Trump's Iran Remarks Trigger Market Whipsaws

On Wednesday, Trump's social media post suggesting Iran's president sought a ceasefire led to a global market rally, with the S&P 500 rising 0.72%, the Nasdaq Composite gaining 1.16%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding over 200 points. However, sentiment reversed sharply after Trump's address to the nation later, where he hardened his stance, warning of hitting Tehran "extremely hard" and continuing military operations for weeks, dashing hopes for a quick resolution.

This resulted in US stock futures falling on Thursday morning, with S&P 500 futures down around 1.15%, Nasdaq 100 futures dropping 1.5%, and Dow futures sliding about 447 points, mirroring global equity weakness and surging oil prices. Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf advised investors to treat pre-market messaging as a "reverse indicator," suggesting doing the opposite of what is implied.