Stock Markets March 9, 2026 07:39 AM

U.S. Futures Slip as Middle East Tensions Lift Oil; Mixed Premarket Moves in Health, Tech and Energy Stocks

Escalation in the Middle East pushes crude prices higher and rattles futures while select healthcare and tech names post divergent premarket moves

By Maya Rios CVX
U.S. Futures Slip as Middle East Tensions Lift Oil; Mixed Premarket Moves in Health, Tech and Energy Stocks
CVX

U.S. stock futures fell sharply Monday after escalation in the Middle East conflict pushed energy prices higher, stoking worries about future economic growth. In premarket action a range of companies moved decisively: Hims & Hers and several smaller biotech and specialty companies jumped, while established drugmakers and life-science suppliers dipped. Major oil producers gained amid a jump in crude.

Key Points

  • U.S. futures declined sharply as Middle East tensions pushed energy prices up, raising concerns about economic growth - impacts equity markets broadly and specifically the energy sector.
  • Several healthcare and biotech companies saw large premarket percentage moves driven by deal reports and clinical-trial news, while a major IT firm fell ahead of quarterly results - signaling sector-specific volatility in health and technology.
  • Major oil producers gained roughly 1% as Brent crude traded above $110 a barrel, reflecting direct benefits to energy companies from higher crude prices.

U.S. stock futures opened sharply lower Monday as an escalation in the Middle East conflict lifted energy prices, prompting renewed concern about the outlook for economic growth.

Premarket trading featured a wide set of movers across healthcare, technology, and energy. Several smaller names posted large percentage moves, while some blue-chip health and life-science companies registered declines ahead of results or following clinical and corporate news.


Notable premarket movers

  • Hims & Hers Health - The telehealth platform's shares surged 43% after reports that Novo Nordisk plans to distribute its weight-loss drugs through the service, a development described as a surprising reconciliation following a recent legal dispute between the two companies.
  • Hewlett Packard Enterprise - Shares fell 1.3% ahead of the company's first-quarter results. Street expectations center on roughly 19-20% year-over-year revenue growth to about $9.3 billion, with AI infrastructure demand cited as a driver of those projections.
  • Pfizer - The drugmaker's stock declined 1.6% after it released results from a mid-stage clinical trial of an experimental antibody treatment for atopic dermatitis.
  • Agilent Technologies - The life sciences firm slipped 1.4% after announcing an all-cash acquisition of privately held clinical pathology company Biocare Medical in a deal valued at $950 million.
  • Aureus Greenway - Shares jumped 47% following a report that the holding company will merge with Powerus, a drone manufacturer reportedly backed by President Trump’s sons.
  • Relmada Therapeutics - The pharmaceutical company rallied 32% after announcing 12-month interim data from its Phase 2 trial in patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
  • Exxon Mobil and Chevron - Both majors gained around 1% as crude oil surged, with Brent trading above $110 a barrel amid the geopolitical escalation.

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The mix of strong moves in smaller healthcare and biotech stocks, declines tied to clinical or corporate announcements, and gains for large oil producers underscores the market's sensitivity to both company-level catalysts and broader geopolitical developments that feed through to energy markets.

Risks

  • Rising energy prices tied to the Middle East escalation could slow economic growth and negatively affect broader equity performance - primarily a macroeconomic risk to markets and cyclical sectors.
  • Clinical trial outcomes and interim data releases can cause sharp stock moves in pharmaceutical and biotech companies, creating elevated idiosyncratic risk for healthcare investors.
  • Mergers and acquisitions or partnership announcements can prompt immediate market reactions that may not reflect longer-term integration or operational outcomes, affecting life-sciences and specialty technology firms.

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