What Happened Today, Thursday August 27, 2026, 5:00 PM ET close
Nasdaq Futures Lead a Broad Market Rally While Oil Jumps 2% on Iran War Headlines
Nasdaq futures added 1.18%, S&P futures gained 0.56%, and Bitcoin climbed 1.29% even as oil jumped 2% on the ongoing Iran conflict
ES and NQ at the close
NQ, Nasdaq 100 futures
29,635.25
+1.18% on the day
Day range 29,401.75 to 29,706.75
ES, S&P 500 futures
7,733.00
+0.56% on the day
Day range 7,702.75 to 7,755.50
How did our Futures Trading Algo Do Today?
Trades
6
ES/NQ/RTY/BTC ยท live + forward-test
Result
-$0.54
net for the day
Discipline
No strategy was oversized or allowed to run past its stop, the day's gains and losses stayed within one trade's worth of each other.
The paper book ran 6 trades across ES, NQ, RTY and BTC and finished essentially flat at negative $0.54. The Asia session BTC setups did the heavy lifting on the win side, MZ_BTC_asia_sess_5m added $60.90 over three trades including the day's best trade, a short for plus $113, and MZ_BTC_asia_kz_5m chipped in $58.50 on one trade. London session BTC setups gave most of it back, MZ_BTC_london_sess_5m dropped $55.23 and SH_OU_BTC_LONDON_SESS_5m lost $64.71, and MZ_BTC_asia_sess_5m also logged the day's worst trade, a short for minus $91. Wins and losses offset almost dollar for dollar, a coin flip day for the book.
Follow every signal
Telegram, Discord, X
SPY and QQQ
The story
US stock index futures pushed higher on Thursday, with tech once again setting the pace. Nasdaq futures gained 1.18% to close at 29,635.25, trading in a range between 29,401.75 and 29,706.75. S&P 500 futures were more measured, up 0.56% to 7,733.00, and blue chip names in the Dow also firmed up alongside the broader advance. The gains came even as oil jumped 2% and headlines out of the Middle East kept traders on alert, a sign that Wall Street is choosing to look past the geopolitical noise for now.
The MAG7 and the megacaps
Big tech continued to carry the market on its back, with the Nasdaq's outsized move relative to the S&P pointing to mega cap growth names doing most of the buying. That pattern has held for months now, when risk appetite improves it is technology and AI-linked names that see the fastest money, and Thursday was no exception. The wider gap between the Nasdaq's 1.18% gain and the S&P's more modest 0.56% move underscores how concentrated the rally remains in a handful of large cap tech leaders.
After the bell
Oil jumps 2% as Iran ceasefire hopes fade
Crude settled sharply higher after Trump rejected a return to the terms of a prior Iran ceasefire deal, reinforcing the view that the six month conflict is headed for a prolonged stalemate rather than a quick resolution.
Gas prices become a midterms issue
With pump prices climbing alongside oil, Trump is set to meet with refiners and fuel retailers, a sign the administration is treating rising energy costs as a political risk heading into the midterm elections.
OPEC+ influence slips as China steps in
The prolonged Iran standoff is eroding OPEC+'s usual sway over oil markets, with China reportedly gaining influence as the group struggles to manage supply dynamics around the conflict.
Trade tensions ease slightly with Canada
Canada said it will keep US seafood out of its retaliatory tariffs, a minor but welcome data point for markets watching for signs that trade frictions between the two countries are cooling rather than escalating.
Crypto
Bitcoin kept pace with the risk-on tone in stocks, rising 1.29% to close at $80,047.91 after swinging between $78,622.33 and $80,793.76 during the session. Crypto has been trading in step with tech stocks for much of this cycle, and today was another example, both assets caught a bid even as headline risk from the Middle East lingered in the background.
Into the night
Overnight and into the session, the dominant story remained the Iran conflict, now in its sixth month and looking more like a costly stalemate than a resolution, according to Reuters. Oil settled up 2% after President Trump rejected returning to the terms of a prior Iran ceasefire deal, and the administration is now meeting with refiners and fuel retailers as rising gas prices become a political liability ahead of the midterms. Iran's security chief also pushed back on a report about a potential plot against Trump's son, adding another layer of tension to an already fraught six months. Separately, OPEC+ appears to be losing some of its grip on the oil market as the Iran standoff drags on, with China gaining influence in the vacuum, and Canada said it will exclude US seafood from its retaliatory tariffs, a small but notable de-escalation on the trade front.
What is coming next
NQ resistance
29,706.75
Today's high, a close above opens the door to fresh highs
NQ support
29,401.75
Today's low, a break back under would put the rally on notice
ES range
7,702.75 to 7,755.50
S&P futures held a tighter band, watch for a breakout either way
Oil and gas
Up 2% on the day
Keep an eye on pump prices as a growing midterms talking point
With the Iran conflict showing no signs of a near term resolution, expect oil and gas headlines to keep influencing sentiment alongside the usual earnings and economic calendar. Traders will also be watching whether Nasdaq futures can hold above the 29,700 area, a close there would confirm the tech led leadership seen this week, while a slip back under 29,400 would suggest the rally needs to catch its breath.
Want this live, for free?
We send market moving news the moment it hits, straight to Telegram, Discord and X. Then this recap pulls the day together every evening: ES and NQ, the MAG7, crypto, and what is next.
Educational market recap, not financial advice. Futures and options trading carry substantial risk of loss. Prices reflect the 2026-08-27 session close; charts are live and interactive. Always verify before acting.