US pre-open: Futures mixed as Middle East talks get put on hold
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Monday 27 Apr 2026
(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were mixed ahead of the bell on Monday as stalled Middle East peace talks and escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz took centre stage.
As of 1235 BST, Dow Jones futures were down 0.10%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite futures were up 0.04% and 0.22% firmer, respectively.
The Dow closed 79.61 points lower on Friday, while both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite registered fresh record closes.
US-Iran tensions remained firmly in focus prior to the open on Monday after Tehran put forward a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict, while suggesting that nuclear talks be deferred, according to Axios, which cited a US official and two people familiar with the matter.
The proposal comes after Donald Trump cancelled plans to send special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for ceasefire discussions, saying the talks could instead take place by phone. Trump said "too much time" was being wasted on travel and added that "if they want to talk, all they have to do is call". Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said no meeting between Tehran and Washington was currently planned.
Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have escalated in recent days after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boarded two container ships near the key shipping lane, sending West Texas Intermediate 1.98% higher to trade at $96.27 a barrel, while Brent crude climbed 2.16% to $107.60 a barrel.
Trade Nation's David Morrison said: "US stock index futures were mixed overnight, providing a featureless start to the new week. This was despite a hectic weekend which saw another assassination attempt on President Trump. This overlapped with the on/off diplomatic shenanigans which meant that another round of US/Iran peace negotiations failed to take place. As yet, there are no plans in place for fresh negotiations and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Yesterday, two container ships anchored near the Strait were boarded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This provocation helped trigger a jump in oil prices this morning."
In the corporate space, Verizon Communications was slated to report earnings before the open.
On the macro front, the Dallas Federal Reserve's April manufacturing business index will be pulished at 1530 BST.
Traders were also looking ahead to the Federal Reserve's policy decision on Wednesday, which could be the final meeting chaired by Jerome Powell before Kevin Warsh was expected to take over in May. The Department of Justice dropped its criminal probe into Powell on Friday, prompting senator Thom Tillis to lift his block on Warsh's confirmation.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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