Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 31, 2026 in New York City.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
Stock futures rose Wednesday, while oil prices declined to start the month, as hope grew that an end to the U.S.-Iran war was on the horizon.
Futures linked to the S&P 500 were last up 0.5%, and Nasdaq 100 futures gained around 0.7%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 251 points, or 0.5%.
Late Tuesday, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he expects the U.S. military forces will leave Iran in “two or three weeks.”
Oil prices eased following that comment. West Texas Intermediate futures shed 1.3% to $100.02 per barrel. Brent crude slipped 0.2% to $103.76.
Traders also increased positions in U.S. Treasurys, sending yields lower, on expectations that inflation will be kept in check. The benchmark 10-year yield slipped to 4.28%. The 2-year note yield also fell to 3.766%.
Optimism around a potential end to the war sent stocks soaring on Tuesday, the final trading day of March.
The moves came after an unconfirmed report said that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was open to ending the war with guarantees. He made similar remarks earlier this month, saying in an X post that the “only way to end this war … is recognizing Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm int’l guarantees against future aggression.”
Not all investors are convinced that the rally has legs.
Karen Finerman, co-founder and CEO of Metropolitan Capital Advisors, noted that oil prices remain elevated, perhaps hinting at lingering uncertainty. Brent crude futures for May delivery settled 4.94% higher at $118.35 per barrel on Tuesday, posting its highest close since June 16, 2022.
“I’m sort of leaning towards the oil is telling the truth of the situation. I think a lot of what happened here — oversold, for sure — but I got to think a lot of this is window dressing. We are at the end of a really difficult quarter, and so that’ll help a little bit, but I don’t know that that’s something that has follow-through,” she said on CNBC’s “Fast Money” on Tuesday afternoon.
Investors will get more clues on the path forward for the U.S.-Iran war Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET, with Trump set to deliver an address “to the nation to provide an important update.”