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Middle East Outlook Undergirds Wall Street Pre-Bell; Asia Up, Europe Off

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-- Wall Street futures edged up from all-time highs pre-bell Thursday as traders awaited clarity on Tehran-Washington negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and possibly end Persian Gulf hostilities.

In the futures, the S&P 500 gained 0.1%, the Nasdaq edged 0.2% higher and the Dow Jones was steady.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil traded down 2.4% at $92.85 a barrel, in morning activity.

Amid sagging oil prices and AI-optimism, Asian exchanges tracked solidly higher overnight with fresh zeniths set on equity indices in Seoul, Taiwan and Tokyo, the latter rising 5.6% after a five-day trading hiatus.

European bourses edged south midday on the continent.

Fortinet (FTNT) stock was up 15% pre-bell after the company overnight reported higher Q1 non-GAAP earnings and revenue while raising its fiscal 2026 guidance.

On the economic calendar is the weekly jobless claims report at 8:30 am ET along with the Q1 productivity and costs release.

The construction spending bulletins for February and March log at 10 am, followed by the weekly EIA natural gas report at 10:30 am.

Federal Reserve Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari, Cleveland President Beth Hammack and New York President John Williams are slated to speak Thursday.

In premarket activity, Bitcoin traded at $80,703, and 10-year US Treasuries offered 4.33%. Spot gold commanded $4,731 an ounce.

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