Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Futures Rise As US-Iran War Talks Cool Oil: Why BULL, HOOD, POET, QBTS, IONQ Are Trending After-Hours

• Markets tracked diplomacy signals between the U.S. and Iran, with officials discussing a second round of talks and a possible meeting in Pakistan.
• Oil prices plunged, with WTI at $91.28 per barrel and Brent at $94.79 a barrel.
• The IEA warned that the conflict could wipe out global oil demand growth for the first time since the pandemic.

U.S. stock futures rose late Tuesday after the S&P 500 closed within striking distance of a record high as investors tracked signs of renewed U.S.-Iran negotiations that helped push oil prices lower and drove the latest rally in equities.

As of 10 p.m. ET, Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 futures were up 0.1%, while Dow futures were also marginally higher. 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was ‘bearish’ amid ‘high’ message volume, while sentiment toward the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) was ‘bullish’ amid ‘normal’ message volume.

US Market Drivers

Markets focused on developments around potential negotiations between the U.S. and Iran after a White House official told CNBC that a second round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran is under discussion.

The U.S. and Iran are also looking to arrange another round of peace talks in the coming days as a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt energy supplies. One proposal under consideration is reportedly holding the next meeting in Pakistan. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said talks could resume “over the next two days” in Pakistan, according to the New York Post. 

Oil prices plunged during the regular session. West Texas Intermediate crude stood at $91.28 a barrel, while Brent crude settled at $94.79. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated the conflict could wipe out global oil demand growth for the first time since the pandemic. The Trump administration plans to allow a temporary waiver permitting purchases of certain Iranian crude to expire this weekend.

The S&P 500 closed less than 1% below its all-time high of 7,002.28 reached on Jan. 28, marking its ninth gain in the past 10 sessions and extending a rebound that erased losses tied to the Iran conflict earlier this year. The Nasdaq Composite logged its 10th consecutive advance, its longest winning streak since 2021.

The Kobeissi Letter said on X that Americans have “never been this pessimistic about their financial situation,” noting that a record 54% of consumers now say their finances are worse than a year ago due to higher prices. They also said that consumers expect inflation to rise 4.8% over the next year, the highest reading since June 2025, adding that “inflation is far from gone.”

Trending Stocks To Watch On NYSE, Nasdaq

Webull (BULL), Robinhood (HOOD): Both stocks climbed over 10% on Monday after the SEC approved sweeping changes to day-trading margin rules that previously required smaller investors to maintain $25,000 in account equity.

POET Technologies (POET): The stock rose 2% in extended trading after an 8% decline during the regular session following a Wolfpack Research short report raising Passive Foreign Investment Company (PFIC) tax concerns. POET said it does not expect to qualify as a PFIC this year and plans to redomicile to the U.S., which would eliminate future PFIC classification risk if the redomicile is completed.

Oklo (OKLO): The stock gained 4% after hours as the company added four new board members and transitioned its chief technology officer to a senior technical advisory role for faster deployment of its advanced nuclear energy projects across its integrated power, fuel, recycling, and isotopes businesses.

D-Wave Quantum (QBTS): The stock logged its best day in over two months on Tuesday and rose 6% in extended trading after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said AI is the “control plane” of quantum machines as the company launched its open-source Ising quantum AI models.

IonQ (IONQ): The stock logged its best session in over a month on Tuesday and rose 2% after hours on confirming its selection for DARPA’s HARQ initiative and linking two trapped-ion quantum systems using photonic connections.

How Global Markets Are Performing Today

In broader markets, the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note hovered near a recent low of 4.3%, while gold traded near $4,845 an ounce.

Asian markets were higher, with MSCI’s broadest index outside Japan rising about 2%, alongside higher openings in Japan and Australia.

Among the catalysts for Wednesday are the March import price index, the Empire State manufacturing survey for April, remarks from Federal Reserve officials Michael Barr, Beth Hammack, and Michelle Bowman, the home builder confidence index reading, and the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book release.

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