Dow Futures Edge Higher, Brent Slips -- WSJ

Markets are stabilizing this morning after a wild week, with oil prices and government bond yields retreating and U.S. stock futures edging up.

Brent crude futures fell to trade around $98 a barrel after surging past $101 yesterday. That's helping ease pressure on government bond yields, which also jumped yesterday amid concerns that higher energy prices could reignite inflation.

U.S. stock futures are mostly higher, with the exception of the tech-focused Nasdaq-100, which is swinging between small gains and losses. After yesterday's close, chipmaker Intel gave an encouraging look at the AI trade, reporting results that crushed Wall Street forecasts. Its shares are gaining premarket.

Even so, markets remain on fragile footing. Brent crude futures are up another 12% this week, while the SP 500 and Nasdaq are both heading for their first back-to-back weekly losses since March. Investors are bracing for potential escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict after President Trump told Axios yesterday that he is considering a massive attack that would be "bigger than ever before."

Later this morning, traders will get a look at results from American Express and HCA Healthcare. A reading on U.S. manufacturing and services activity is also due, as is a report on new home sales for June.

This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL (WSJ Live Coverage).

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 24, 2026 05:22 ET (09:22 GMT)