<p>U.S. stock futures rose on Monday following Friday’s lower close. Futures of the major benchmark indices were higher.</p>



<p>On Sunday, President<strong> Donald Trump </strong>urged nations reliant on the Strait of Hormuz to deploy military assets, specifically minesweepers, to secure the route, warning NATO allies of consequences for failing to assist.</p>



<p>Simultaneously, Prime Minister <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu</strong> dismissed rumors of his death in a video on X, jokingly appearing at a café to reassure the Israeli public. </p>



<p>Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.26%, and the two-year bond was at 3.70%. The CME Group's FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 99.1% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged in March.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Index</strong></td><td><strong>Performance (+/-)</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>0.27%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>0.46%</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>0.50%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>0.51%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p>The <strong>SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust </strong>(NYSE:SPY) and <strong>Invesco QQQ Trust ETF</strong> (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, were higher in premarket on Monday. The SPY was up 0.40% at $664.91, while the QQQ advanced 0.44% to $596.36.</p>



<h2><strong>Stocks In Focus</strong></h2>



<h2>Urgent.ly</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Urgent.ly Inc. </strong>(NASDAQ:ULY) skyrocketed 161.08% in premarket on Monday after it announced it had been acquired by Agero for $5.50 in cash per share. Also, the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li><strong>Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings</strong> indicate that ULY maintains a weaker price trend over the short, medium, and long terms.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"></figure>



<h2>Adobe</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Adobe Inc. </strong>(NASDAQ:ADBE) advanced 0.63% despite agreeing to a $150 million settlement with the Justice Department to resolve allegations that its deceptive subscription and cancellation practices violated the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li><strong>Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings</strong> indicate that ADBE maintains a weaker price trend over the short, medium, and long terms, with a moderate quality score.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"></figure>



<h2>Strategy</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Strategy Inc. </strong>(NASDAQ:MSTR) was up 3.45% as <strong>Bitcoin </strong>(CRYPTO: BTC) was hovering around the $73,000 mark, and a significant investor in MSTR’s financial instruments, <strong>Strive Inc.</strong> (NASDAQ:ASST), allocated $50 million last week to Strategy's Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li><strong>Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings</strong> indicate that MSTR maintains a weaker price trend over the short, medium, and long terms.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"></figure>



<h2>Getty Images Holdings</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Getty Images Holdings Inc.</strong> (NYSE:GETY) rose 4.31% as analysts expect it to report earnings after the closing bell. Wall Street is expecting earnings of 3 cents per share on revenue of $246.22 million.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li><strong>Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings</strong> indicate that GETY maintains a weak price trend over the short, medium, and long terms.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"></figure>



<h2>Semtech</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Semtech Corp. </strong>(NASDAQ:SMTC) was 039% higher as analysts expect it to report earnings of 43 cents per share on revenue of $273.20 million, after the closing bell.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li><strong>Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings</strong> indicate that SMTC maintains a strong price trend over the short, medium, and long terms, with a poor value score.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"></figure>



<h2><strong>Cues From Last Session</strong></h2>



<p>Information technology, materials, and communication services led Friday’s market decline, though consumer staples and utilities closed higher, as the Nasdaq dropped 200 points while investors weighed weak GDP revisions against high inflation and Iranian war oil shocks.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Index</strong></td><td><strong>Performance (+/-)</strong></td><td><strong>Value</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.26%</td><td>46,558.47</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-0.61%</td><td>6,632.19</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>-0.93%</td><td>22,105.36</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-0.36%</td><td>2,480.05</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2><strong>Insights From Analysts</strong></h2>



<p><strong>Mohamed El-Erian</strong> paints a sobering picture of a U.S. economy caught between “persistent inflation” and a sharp growth slowdown. With fourth-quarter GDP revised downward to 0.7%, he notes that the American economy was losing steam even before the recent escalation of the war in the Middle East.</p>



<p>This conflict has shifted from a short-term disruption to a source of “structural damage” that threatens systemic financial instability.</p>



<p>Regarding the stock market, El-Erian highlights the breakdown of traditional diversification. As both stocks and bonds lost ground last week, he observed that “investors struggled to find safety,” with markets increasingly vulnerable to “market indigestion.”</p>



<p>The persistence of sticky inflation at 3.1%—well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target—further complicates the outlook.</p>



<p>El-Erian warns that the targeting of energy infrastructure marks a “new, more dangerous phase” for global markets. He cautions that without a diplomatic breakthrough, the fallout will extend beyond high energy prices to include “broader inflationary pressures, lower growth, higher unemployment, and a greater risk of systemic financial instability.”</p>



<p>For investors, the immediate future remains locked on the war's duration and its capacity to fundamentally “complicate the policy outlook” for the Fed.</p>



<h2><strong>Upcoming Economic Data</strong></h2>



<p>Here's what investors will be keeping an eye on this week.</p>



<ul>
<li>On Monday, March’s Empire State manufacturing survey data will be released by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>February’s industrial production and capacity utilization data will be out by 9:15 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Tuesday, February’s pending home sales report and March’s Home Builder Confidence Index data will be out by 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Wednesday, February’s Producer Price Index (PPI), Core PPI, and year-over-year PPI data will be released by 8:30 a.m. ET. January’s factory orders data will be out by 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>The FOMC interest-rate decision will be released by 2:00 p.m., and Fed Chair Powell will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Thursday, initial jobless claims for the week ending March 14, and March’s Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey data will be released by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>January’s wholesale inventories and new home sales data will be out by 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Friday, there are no major economic reports scheduled.</li>
</ul>



<h2><strong>Commodities, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets</strong></h2>



<p>Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 2.21% to hover around $98.98 per barrel.</p>



<p>Gold Spot US Dollar fell 0.51% to hover around $4,993.80 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $5,595.46 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.02% lower at the 100.2550 level.</p>



<p>Meanwhile, Bitcoin was trading 2.37% higher at $73,270.99 per coin, as per the last 24 hours.</p>



<p>Asian markets closed mixed on Monday, as Hong Kong's Hang Seng, China’s CSI 300, and South Korea's Kospi indices rose. On the other hand, India’s Nifty 50, Australia's ASX 200, and Japan's Nikkei 225 indices fell. European markets were mostly lower in early trade.</p>



<p><em>Image via Shutterstock</em></p>

ADBE

ADBG

<p>U.S. stock futures rose on Monday after a lower close on Friday, with major indices showing gains. President Trump urged allies to secure the Strait of Hormuz, warning of consequences for non-compliance. Urgent.ly surged 161.08% after being acquired by Agero, while Adobe settled a lawsuit for $150 million. Strategy Inc. rose 3.45% amid Bitcoin's stability. Analysts predict earnings for Getty Images and Semtech. Mohamed El-Erian warns of persistent inflation and economic slowdown, emphasizing the risks of systemic financial instability due to geopolitical tensions. Key economic data is expected this week.</p>

- U.S. stock futures increased on Monday after a decline on Friday, with major indices showing positive movement.  
- President Trump called for military assistance to secure the Strait of Hormuz, and Prime Minister Netanyahu reassured the public regarding his health.  
- Analysts warn of economic instability due to persistent inflation and geopolitical tensions, highlighting the potential impacts on market dynamics and investor sentiment.

benzinga_article

Stock Market Today: S&P 500, Dow Jones Futures Gain As Trump Urges Allies To Help Reopen Strait Of Hormuz— Strategy, Urgent.ly, Adobe In Focus