Good morning and welcome to Markets Desk.
U.S. stock futures are opening the week under pressure, with index futures slipping as crude oil pushes higher amid the ongoing stalemate in the Iran conflict. The dynamic is familiar — geopolitical uncertainty lifts energy prices, which in turn weighs on equities as investors price in margin pressure and slower growth. Traders will be watching oil closely as the week develops.
Shifting to a notable turn in the world of finance and technology, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, who as recently as January called artificial intelligence quote garbage, has now reversed course entirely, describing AI as profoundly more powerful than he previously believed and capable of reshaping society. When one of the most influential figures in global finance changes his view that sharply, markets pay attention — and it reinforces just how quickly institutional sentiment around AI is consolidating.
That sentiment is already driving real capital flows. One of the hottest themes on Wall Street right now centers on so-called HALO stocks — companies in sectors that AI simply cannot replace, from skilled trades to human-centered services. The idea has gained enough traction that an ETF has now been built around it, giving retail and institutional investors alike a vehicle to express that thesis directly.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
