Oil and gold pull backed from peaks while equity futures remain under pressure

U.S. equity futures declined in pre-market trading following conflict escalation between the U.S., Israel, and Iran over the weekend. The Invesco QQQ ETF tracking the Nasdaq 100 fell 1.5%, though losses moderated. Oil prices, specifically WTI crude, surged as high as $75 per barrel after an Iranian strike on a Saudi refinery, but later retreated below $72, remaining 8% higher over 24 hours. Gold also rallied over 2% to $5,400 per ounce amid the search for safe-haven assets before pulling back. Bitcoin, however, held steady above $66,000, showing a divergence from software stocks. Crypto-related equities like Cipher Digital and IREN saw declines, while CoinDesk's parent company, Bullish, dropped 4%. Market uncertainty is reflected by the rise in the U.S. dollar index (DXY) to 98.2 and increases in both the VIX and MOVE volatility indices.

(Source：CoinDesk)