U.S. stock index futures rose early Monday as oil slid. Nasdaq 100 futures were
up 0.7% and S&P 500 futures were up 0.8% as U.S. WTI crude fell 3.6% to about
$88/bbl. Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report, said President Trump’s comments
reduced market odds of renewed U.S. strikes on Iran, weighing on oil and lifting
futures; Trump said it was “highly unlikely” he would resume large-scale
strikes, while Rubio called some Iranian demands “outrageous and absurd.”
Investors remain cautious after last Thursday’s sell-off: the Nasdaq 100 sits
4.8% below its 200-day moving average, a historically rare gap, and breaches
larger than 3% typically take about 25 trading days to reclaim that MA. Market
participants are split on drivers — SocGen strategists point to institutional
de-risking, while other analyzes flag large-scale retail liquidations.