Dow Jones futures slump as risk aversion rises after US-Israel strikes on Iran
- Dow Jones futures decline as Middle East tensions escalate.
- Israel struck Beirut after Hezbollah fired missiles, following coordinated US-Israel attacks on Iran over the weekend.
- Wall Street fell on Friday as traders feared rapid AI adoption could sideline traditional software companies.
Dow Jones futures fall 1.43% to near 48,300 during European hours ahead of the US regular market open on Monday. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures decline 1.42% and 1.74% to near 6,790 and 24,570 at the time of writing.
US stock futures fell as tensions in the Middle East intensified. Israel launched heavy strikes on Beirut after Hezbollah fired missiles across the border early Monday, following coordinated US-Israel attacks on Iran over the weekend that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Israeli military also issued evacuation orders for several Lebanese towns.
US President Donald Trump said hundreds of targets were struck, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, air defense systems, nine vessels, and naval infrastructure, adding that operations will continue until all objectives are met.
Tehran responded by targeting US assets across the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy also announced a halt to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route that carries more than 20% of global oil supplies.
On Friday’s regular US session, Wall Street closed lower as investors grew concerned that rapid AI adoption could displace traditional software providers. The Dow Jones dropped 1.05%, the S&P 500 declined 0.43%, and the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.92%.
Meanwhile, stronger-than-expected US inflation data suggested firms are passing tariff costs on to consumers, further clouding the outlook for Federal Reserve rate cuts. However, Fed Governor Miran called for significant interest rate cuts as soon as possible, arguing that underlying price pressures remain subdued and that persistently high rates reflect distortions in inflation measurement.
(The story was corrected on March 2 at 9:40 GMT to say in the last paragraph "Fed Governor Stephen Miran" and not Governor Mi Lan.)
Dow Jones FAQs
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, one of the oldest stock market indices in the world, is compiled of the 30 most traded stocks in the US. The index is price-weighted rather than weighted by capitalization. It is calculated by summing the prices of the constituent stocks and dividing them by a factor, currently 0.152. The index was founded by Charles Dow, who also founded the Wall Street Journal. In later years it has been criticized for not being broadly representative enough because it only tracks 30 conglomerates, unlike broader indices such as the S&P 500.
Many different factors drive the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The aggregate performance of the component companies revealed in quarterly company earnings reports is the main one. US and global macroeconomic data also contributes as it impacts on investor sentiment. The level of interest rates, set by the Federal Reserve (Fed), also influences the DJIA as it affects the cost of credit, on which many corporations are heavily reliant. Therefore, inflation can be a major driver as well as other metrics which impact the Fed decisions.
Dow Theory is a method for identifying the primary trend of the stock market developed by Charles Dow. A key step is to compare the direction of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA) and only follow trends where both are moving in the same direction. Volume is a confirmatory criteria. The theory uses elements of peak and trough analysis. Dow’s theory posits three trend phases: accumulation, when smart money starts buying or selling; public participation, when the wider public joins in; and distribution, when the smart money exits.
There are a number of ways to trade the DJIA. One is to use ETFs which allow investors to trade the DJIA as a single security, rather than having to buy shares in all 30 constituent companies. A leading example is the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA). DJIA futures contracts enable traders to speculate on the future value of the index and Options provide the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell the index at a predetermined price in the future. Mutual funds enable investors to buy a share of a diversified portfolio of DJIA stocks thus providing exposure to the overall index.
Author
Akhtar Faruqui
FXStreet
Akhtar Faruqui is a Forex Analyst based in New Delhi, India. With a keen eye for market trends and a passion for dissecting complex financial dynamics, he is dedicated to delivering accurate and insightful Forex news and analysis.
