December S&P 500 futures (ESZ23) are up +0.20%, and December Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQZ23) are up +0.26% this morning as comments from Fed officials bolstered bets that the U.S. central bank may stand pat until year-end, while investors continued to evaluate the potential impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In Monday’s trading session, the benchmark S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 posted 2-week highs, and the blue-chip Dow rose to a 1-week high. Zscaler Inc (ZS) gained over +3% after Barclays upgraded the stock to Overweight from Equal Weight. Also, defense stocks climbed following the unexpected attack by Hamas on Israel over the weekend, with Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) surging more than +11% and Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) rising over +8%. In addition, energy stocks gained ground as the price of WTI crude rose more than +4%. On the bearish side, airline stocks retreated as most international carriers suspended direct flights to Tel Aviv, with Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL) and American Airlines Group (AAL) falling over -4%. Also, Datadog Inc (DDOG) slid more than -3% after BofA downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy.
