U.S. Stock Futures Steady Amid Iran Ceasefire Talks and Trump Address

U.S. stock index futures held steady Wednesday evening as investors turned their attention to a primetime address from President Donald Trump regarding a possible military de-escalation with Iran. The cautious tone in futures markets followed a strong two-day rally on Wall Street, driven by ceasefire optimism and renewed bargain hunting in the technology sector.

By 7:28 PM ET, S&P 500 futures were flat at 6,617.0 points, Nasdaq 100 futures held around 24,193.75, and Dow Jones futures lingered near 46,826.0 — all largely unchanged as traders awaited further clarity on the geopolitical situation.

Iran's Foreign Ministry pushed back on Trump's earlier social media claim that Tehran had sought a ceasefire, with Al Jazeera also citing a senior Iranian official disputing the assertion. Despite the denial, Trump stood firm, stating his administration would weigh any ceasefire consideration only if the Strait of Hormuz remained open, while military operations against Iran would continue in the meantime. He later addressed the nation at 9:00 PM ET, widely expected to deliver a war update after earlier suggesting hostilities could wrap up within two to three weeks.

Oil prices declined sharply following Trump's remarks, easing some inflation concerns tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict — though crude still posted a record monthly gain in March as supply disruptions weighed on global markets.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 gained 0.7% Wednesday, while the Dow added 0.5% and the Nasdaq climbed 1.2%. Tech stocks led the recovery after a difficult March, bouncing back on bargain buying amid lingering concerns over AI disruption and softening chip demand.

In after-hours trading, Globalstar surged 16% to an 18-year high on reports Amazon was exploring an acquisition, while Penguin Solutions jumped 10% after posting stronger-than-expected earnings and raising its profit forecast.