Why Are Stock Market Futures Inching Higher Today, 3/5/2026?

2026-03-06 01:12:02

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U.S. stock futures inched higher Thursday night as oil prices eased after surging earlier in the day amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz. Futures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA -1.29% ▼ , and the S&P 500 Index (SPX) were up 0.11%, 0.16%, and 0.11%, respectively, at 8:03 p.m. EST on March 5.

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Oil prices edged lower in late trading, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude down about 2.8% to around $78.7, while Brent crude traded near $85.4. Earlier in the session, however, oil prices had surged after traffic through the Strait of Hormuz came to a halt. WTI crude settled up 8.5% at $81.01, its highest level since 2024, while Brent crude jumped nearly 5%, putting crude on track for its biggest weekly gain since March 2022.

In the regular trading session on Thursday, the Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq fell 1.6%, 0.6%, and 0.3%, respectively. The declines erased part of Wednesday’s strong rebound, when the Dow snapped a three‑day losing streak.

Looking ahead, traders await the release of the Nonfarm Payrolls report tomorrow. The market consensus expects a sharp deceleration to about 58,000 to 65,000 new jobs, down from 130,000 in the previous month.

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