3-week losing streak amid U.S.-Iran war tensions

Mar. 15, 2026 at 10:06pm

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Stock futures fell slightly on Monday as Wall Street tried to recover from another losing week, with investors monitoring oil prices and the latest developments from the U.S.-Iran war. The moves come after the S&P 500 notched its third losing week in a row and closed at its lowest level of the year on Friday.

Why it matters

The stock sell-off has been relatively tame despite the geopolitical tensions, but the increasing oil prices and ongoing conflict in the Strait of Hormuz could continue to weigh on the markets if the situation escalates further.

The details

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures lost 73 points, or 0.2%, while S&P 500 futures shed 0.2% and Nasdaq-100 futures lost 0.3%. Oil prices rallied last week, with Brent crude settling above $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022. Crude soared as traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route, has been effectively halted since the war began. President Donald Trump ordered on Friday strikes on Iran military assets located on Kharg Island, and he said the U.S. would consider hitting those structures if Iran continues to block the Strait.

  • On Friday, the S&P 500 notched its third losing week in a row and closed at its lowest level of the year.
  • On Friday, President Trump ordered strikes on Iran military assets located on Kharg Island.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who ordered strikes on Iran military assets.

Strait of Hormuz

A critical shipping route that has been effectively halted since the U.S.-Iran war began.

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What they’re saying

“The apparent resilience in the S&P 500 is attributable to the increasing bullishness of industry analysts' consensus estimates for earnings per share in 2026 and 2027.”

— Ed Yardeni, President of Yardeni Research (CNBC)

What’s next

The Federal Reserve is set to hold its second monetary policy meeting of the year, though no change to interest rates is expected.

The takeaway

The ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, coupled with the rise in oil prices, continue to weigh on the stock market, raising concerns about the potential impact on the economy if the situation escalates further.