Stocks Mostly Down Pre-Bell Amid Rising Middle East Tensions; Investors Await Key Inflation Data

08:30 AM EDT, 09/08/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The benchmark US stock measures were mostly pointing lower before the opening bell Tuesday amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East, while investors await key inflation data later in the week. The S&P 500 fell 0.2%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased 0.7% in premarket activity, while the Nasdaq edged up 0.1%. The indexes finished Friday's trading session in the red. US markets were closed on Monday for the Labor Day holiday. West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 2.6% to $93.84 a barrel, while Brent gained 1.6% to $98.50. Saudi Arabia's energy ministry reportedly said operations at certain energy facilities were halted following strikes by the Iran-backed Houthi militants from Yemen that hurt more than 70 people, CNBC reported. A military spokesman for the Houthis said the group attacked Saudi Aramco facilities, according to the report. The US Central Command said Saturday that its forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships. Iran said its deal with Oman to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is in its final stages and will include a temporary safe route through the crucial waterway, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday. Traders await the consumer price index for August on Friday, while data on wholesale prices for the same month is scheduled to be released on Thursday. Treasury yields were mixed, with the two-year rate retreating 0.6 basis points to 4.37%, while the 10-year rate rose 1.2 basis points to nearly 4.8%. Last week, government data showed that the US economy added 162,000 jobs in August, well above the 55,000 increase expected by Wall Street. The report came as the Federal Reserve weighs labor-market conditions and inflation expectations ahead of its policy meeting next week. Markets are pricing in a 61% probability that the Federal Open Market Committee will raise its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points at its meeting this month, with the remaining odds pointing to no change, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Shares of Micron Technology (MU) advanced 1.6% pre-bell, while Intel (INTC) climbed 4.3%. Nvidia (NVDA) nudged 0.4% higher, while SanDisk (SNDK) was up 1.9%. ABM Industries (ABM) and United Natural Foods (UNFI) are expected to release their latest financial results before the bell, while Casey's General Stores (CASY) posts its earnings after the markets close. Gold was down 0.6% at $4,447 per troy ounce, while bitcoin declined 0.7% to $78,749.