U.S. stocks looked set to open higher on Monday, picking up after a shortened trading week. It's a bit of a head-scratcher, really, because the geopolitical backdrop is anything but calm. Futures for the major indices were ticking up even as tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran continued to simmer.

The main source of the noise? Former President Donald Trump. On Sunday, he issued a stark threat to Iran on Truth Social, demanding the country reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday or face severe consequences. "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Strait, you crazy **, or you'll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!," he posted. Trump is also scheduled to hold a press conference with military officials later Monday, which will likely keep the markets on edge.

Meanwhile, in the bond market, the 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.36%, with the two-year at 3.86%. Traders are almost certain the Federal Reserve will stand pat at its next meeting, with the CME Group's FedWatch tool showing a 99.5% probability of unchanged rates in April.

Here’s a quick look at how the major index futures were performing:

The ETFs that track the broad market were also higher in premarket trading. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.35% at $658.14, while the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ), which follows the Nasdaq 100, advanced 0.64% to $588.71.

Stocks In Focus

Amid the macro noise, several individual stocks were moving on their own news.

Broadcom

• Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) rose 0.78% after it named Amie Thuener as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective June 12. She will succeed Kirsten M. Spears.
• Market data indicates that AVGO maintains a strong price trend in the long term but shows weakness in the medium and short terms, alongside a solid growth score.

Cheer Holding

• Cheer Holding Inc. (CHR) advanced by 3.12% after announcing a 1-for-3 reverse stock split, effective April 6. The move is aimed at maintaining its listing on the Nasdaq.
• Market data shows CHR maintains a weak price trend across the long, short, and medium terms, with a poor growth score.

United Airlines Holdings

• United Airlines Holdings Inc. (UAL) was up 1.10% after stating on Friday that it plans to introduce a new tiered fare structure in its premium cabins starting later this year.
• Market data indicates UAL maintains a weak price trend across all timeframes but has a solid value score.

DeFi Technologies

• DeFi Technologies Inc. (DEFT) jumped 9.50% after reporting mixed fourth-quarter results. The company posted earnings of 8 cents per share, beating the analyst consensus estimate of 3 cents. However, quarterly sales of $20.000 million missed the estimate of $29.744 million.
• Market data shows DEFT has a weak trend over the long and medium term but a strong trend in the short term, with a good growth score.

Niu Technologies

• Niu Technologies ADR (NIU) gained 1.41% after providing its sales volume results for the first quarter of 2026. The company sold 261,624 units, including e-motorcycles, e-mopeds, e-bicycles, kick-scooters, and e-bikes.
• Market data indicates NIU maintains a weak price trend in the short, medium, and long terms.

Cues From Last Session

Looking back at Thursday's close, real estate, information technology, and consumer staples stocks led the gains, pushing most S&P 500 sectors higher. Health care and consumer discretionary stocks were the exceptions, closing lower.

Insights From Analysts

Mohamed El-Erian is painting a picture of a U.S. economy that's resilient but looking increasingly vulnerable. He sees it caught between robust activity and escalating geopolitical pressures.

While he notes the U.S. has been "better positioned" than Europe or Asia, he warns that inflationary pressures are mounting. He highlights a stark divergence in policy sentiment, critiquing the Federal Reserve's "well-positioned" mantra as lacking the "analytical and intellectual agility" shown by other central banks.

On markets, El-Erian observes that after the worst quarter since 2022, U.S. stocks saw a recent bounce, even as they decoupled from rising oil prices. However, he remains wary of the "broader economic damage" caused by the Middle East War, noting that while the U.S. has largely been limited to the initial phases of financial impact, it is not immune to the looming supply-side shocks.

He underscores the gravity of the current global shift, quoting the IMF's warning that "all roads lead to higher prices and lower growth."

As the U.S. faces a heavy week of data, including a projected jump in headline CPI to over 3%, El-Erian suggests the economy is at a crossroads where "increasing inflationary pressures are being accompanied by resilient activity," creating a complex backdrop for investors.

Upcoming Economic Data

Here's what investors will be keeping an eye on this week.

• On Monday, March's ISM Services data will be released by 10:00 a.m. ET.
• On Tuesday, February's durable-goods orders and durable-goods minus transportation data will be out by 8:30 a.m. ET. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee will speak at 12:35 p.m., February's consumer credit data will be released by 3:00 p.m., and Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson will speak at 5:50 p.m. ET.
• On Wednesday, San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly will speak at 1:05 p.m., and minutes of the Fed's May FOMC meeting will be released by 2:00 p.m. ET.
• On Thursday, a data deluge arrives: February's personal income, personal spending, PCE index, core PCE index, and the second revision of the fourth quarter GDP number, along with initial jobless claims for the week ending April 4, will all be released by 8:30 a.m. ET. February's wholesale inventories data follows at 10:00 a.m. ET.
• On Friday, the big one: March's consumer price index and core CPI data will be out by 8:30 a.m. ET. February's factory orders data and April's preliminary consumer sentiment data will be out by 10:00 a.m. ET.

Commodities, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets

Crude oil futures were trading lower in the early New York session, down 1.74% to hover around $109.60 per barrel.

Gold, however, was moving the other way. The spot price rose 0.30% to around $4,690.48 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $5,595.46 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.17% lower at the 99.8550 level.

In the crypto world, Bitcoin was trading 3.55% higher at $69,242.10 per coin over the last 24 hours.

Global equity markets presented a mixed picture. Asian markets closed lower on Monday, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng, Australia's ASX 200, and China's CSI 300 indices falling. India's Nifty 50, South Korea's Kospi, and Japan's Nikkei 225 indices managed to rise. European markets were also lower in early trade.