US pre-open: Futures edge lower amid ceasefire uncertainty
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Thursday 09 Apr 2026
(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were slightly lower ahead of the bell on Thursday as traders assessed the US and Iran's fragile ceasefire agreement.
As of 1230 BST, Dow Jones futures were down 0.16%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures had the indices opening 0.18% and 0.15% softer, resepectively.
The Dow closed a whopping 1,325.46 points higher on Wednesday, the blue chip's best day since April 2025, after Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran.
However, futures headed south after Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf accused the US of having already violated the ceasefire agreement - pointing to Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon, the entry of a drone's into Iranian airspace and the denial of the Islamic Republic's right to enrich uranium.
Trump said US military forces would remain deployed in and around Iran until Tehran fully complies with the "REAL AGREEMENT", warning that any breach would mean "the 'Shootin' Starts,' bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before".
Trade Nation's David Morrison said: "US stock index futures were all modestly lower in early trade this morning. The drop followed a strong rebound in equities on Wednesday following the announcement after Tuesday's close of a two-week ceasefire in hostilities across the Middle East. It's obvious from the market reaction that investors were looking for any catalyst to justify extending their exposure to risk assets. And this pause in the US/Israeli bombardment of Iran fitted in perfectly, even as the holes in it are wide enough to steer an oil tanker through - unlike the Strait of Hormuz which remains closed to most shipping.
"On Tuesday night, President Trump confirmed that the US would pause attacks for two weeks after receiving Iran's 10-point proposal. Tehran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz provided hostilities stopped, and media reports indicated Israel also supported the ceasefire framework. But yesterday Iran accused the US of violating the agreement through Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon, a drone entering Iranian airspace and restrictions on uranium enrichment. Israel maintains that the Lebanon plays no part in the ceasefire. It's worth repeating that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to most shipping. It appears that investors remain wedded to the belief in TACO, that is, 'Trump Always Chickens Out'."
On the macro front, February's personal consumption expenditures price index will be published at 1330 BST, as will weekly jobless claims data from the Labor Department, while February wholesale inventories figures will follow at 1500 BST.
No major corporate earnings were slated for release on Thursday.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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