Stock Market News Today, 3/13/26 – U.S. Stock Futures Inch Lower as Investors Assess Oil Prices, Await PCE Data

U.S. stock futures trended lower early Friday as investors assessed the movement in oil prices amid the escalating Iran war. Also, focus will be on January’s personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index reading, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, scheduled for release this morning. Futures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the S&P 500 (SPX), and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were down 0.15%, 0.07%, and 0.04%, respectively, at 5:22 a.m. EST on March 13.

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Despite assurances from the Trump administration and the International Energy Agency (IEA) about releasing oil reserves, concerns about oil prices remain as Iran continues to disrupt supply. In fact, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said that the crucial Strait of Hormuz will remain shut as a “tool to pressure the enemy.” At the time of writing, the price of the global oil benchmark Brent (CM:BZ) was up about 0.45% to $100.91 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude (CM:CL) fell essentially flat to trade at $95.80 per barrel. Iran has warned that oil prices could climb to $200 a barrel.

During Thursday’s regular trading, the three major indexes plunged amid a surge in oil prices and escalating geopolitical tension in the Middle East. The Dow Jones fell about 740 points to end the day below the 47,000 mark for the first time this year. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 fell 1.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.78%.

Coming to Friday’s key economic release, the headline PCE is expected to have gained 0.3% month-over-month and 2.9% year-over-year.

Meanwhile, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was essentially flat at 4.273%, as of the last check. Also, the Gold Spot U.S. dollar price was around $5,088 per ounce.

Elsewhere, European indexes were in the red as investors digested updates on the ongoing U.S.-Iran war and its broader impact.

Asia-Pacific Markets Ended Lower on Friday

Asia-Pacific markets closed lower on March 13 amid fears that higher oil prices could trigger a global economic slowdown.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 0.98%. In China, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.82%, while the Shenzhen Component closed 0.65% lower. Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei declined 1.16%, with the Topix falling 0.57%.

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