Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures fall, oil surges after Iran, inflation worries sink stocks

US stock futures edged lower Wednesday night, extending losses after a bruising session that dragged the blue-chip Dow and benchmark S&P 500 to their lowest levels of 2026, as investors grappled with mounting inflation concerns.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) slipped about 0.3%. Contracts on the S&P 500 (ES=F) and Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) also declined roughly 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively.

Energy markets continue to drive unease amid escalating impacts of the US-Israeli war. Brent (BZ=F) crude surged past $111 a barrel after settlement, while West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) crude briefly climbed back above the $100 mark.

Markets have been rattled by a hotter-than-expected producer price reading and rising inflation forecasts from the Federal Reserve. The shifting outlook has dampened expectations for monetary easing. While the Fed has indicated one rate cut could still be on the table this year, traders are betting policymakers will hold rates as they are — especially after hawkish comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Looking ahead, traders will focus on fresh economic data, including weekly jobless claims and the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index, due Thursday.

On the corporate front, in after-hours trading, shares of Micron Technology (MU) fell more than 2%, even after the chipmaker posted a sharp jump in quarterly revenue, driven by tight memory supply. Alibaba (BABA) and FedEx (FDX) are slated to report earnings before the opening bell on Thursday.

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