US stock futures rose on July 20, 2026, as investors awaited earnings from major tech companies, with Dow futures up 0.2% and S&P 500 futures up 0.3%. Nasdaq-100 futures increased by 0.7%. Meanwhile, oil prices fell after briefly rising due to escalating tensions between the US and Iran, which included retaliatory attacks. Investors are looking for signs of how well companies like Alphabet, Intel, IBM, and Tesla are monetizing their AI investments in their upcoming earnings reports.

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LIVE Updated 43 mins ago

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures edge up as oil turns lower in wait for Big Tech earnings

Grace O'Donnell· Editor, Special Projects

Updated Mon, July 20, 2026 at 8:07 AM EDT1 min read

US stock futures rose on Monday morning as investors awaited Big Tech earnings, while oil prices eased after touching $90 a barrel as the US and Iran exchanged tit-for-tat attacks over the weekend.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures ( YM=F) edged up 0.2%, while those on the S&P 500 ( ES=F) added 0.3%. Contracts for the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 ( NQ=F) popped almost 0.7% to follow a volatile week that saw semiconductor stocks post losses.

The market is looking for the next catalyst for the artificial intelligence trade after a series of sector rotations in recent weeks. Wall Street has raised its expectations for quarterly results from Alphabet ( GOOG, GOOGL), Intel Corporation ( INTC), IBM ( IBM), and Tesla ( TSLA), due later this week, as investors look for signs that companies are monetizing AI to accompany their huge investments in the AI build-out.

In the Middle East, the US-Iran war escalated again over the weekend after the US engaged in its ninth straight day of attacks and Iran retaliated by bombing US allies in the region, primarily Kuwait. The two sides remain far apart on a ceasefire agreement, even as the death toll from the conflict rises.

Oil prices reversed gains on Monday after rising on the renewed tensions, as Iran said diplomatic exchanges with the US would continue via mediators. That was seen by some as leaving scope for fresh negotiations. Meanwhile, Brent crude futures ( BZ=F) remain well below their April and May peaks, suggesting energy markets may be starting to look beyond the Strait of Hormuz for alternative shipping routes for oil exports.