Dow Jones rises 96 points as Iran tensions keep Wall Street cautious

U.S. equities were muted on Monday, with the S&P 500 down about 0.04% and the Nasdaq Composite off 0.28%, as stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks and rising oil prices kept investors cautious. The market is also bracing for a key week of earnings and monetary policy developments. The combination of geopolitical uncertainty, firmer crude, and policy-event risk is contributing to a defensive tone.

Analysis

U.S. equities were muted on Monday, with the S&P 500 down about 0.04% and the Nasdaq Composite off 0.28%, as stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks and rising oil prices kept investors cautious. The market is also bracing for a key week of earnings and monetary policy developments. The combination of geopolitical uncertainty, firmer crude, and policy-event risk is contributing to a defensive tone.