A military conflict with Iran, a labor-linked affordability crisis and a tepid stock market have put the U.S. economy on uncertain footing in the first quarter of 2026.

U.S. stocks eased lower as investors wait for the next signal on when the war with Iran may end. The S&P 500 fell 0.2% Tuesday after giving up an early gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.

Major stock indexes fell Friday to post losses for a second straight week after a weak jobs report, while oil futures soared as the war in the Middle East intensified.

Stock futures hovered near the flatline shortly after 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Futures tied to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures each gained 0.08%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 3 points, or less than 0.1%.

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) may be one of the most recognized names in technology, but the stock’s dramatic run from near $24 a year ago to about $46 today has outpaced underlying reality. Short sellers appear to agree.

Oil shot to its highest price since 2023 after surging again because of the Iran war, and a weak update on the U.S. job market knocked stocks lower to cap Wall Street’s worst week since October.

The U.S. stock market struggled Friday with a disappointing U.S. jobs report and a spike in oil prices amid the Iran conflict. Treasury yields saw their biggest weekly jump since April amid worries over inflation.