New York, February 24, 2026 — U.S. stock futures traded near flat Monday night following a significant drop in major indices amid heightened concerns over artificial intelligence disruptions and geopolitical tensions.
Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 45 points, approximately 0.1%. Similarly, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures edged up by 0.1%, signaling cautious optimism ahead of Tuesday’s trading session.
In the regular market session, major indices closed sharply lower, driven by fears surrounding AI industry disruptions and geopolitical uncertainties. The Dow fell nearly 822 points, or about 1.7%, with IBM shares plunging approximately 13%. The Nasdaq Composite declined 1.1%, while the S&P 500 dropped around 1%, slipping into negative territory for the year.
Tech stocks, including Microsoft and cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, suffered notable losses, alongside financial sector shares. The decline was compounded by President Donald Trump’s recent threat to increase global tariffs to 15% and ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
Market analyst Warren Pies of 3Fourteen Research highlighted concerns about market momentum, stating, “The market has lost momentum and is in an unhealthy rotation. Consumer staples and energy are up double digits over the last quarter, while tech and financials are down.” He emphasized the importance of tech-led recovery, noting, “For a bullish resolution, tech and financials need to lead the way.”
Pies, who recently downgraded U.S. equities to neutral, added that he sees potential upside in tech stocks driven by fundamental strength and productivity gains. “This pullback is healthy—a consolidation— but investors should wait for a definitive break of the current range,” he advised.
Looking ahead, investors are focusing on a key event hosted by AI firm Anthropic, known for its chatbot Claude. The company is expected to announce new products and showcase enhancements, which has already contributed to declines in the software sector amid anticipatory caution.
Upcoming economic indicators and corporate earnings also shape market sentiment. On Tuesday, traders will monitor consumer confidence data and earnings reports from Home Depot. Additionally, market participants await earnings results from Nvidia, Salesforce, and Snowflake later this week, which could influence the tech sector’s trajectory amid ongoing volatility.
