U.S. equity futures opened flat Monday as investors positioned for the start of third-quarter earnings season and monitored Middle East developments.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 0.1 percent, S&P 500 futures rose 0.1 percent, and Nasdaq futures dipped 0.1 percent.
This week brings results from major financial institutions: JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, and Charles Schwab. Beyond financials, Johnson & Johnson, UnitedHealth, ASML, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing will report earnings. These reports are the first hard look at corporate performance during July-September.
Economic data this week includes the September Producer Price Index and retail sales figures. Both reports carry weight for Federal Reserve policy, particularly inflation trends and consumer spending.
Brent crude oil rose 1.4 percent, driven by weekend attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. President Donald Trump said he is considering U.S. involvement against Iran-backed Houthi forces, which are engaged in a ground war in Yemen. Saudi Arabia backs the Yemeni government, intensifying regional supply risk and geopolitical uncertainty affecting energy costs.
