10 Advanced SEO Techniques Only Experts Are Using

It's no longer enough to just know SEO—you have to master it. In 2025, search engine optimization is evolving faster than ever, and if you're still relying on the basics, you're already behind. That's why only a few experts are tapping into the full potential of Advanced SEO Techniques—methods that go beyond keyword stuffing and backlinks to deliver long-term, scalable results.
If you're serious about ranking higher, gaining authority, and truly understanding how to future-proof your digital presence, this deep dive into the strategies elite professionals are quietly using will give you a serious edge. From AI-driven optimization to semantic search mastery, here's what the top 1% of SEO specialists are doing differently.
Google's shift toward Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI-powered algorithms like BERT and MUM has dramatically changed how content is evaluated. Semantic SEO goes beyond targeting keywords—it's about creating a topic ecosystem.
Experts create pillar pages that address broad search intents and support them with tightly connected cluster articles covering subtopics in depth. This structure not only improves crawlability but also signals expertise and authority on a subject, which Google rewards with higher rankings. It's how top marketers build topical authority without relying solely on backlinks.
With the phasing out of third-party cookies, first-party data has become SEO gold. Experts are integrating CRM and analytics platforms to mine user behavior and develop predictive models.
By mapping first-party data to specific user intents, marketers can anticipate what content will resonate with users before they even search for it. This allows for content personalization at scale, especially when aligned with automated content systems or dynamic content rendering.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Writesonic have changed the game—but simply generating content isn't enough. Experts use AI to build the first draft and then enhance it with human expertise, storytelling, and factual verification.
This hybrid approach saves time while ensuring the final product aligns with E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Google can now detect AI-written content that lacks depth, so expert SEOs fine-tune everything for authenticity and accuracy.
Structured data isn't new, but few marketers are fully exploiting its power. Experts implement advanced schema types like FAQ, HowTo, Speakable, and Author markup—not just the standard Article and Product schemas.
These markups provide search engines with precise signals about content type, increasing the chance of earning rich snippets, voice search results, and visibility in Google Discover. Some SEOs even experiment with custom schemas in niche verticals to stand out.
Over 60% of Google searches end without a click. That's why expert SEOs are optimizing for zero-click searches by owning position zero with concise, high-value content designed for featured snippets, People Also Ask, and Google Knowledge Panels.
Instead of chasing clicks, the goal is brand visibility and authority. This involves writing precise definitions, question-based content, and structured answers that directly address the query within the first 100 words of a page.
Google is no longer ranking pages—it's ranking entities. Expert SEOs are ensuring that brands, people, and products are recognized as distinct entities in the Knowledge Graph.
They do this by optimizing Google Business Profiles, Wikidata entries, LinkedIn pages, and consistent schema markup across platforms. The more Google can identify your content as part of a known entity, the more trust and visibility it gets in search results.
For websites targeting large sets of keywords (like ecommerce or real estate platforms), programmatic SEO is a game-changer. Experts build systems that generate hundreds or thousands of optimized pages using dynamic templates, keyword variations, and structured content blocks.
This method works especially well for 'long tail' queries with high conversion potential. The key is ensuring quality and uniqueness in each output—something that's now easier with AI integration and modular CMS setups.
Google's emphasis on user experience isn't going anywhere. Core Web Vitals—metrics like Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift—are baked into the ranking algorithm.
Expert SEOs go beyond just hitting these numbers; they redesign site architecture, eliminate render-blocking resources, and apply lazy loading techniques. This focus on seamless UX reduces bounce rates and improves rankings on both mobile and desktop.
Modern SEO isn't just reactive—it's predictive. Experts analyze trending topics, seasonal keywords, and historical search data to publish content before demand peaks.
They also track the appearance of new SERP features like AI Overviews, Shopping Graph integrations, or featured videos. By optimizing for emerging formats early, they gain competitive advantages and secure valuable real estate before the competition catches up.
One of the most underrated Advanced SEO Techniques is combating content decay—when once-successful articles lose rankings due to freshness or relevance issues. Experts continuously audit their top-performing pages and update them with current stats, new visuals, and improved internal linking.
They also rewrite outdated information, re-optimize headers, and add multimedia to align with current SERP expectations. This strategy not only recovers lost traffic but also strengthens overall site authority in Google's eyes.
These techniques are not theoretical—they're already being implemented by top SEO strategists, SaaS giants, and cutting-edge content teams. As Google gets smarter, your SEO must become more strategic, technical, and user-focused.
Whether you're a freelance marketer or part of a high-performing growth team, integrating even a few of these approaches can radically improve your visibility. And if you're serious about staying ahead, consider enrolling in an advanced digital marketing course that goes beyond the basics and delves into real-world applications of these methods.
As we head into a more AI-integrated digital landscape, success will belong to those who understand not just how to optimize for search engines, but how to predict, adapt, and lead within the ecosystem.
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Business Upturn

20 minutes ago

• Business Upturn

Kurmah NFC Card: India's Smart Contactless NFC Business Card for Modern Professionals

By PNN Published on June 23, 2025, 21:14 IST Last updated June 23, 2025, 21:15 IST As the way professionals connect is changing, Kurmah is redefining the way with its revolutionary NFC business cards. Inspired by the Kurma Avatar of Lord Vishnu and combines tradition with technological innovation to offer forward-thinking, sustainable networking solutions. Saying Goodbye to Paper Visiting Cards Traditional paper business cards can easily be lost, damaged, or thrown away – inconvenience and environmental harm from the potential plastic waste. Kurmah offers a smarter way for professionals to create and maintain connections, as an NFC Business Card can quickly and conveniently transfer contact information, websites, and social media links in just a tap or scan of QR. Speaking on the launch, Founder of Kurmah said: ' Kurmah was founded with a vision to revolutionize professional networking by offering a solution that is innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective. Traditional paper business cards are often wasteful, easily lost, and outdated. In contrast, Kurmah NFC Digital Business Cards provide a smart, seamless, and eco-friendly alternative — designed for modern professionals who value efficiency and environmental responsibility.' Explore the Kurmah NFC Card Collection Kurmah offers a wide selection of NFC visiting cards that are best suited for professionals in a variety of industries: PVC NFC Cards– Starting at an affordable price, PVC NFC business cards offer a Slim, durable and ideal for everyday business use. Metal NFC Cards – Designed for executive-level and premium clients only. Metal NFC business cards offer a premium and modern feel, leaving a lasting impression Google Review Cards– Google review cards are tangible cards that allow customers to leave reviews about their experiences on a company's Google My Business page. These cards use QR codes and NFC technology to make it easy for customers to leave reviews or ratings. Social Media NFC Cards– With NFC-enabled business cards or tags, users can directly link to platforms like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or LinkedIn, saving time and eliminating the need for manual searches. Which will maximize engagement and grow your online presence. Smart NFC Standee– NFC standee with QR codes, Kurmah changes the game for businesses with a local presence. Our Google review standee uses NFC and QR Codes to elevate your Google reviews and ratings to boost your local presence and get more footfall. Cloud-Powered. App Free. NFC Ready Since its launch in April 2024, over 500 customers have adopted Kurmah's NFC technology. Each card is equipped with QR codes and cloud secured server fully customizable to reflect your brand identity and profession and works seamlessly across all NFC-enabled devices with iOS or Android. Smart NFC Business Cards for Smarter Networking Kurmah symbolizes strength, stability, and support, inspired by the Kurma Avatar. Whether you're launching a startup, leading a team, or operating solo, Kurmah NFC cards elevate your professional presence with convenience and impact. Nationwide Reach Kurmah is a trusted manufacturer, supplier, dealer, and wholesaler of NFC cards in India. Headquarter in Ahmedabad – They are serving all over India and they have sold their NFC business cards in some well-known cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Nagpur, Indore, Thane, Bhopal, Visakhapatnam, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Patna, Vadodara, Ghaziabad, Ludhiana, Agra, Nashik, Faridabad, Meerut, Rajkot, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, Varanasi, Srinagar, Aurangabad, Dhanbad, Amritsar, Navi Mumbai, Prayagraj, Howrah, Ranchi, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Coimbatore, Vijayawada, Jodhpur, Madurai, Raipur, Kota and many more. Kurmah Unveils Custom Printing for Everyday Essentials Kurmah is expanding its offerings beyond smart digital business cards and introducing custom printing services for personalized merchandise. The brand plans to offer t-shirts, mugs, water bottles, cap, office essentials, photo frames, customised gifts and many more, all crafted with quality and affordability in mind. For more details, get in touch: Email: [email protected] Phone: +91 8460450745 Website: Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with a PR agency. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash PNN is content marketing and India's one of the largest PR agency.

Yahoo

38 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq waver after report of Iranian missile strikes aimed at US air bases

US stocks wavered on Monday following reports that Iran launched missiles at US air bases in Qatar and Iraq in retaliation for US strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.2% while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) and tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) also gained 0.3%. Stocks started the session in red territory on the heels of President Trump's decision to join Israel's attacks on Iran on Saturday. Investors are on edge over a shock surge in energy prices if Iran blocks the key Strait of Hormuz waterway, as that would have repercussions for economies worldwide. Trump said late Saturday that the US had struck Iran's three main nuclear enrichment facilities, saying the sites had been "totally obliterated" — a claim that has since been questioned. He threatened Iran with more attacks if the country did not quickly seek peace talks. The focus turned to Iran's retaliation on Monday afternoon after Iranian state media announced Iran launched missiles at US military bases in Qatar and Iraq and witnesses heard explosions in the Qatari capital of Doha. On Sunday, Iran's foreign minister said the country reserves "all options," raising concerns that it may block the Strait of Hormuz. After the US bombings, oil futures surged over 4% amid jitters about disruption to energy supplies. That spike unwound by Monday afternoon amid skepticism that Iran will follow through on its threat to block the critical strait. Brent crude (BZ=F) futures traded at $73 a barrel while WTI crude futures (CL=F) hovered near $70. Elsewhere in markets, gold (GC=F) ticked higher, also switching course amid wavering haven demand. Stocks moved into positive territory earlier in the session after Federal Reserve governor Michelle Bowman expressed support for a rate cut "as soon" as July, becoming the second central bank policymaker to be that explicit in recent days about an easing of monetary policy in the near term. Oil prices fell on Monday after Iran's retaliatory moves following US strikes on the country's nuclear sites appeared to spare any supply of energy products. West Texas Intermediate fell 4%, while Brent crude also dropped more than 4% after Iranian state media said it launched missiles against US air bases in Qatar and Iraq. Oil futures fell as Iran did not announce any closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Qatar said it successfully intercepted the missile attack and there were no casualties from the incident. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports: Read more here. Google's artificial intelligence model is set to drive $4.2 billion in subscription revenue within its Google Cloud segment in 2025, according to an analysis from Bank of America on Monday. That includes $3.1 billion in revenue from subscribers to Google's AI plans with its Google One service, Bank of America's Justin Post estimates. Post also expects that the integration of Google's Gemini AI features within its Workspace service will drive $1.1 billion of the $7.7 billion in revenue he projects for that segment in 2025. 'We believe Google has moved beyond the catch-up phase in the LLM [large language model] race, with Gemini now comparing favorably with leading peer models from OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Meta,' Post wrote, saying that AI is a 'major growth driver for Google Cloud.' But, Post added, 'While the revenue opportunity is growing with subscriptions, Google will likely see a significant deterioration of market share relative to its ~90% share of search revenues.' At the same time, Alphabet is set to spend $75 billion on AI investments in 2025. 'If revenue growth doesn't keep pace with rising Capex, higher spending could weigh on free cash flow and margin projections,' Post wrote. He holds a Buy rating and $200 price target on Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG) shares. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Claire Boston reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports: Read more here. President Trump called for lower energy prices as he posted on social media on Monday: "EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!" He also wrote,"To The Department of Energy: DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!" Oil futures fell more than 1% on Monday after spiking more than 5% on Sunday night as traders assessed whether Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Strategy (MSTR) stock fell as much as 3% on Monday morning after the Michael Saylor-helmed firm announced another bitcoin purchase. The software firm turned crypto giant said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it bought $26 million worth of bitcoin between June 16 and June 22. As of Monday's filing, Strategy has spent nearly $42 billion to acquire over 592,000 bitcoins since 2020. Over that time frame, the stock has soared more than 2,800% relative to the S&P 500's 78% gain. Strategy shares pared initial losses shortly after the market opened and are down less than 1%. At the same time, Strategy is facing two new lawsuits from investors — one filed in May, the second last week — over its bitcoin strategy. The lawsuits allege that the company misled investors about how its bitcoin strategy would affect its profits and its stock price, given the cryptocurrency's volatility. Tesla stock (TSLA) rose 5% in early trading Monday after its robotaxi launch kicked off on Sunday in Austin, Texas. Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian reports that several users on X claimed they were able to hail and ride some of the 10-20 Tesla Model Y vehicles available, which featured "Robotaxi" graphics on the sides of the cars. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had announced the rollout on X earlier in the day, saying that customers will pay a flat $4.20 fee. Only select invited Tesla users were invited to test the robotaxi service, as it begins to scale to take on industry leader Waymo (GOOG, GOOGL). Wedbush analyst and Tesla bull Dan Ives wrote in a note: 'We took two approximately 15 minute rides around Austin and the key takeaways are that it was a comfortable, safe, and personalized experience.' Read more here. US stocks wavered on Monday as oil trimmed gains and supply worries eased over Iran's possible retaliatory move following US strikes on the country's nuclear facilities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell slightly while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) was little changed. The tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) fell slightly. OIl futures were little changed after spiking more than 5% on Sunday night as traders assessed whether Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Trump Media & Technology (DJT) stock rose 4% before the market opened Monday morning after the company announced a $400 million stock buyback. Shares of the company — in which President Trump is the majority stakeholder — have fallen roughly 48% in 2025. Stock buybacks, a common practice that faces a fair share of criticism, reduce the amount of a company's common shares in the public market and, hence, boost its earnings per share even if its profits don't rise. Trump Media said the buybacks 'would be funded separately from, and would not alter, Trump Media's previously announced Bitcoin treasury strategy.' The company is aiming to create a bitcoin treasury to hold the cryptocurrency on its balance sheet and announced a $2.5 billion private funding round to fund the initiative in May. Trump Media is part of a wave of firms following in the footsteps of crypto tycoon Michael Saylor's company, Strategy (MSTR), which has seen its stock soar by buying up bitcoin. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to clients on Monday that he expects cybersecurity stocks to be in focus following the US bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Ives wrote that 'cyber security stocks in particular [are] set to be front and center this week as investors anticipate some cyber attacks from Iran could be on the horizon as retaliation.' 'On the cyber security sector, our favorite names remain Palo Alto (PANW), Cyberark (CYBR), Crowdstrike (CRWD), Zscaler (ZS), and Checkpoint (CHKP)." The stocks traded roughly flat premarket on Monday. Defense stocks were modestly higher Monday during premarket trading after the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Palantir (PLTR), Lockheed Martin (LMT), and Northrop Grumman (NOC) rose less than 1%, while RTX (RTX) climbed 1.3%. Palantir supplies AI-fueled defense tech to Israel, which has prompted blowback from former employees and protesters. The other three companies supply weapons to Israel through their contracts with the US government. The defense stocks had jumped immediately after Israel's first airstrikes on Iran on June 12, but only RTX has sustained notable gains of 4% since those strikes. Lockheed Martin is up 0.3% over that time frame, while Northrop Grumman is roughly flat (up 0.1%). Palantir has risen 1.6%. Jefferies (JEF) analyst Mohit Kumar wrote Monday, 'Market is now waiting to see how Iran reacts …​​However, we are not fully convinced around the market's sanguine reaction.' 'Defence has been one area that we have been bullish on, and we continue to maintain our overweight exposure,' he added. 'NATO countries have moved to increase defense spending with a long term goal of taking to 5% of GDP. We are typically skeptical of long term goals as goal posts do change, but it is also clear to us that defense spending needs to increase globally and not just for NATO countries.' Energy stocks rose alongside rising oil prices in premarket trading on Monday while overall stock futures wobbled. Those with oil production in the US and outside the Middle East caught a bid as investors weighed the possibility of further disruption to the oil supply following the US strikes on Iran. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) advanced 0.6% and has risen 6% in the past month. Here's a look at how trending energy stocks are trading this morning: View more trending tickers here. Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports: Read more here. Economic data: Chicago Fed activity index (February); S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI (March preliminary); S&P Global US services PMI (March preliminary); S&P Global US Composite PMI (March preliminary) Earnings: FactSet (FDS), KB Home (KBH) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Trump just made the Fed's rate call even more complicated Opinion: Trump wages 2 wars — one with trade partners, one with Iran Why Iran could hold off blocking the Strait of Hormuz Oil erases spike in gains in wait for Iran's response Morgan Stanley: Geopolitical selloffs tend to fade fast Analysts react as markets brace for Iran's next move Dollar advances as investors brace for Iran response to US attacks BNY Mellon approached Northern Trust for merger: WSJ Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Tesla (TSLA) stock rose over 1% in premarket trading after rolling out its driverless taxi service to riders on Sunday. The debut of the robotaxi was introduced to a handful of riders, which included retail investors and social-media influencers in Tesla's hometown of Austin. Wolfspeed (WOLF) stock fell 11% in premarket trading on Monday after announcing it plans to file for bankruptcy in the US under a new restructuring agreement with its creditors. The agreement would provide fresh financing and slash debt by nearly 70%. Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) shares rose 4% before the bell after a report from The Wall Street Journal said that Bank of New York Mellon Corp had reached out to the asset and wealth manager and expressed interest in a merger. Most investors will awaken today searching online for "Strait of Hormuz" after the weekend attacks from the US on Iran. For speed of analysis purposes, if this key oil shipping hub closes down (seems like it won't happen, based on everything I am seeing this morning), it could really send oil (CL=F, BZ=F) prices skyrocketing. Here's what Goldman's team estimates: "If oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz were to drop by 50% for one month and then were to remain down 10% for another 11 months, we estimate that Brent would briefly jump to a peak of around $110." Read more here on Goldman's scenarios. Gold pushed higher with the world in limbo as the US joined Israel's attack on Iran over the weekend. No formal response has been issued by Iran, with wider fallout expected. Spot gold climbed 0.2% to $3,375.04 an ounce taking it to within $125 of its record high as investors sought safe-haven assets in a tumultuous economic situation. Gold then sank 0.5% despite broader haven demand. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Wall Street is closely watching escalating tensions in the Middle East after President Trump confirmed that the US launched a surprise strike on Iran's nuclear sites late Saturday, marking the country's official entry into the two-week-old conflict. Markets have held mostly steady in the aftermath of the escalation, although US stock futures fell across the board when trading opened Sunday evening. Additionally, bitcoin (BTC-USD) prices, often viewed as a barometer of risk appetite, dropped over 1.6% to trade around $100,500 a coin. WTI crude (CL=F) and Brent (BZ=F) futures jumped, trading near $76 and $79 a barrel, respectively, as uncertainty looms over the potential closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing threats from Iran. The latest surge follows oil's third consecutive week of gains on Friday. "We wouldn't be surprised to see this spark a risk-off reaction in US equities and will be watching the futures closely on Sunday evening and Monday morning," Lori Calvasina, head of US equity strategy research at RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a Sunday evening note to clients. "It has been and remains our belief that the longer and broader the conflict becomes, the more challenging it could be for US equities," Calvasina added. "These escalations come at a tricky time for US equities, as the S&P 500 has looked fairly valued to us (perhaps a bit overvalued) from a fundamental perspective, with more room to run from a sentiment perspective." The analyst said her three main concerns include: first, the risk that rising national security uncertainty could weigh on equity valuations; second, the possibility that renewed geopolitical tensions could stall the recovery in sentiment that began after the early April tariff lows; and third, the potential for a spike in oil prices, which could fuel inflation concerns. In terms of sectors, Energy (XLE) tends to outperform when oil prices rise, while Consumer Discretionary (XLY) and Communication Services (XLC), along with Entertainment, Media, and Interactive Media, tend to lag behind the broader market, Calvasina noted. Citi analyst Stuart Kaiser agreed that sharply higher oil prices remain "the channel for geopolitical risks to impact stock markets," identifying crude prices "well above $80 a barrel" as a critical threshold for concern. Kaiser added that options markets are now pricing in a 10% chance that oil surges 20% over the next month, up from just 2.5% two weeks ago, reflecting mounting tail risks as the conflict deepens. Still, the analyst pointed to resiliency in stocks amid the volatility, saying, "Markets powered through extreme oil volatility and unstable geopolitical headlines to post a risk-on week." Oil prices fell on Monday after Iran's retaliatory moves following US strikes on the country's nuclear sites appeared to spare any supply of energy products. West Texas Intermediate fell 4%, while Brent crude also dropped more than 4% after Iranian state media said it launched missiles against US air bases in Qatar and Iraq. Oil futures fell as Iran did not announce any closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Qatar said it successfully intercepted the missile attack and there were no casualties from the incident. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports: Read more here. Google's artificial intelligence model is set to drive $4.2 billion in subscription revenue within its Google Cloud segment in 2025, according to an analysis from Bank of America on Monday. That includes $3.1 billion in revenue from subscribers to Google's AI plans with its Google One service, Bank of America's Justin Post estimates. Post also expects that the integration of Google's Gemini AI features within its Workspace service will drive $1.1 billion of the $7.7 billion in revenue he projects for that segment in 2025. 'We believe Google has moved beyond the catch-up phase in the LLM [large language model] race, with Gemini now comparing favorably with leading peer models from OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Meta,' Post wrote, saying that AI is a 'major growth driver for Google Cloud.' But, Post added, 'While the revenue opportunity is growing with subscriptions, Google will likely see a significant deterioration of market share relative to its ~90% share of search revenues.' At the same time, Alphabet is set to spend $75 billion on AI investments in 2025. 'If revenue growth doesn't keep pace with rising Capex, higher spending could weigh on free cash flow and margin projections,' Post wrote. He holds a Buy rating and $200 price target on Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG) shares. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Claire Boston reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports: Read more here. President Trump called for lower energy prices as he posted on social media on Monday: "EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!" He also wrote,"To The Department of Energy: DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!" Oil futures fell more than 1% on Monday after spiking more than 5% on Sunday night as traders assessed whether Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Strategy (MSTR) stock fell as much as 3% on Monday morning after the Michael Saylor-helmed firm announced another bitcoin purchase. The software firm turned crypto giant said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it bought $26 million worth of bitcoin between June 16 and June 22. As of Monday's filing, Strategy has spent nearly $42 billion to acquire over 592,000 bitcoins since 2020. Over that time frame, the stock has soared more than 2,800% relative to the S&P 500's 78% gain. Strategy shares pared initial losses shortly after the market opened and are down less than 1%. At the same time, Strategy is facing two new lawsuits from investors — one filed in May, the second last week — over its bitcoin strategy. The lawsuits allege that the company misled investors about how its bitcoin strategy would affect its profits and its stock price, given the cryptocurrency's volatility. Tesla stock (TSLA) rose 5% in early trading Monday after its robotaxi launch kicked off on Sunday in Austin, Texas. Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian reports that several users on X claimed they were able to hail and ride some of the 10-20 Tesla Model Y vehicles available, which featured "Robotaxi" graphics on the sides of the cars. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had announced the rollout on X earlier in the day, saying that customers will pay a flat $4.20 fee. Only select invited Tesla users were invited to test the robotaxi service, as it begins to scale to take on industry leader Waymo (GOOG, GOOGL). Wedbush analyst and Tesla bull Dan Ives wrote in a note: 'We took two approximately 15 minute rides around Austin and the key takeaways are that it was a comfortable, safe, and personalized experience.' Read more here. US stocks wavered on Monday as oil trimmed gains and supply worries eased over Iran's possible retaliatory move following US strikes on the country's nuclear facilities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell slightly while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) was little changed. The tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) fell slightly. OIl futures were little changed after spiking more than 5% on Sunday night as traders assessed whether Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Trump Media & Technology (DJT) stock rose 4% before the market opened Monday morning after the company announced a $400 million stock buyback. Shares of the company — in which President Trump is the majority stakeholder — have fallen roughly 48% in 2025. Stock buybacks, a common practice that faces a fair share of criticism, reduce the amount of a company's common shares in the public market and, hence, boost its earnings per share even if its profits don't rise. Trump Media said the buybacks 'would be funded separately from, and would not alter, Trump Media's previously announced Bitcoin treasury strategy.' The company is aiming to create a bitcoin treasury to hold the cryptocurrency on its balance sheet and announced a $2.5 billion private funding round to fund the initiative in May. Trump Media is part of a wave of firms following in the footsteps of crypto tycoon Michael Saylor's company, Strategy (MSTR), which has seen its stock soar by buying up bitcoin. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to clients on Monday that he expects cybersecurity stocks to be in focus following the US bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Ives wrote that 'cyber security stocks in particular [are] set to be front and center this week as investors anticipate some cyber attacks from Iran could be on the horizon as retaliation.' 'On the cyber security sector, our favorite names remain Palo Alto (PANW), Cyberark (CYBR), Crowdstrike (CRWD), Zscaler (ZS), and Checkpoint (CHKP)." The stocks traded roughly flat premarket on Monday. Defense stocks were modestly higher Monday during premarket trading after the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Palantir (PLTR), Lockheed Martin (LMT), and Northrop Grumman (NOC) rose less than 1%, while RTX (RTX) climbed 1.3%. Palantir supplies AI-fueled defense tech to Israel, which has prompted blowback from former employees and protesters. The other three companies supply weapons to Israel through their contracts with the US government. The defense stocks had jumped immediately after Israel's first airstrikes on Iran on June 12, but only RTX has sustained notable gains of 4% since those strikes. Lockheed Martin is up 0.3% over that time frame, while Northrop Grumman is roughly flat (up 0.1%). Palantir has risen 1.6%. Jefferies (JEF) analyst Mohit Kumar wrote Monday, 'Market is now waiting to see how Iran reacts …​​However, we are not fully convinced around the market's sanguine reaction.' 'Defence has been one area that we have been bullish on, and we continue to maintain our overweight exposure,' he added. 'NATO countries have moved to increase defense spending with a long term goal of taking to 5% of GDP. We are typically skeptical of long term goals as goal posts do change, but it is also clear to us that defense spending needs to increase globally and not just for NATO countries.' Energy stocks rose alongside rising oil prices in premarket trading on Monday while overall stock futures wobbled. Those with oil production in the US and outside the Middle East caught a bid as investors weighed the possibility of further disruption to the oil supply following the US strikes on Iran. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) advanced 0.6% and has risen 6% in the past month. Here's a look at how trending energy stocks are trading this morning: View more trending tickers here. Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports: Read more here. Economic data: Chicago Fed activity index (February); S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI (March preliminary); S&P Global US services PMI (March preliminary); S&P Global US Composite PMI (March preliminary) Earnings: FactSet (FDS), KB Home (KBH) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Trump just made the Fed's rate call even more complicated Opinion: Trump wages 2 wars — one with trade partners, one with Iran Why Iran could hold off blocking the Strait of Hormuz Oil erases spike in gains in wait for Iran's response Morgan Stanley: Geopolitical selloffs tend to fade fast Analysts react as markets brace for Iran's next move Dollar advances as investors brace for Iran response to US attacks BNY Mellon approached Northern Trust for merger: WSJ Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Tesla (TSLA) stock rose over 1% in premarket trading after rolling out its driverless taxi service to riders on Sunday. The debut of the robotaxi was introduced to a handful of riders, which included retail investors and social-media influencers in Tesla's hometown of Austin. Wolfspeed (WOLF) stock fell 11% in premarket trading on Monday after announcing it plans to file for bankruptcy in the US under a new restructuring agreement with its creditors. The agreement would provide fresh financing and slash debt by nearly 70%. Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) shares rose 4% before the bell after a report from The Wall Street Journal said that Bank of New York Mellon Corp had reached out to the asset and wealth manager and expressed interest in a merger. Most investors will awaken today searching online for "Strait of Hormuz" after the weekend attacks from the US on Iran. For speed of analysis purposes, if this key oil shipping hub closes down (seems like it won't happen, based on everything I am seeing this morning), it could really send oil (CL=F, BZ=F) prices skyrocketing. Here's what Goldman's team estimates: "If oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz were to drop by 50% for one month and then were to remain down 10% for another 11 months, we estimate that Brent would briefly jump to a peak of around $110." Read more here on Goldman's scenarios. Gold pushed higher with the world in limbo as the US joined Israel's attack on Iran over the weekend. No formal response has been issued by Iran, with wider fallout expected. Spot gold climbed 0.2% to $3,375.04 an ounce taking it to within $125 of its record high as investors sought safe-haven assets in a tumultuous economic situation. Gold then sank 0.5% despite broader haven demand. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Wall Street is closely watching escalating tensions in the Middle East after President Trump confirmed that the US launched a surprise strike on Iran's nuclear sites late Saturday, marking the country's official entry into the two-week-old conflict. Markets have held mostly steady in the aftermath of the escalation, although US stock futures fell across the board when trading opened Sunday evening. Additionally, bitcoin (BTC-USD) prices, often viewed as a barometer of risk appetite, dropped over 1.6% to trade around $100,500 a coin. WTI crude (CL=F) and Brent (BZ=F) futures jumped, trading near $76 and $79 a barrel, respectively, as uncertainty looms over the potential closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing threats from Iran. The latest surge follows oil's third consecutive week of gains on Friday. "We wouldn't be surprised to see this spark a risk-off reaction in US equities and will be watching the futures closely on Sunday evening and Monday morning," Lori Calvasina, head of US equity strategy research at RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a Sunday evening note to clients. "It has been and remains our belief that the longer and broader the conflict becomes, the more challenging it could be for US equities," Calvasina added. "These escalations come at a tricky time for US equities, as the S&P 500 has looked fairly valued to us (perhaps a bit overvalued) from a fundamental perspective, with more room to run from a sentiment perspective." The analyst said her three main concerns include: first, the risk that rising national security uncertainty could weigh on equity valuations; second, the possibility that renewed geopolitical tensions could stall the recovery in sentiment that began after the early April tariff lows; and third, the potential for a spike in oil prices, which could fuel inflation concerns. In terms of sectors, Energy (XLE) tends to outperform when oil prices rise, while Consumer Discretionary (XLY) and Communication Services (XLC), along with Entertainment, Media, and Interactive Media, tend to lag behind the broader market, Calvasina noted. Citi analyst Stuart Kaiser agreed that sharply higher oil prices remain "the channel for geopolitical risks to impact stock markets," identifying crude prices "well above $80 a barrel" as a critical threshold for concern. Kaiser added that options markets are now pricing in a 10% chance that oil surges 20% over the next month, up from just 2.5% two weeks ago, reflecting mounting tail risks as the conflict deepens. Still, the analyst pointed to resiliency in stocks amid the volatility, saying, "Markets powered through extreme oil volatility and unstable geopolitical headlines to post a risk-on week."

Yahoo

an hour ago

• Yahoo

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq waver, oil prices trim gains after report of Iran missile strikes aimed at US air bases

US stocks wavered on Monday after reports that Iran launched missiles toward US air bases in Qatar and Iraq in retaliation over US strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell 0.1%. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) also slipped 0.1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) was little changed. Stocks started the session in red territory on the heels of President Trump's decision to join Israel's attacks on Iran on Saturday. Investors are on edge over a shock surge in energy prices if Iran blocks the key Strait of Hormuz waterway, as that would have repercussions for economies worldwide. Trump said late Saturday that the US had struck Iran's three main nuclear enrichment facilities, saying the sites had been "totally obliterated" — a claim that has since been questioned. He threatened Iran with more attacks if the country did not quickly seek peace talks. The focus now is on Iran's next step — both militarily and diplomatically. Its foreign minister on Sunday said it reserves "all options," while its parliament has reportedly voted to block the Strait of Hormuz — though Iran's leaders have yet to make a final decision. After the bombings, oil futures surged over 4% amid jitters about disruption to energy supplies. That spike unwound somewhat early Monday morning, amid skepticism that Iran will follow through on its threat. Brent crude (BZ=F) futures traded above $76 a barrel while WTI crude futures (CL=F) hovered near $73. Elsewhere in markets, gold (GC=F) ticked higher, also switching course amid wavering haven demand. Stocks moved into positive territory earlier in the session after Federal Reserve governor Michelle Bowman expressed support for a rate cut "as soon" as July, becoming the second central bank policymaker to be that explicit in recent days about an easing of monetary policy in the near term. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports: Read more here. Google's artificial intelligence model is set to drive $4.2 billion in subscription revenue within its Google Cloud segment in 2025, according to an analysis from Bank of America on Monday. That includes $3.1 billion in revenue from subscribers to Google's AI plans with its Google One service, Bank of America's Justin Post estimates. Post also expects that the integration of Google's Gemini AI features within its Workspace service will drive $1.1 billion of the $7.7 billion in revenue he projects for that segment in 2025. 'We believe Google has moved beyond the catch-up phase in the LLM [large language model] race, with Gemini now comparing favorably with leading peer models from OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Meta,' Post wrote, saying that AI is a 'major growth driver for Google Cloud.' But, Post added, 'While the revenue opportunity is growing with subscriptions, Google will likely see a significant deterioration of market share relative to its ~90% share of search revenues.' At the same time, Alphabet is set to spend $75 billion on AI investments in 2025. 'If revenue growth doesn't keep pace with rising Capex, higher spending could weigh on free cash flow and margin projections,' Post wrote. He holds a Buy rating and $200 price target on Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG) shares. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Claire Boston reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports: Read more here. President Trump called for lower energy prices as he posted on social media on Monday: "EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!" He also wrote,"To The Department of Energy: DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!" Oil futures fell more than 1% on Monday after spiking more than 5% on Sunday night as traders assessed whether Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Strategy (MSTR) stock fell as much as 3% on Monday morning after the Michael Saylor-helmed firm announced another bitcoin purchase. The software firm turned crypto giant said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it bought $26 million worth of bitcoin between June 16 and June 22. As of Monday's filing, Strategy has spent nearly $42 billion to acquire over 592,000 bitcoins since 2020. Over that time frame, the stock has soared more than 2,800% relative to the S&P 500's 78% gain. Strategy shares pared initial losses shortly after the market opened and are down less than 1%. At the same time, Strategy is facing two new lawsuits from investors — one filed in May, the second last week — over its bitcoin strategy. The lawsuits allege that the company misled investors about how its bitcoin strategy would affect its profits and its stock price, given the cryptocurrency's volatility. Tesla stock (TSLA) rose 5% in early trading Monday after its robotaxi launch kicked off on Sunday in Austin, Texas. Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian reports that several users on X claimed they were able to hail and ride some of the 10-20 Tesla Model Y vehicles available, which featured "Robotaxi" graphics on the sides of the cars. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had announced the rollout on X earlier in the day, saying that customers will pay a flat $4.20 fee. Only select invited Tesla users were invited to test the robotaxi service, as it begins to scale to take on industry leader Waymo (GOOG, GOOGL). Wedbush analyst and Tesla bull Dan Ives wrote in a note: 'We took two approximately 15 minute rides around Austin and the key takeaways are that it was a comfortable, safe, and personalized experience.' Read more here. US stocks wavered on Monday as oil trimmed gains and supply worries eased over Iran's possible retaliatory move following US strikes on the country's nuclear facilities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell slightly while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) was little changed. The tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) fell slightly. OIl futures were little changed after spiking more than 5% on Sunday night as traders assessed whether Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Trump Media & Technology (DJT) stock rose 4% before the market opened Monday morning after the company announced a $400 million stock buyback. Shares of the company — in which President Trump is the majority stakeholder — have fallen roughly 48% in 2025. Stock buybacks, a common practice that faces a fair share of criticism, reduce the amount of a company's common shares in the public market and, hence, boost its earnings per share even if its profits don't rise. Trump Media said the buybacks 'would be funded separately from, and would not alter, Trump Media's previously announced Bitcoin treasury strategy.' The company is aiming to create a bitcoin treasury to hold the cryptocurrency on its balance sheet and announced a $2.5 billion private funding round to fund the initiative in May. Trump Media is part of a wave of firms following in the footsteps of crypto tycoon Michael Saylor's company, Strategy (MSTR), which has seen its stock soar by buying up bitcoin. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to clients on Monday that he expects cybersecurity stocks to be in focus following the US bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Ives wrote that 'cyber security stocks in particular [are] set to be front and center this week as investors anticipate some cyber attacks from Iran could be on the horizon as retaliation.' 'On the cyber security sector, our favorite names remain Palo Alto (PANW), Cyberark (CYBR), Crowdstrike (CRWD), Zscaler (ZS), and Checkpoint (CHKP)." The stocks traded roughly flat premarket on Monday. Defense stocks were modestly higher Monday during premarket trading after the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Palantir (PLTR), Lockheed Martin (LMT), and Northrop Grumman (NOC) rose less than 1%, while RTX (RTX) climbed 1.3%. Palantir supplies AI-fueled defense tech to Israel, which has prompted blowback from former employees and protesters. The other three companies supply weapons to Israel through their contracts with the US government. The defense stocks had jumped immediately after Israel's first airstrikes on Iran on June 12, but only RTX has sustained notable gains of 4% since those strikes. Lockheed Martin is up 0.3% over that time frame, while Northrop Grumman is roughly flat (up 0.1%). Palantir has risen 1.6%. Jefferies (JEF) analyst Mohit Kumar wrote Monday, 'Market is now waiting to see how Iran reacts …​​However, we are not fully convinced around the market's sanguine reaction.' 'Defence has been one area that we have been bullish on, and we continue to maintain our overweight exposure,' he added. 'NATO countries have moved to increase defense spending with a long term goal of taking to 5% of GDP. We are typically skeptical of long term goals as goal posts do change, but it is also clear to us that defense spending needs to increase globally and not just for NATO countries.' Energy stocks rose alongside rising oil prices in premarket trading on Monday while overall stock futures wobbled. Those with oil production in the US and outside the Middle East caught a bid as investors weighed the possibility of further disruption to the oil supply following the US strikes on Iran. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) advanced 0.6% and has risen 6% in the past month. Here's a look at how trending energy stocks are trading this morning: View more trending tickers here. Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports: Read more here. Economic data: Chicago Fed activity index (February); S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI (March preliminary); S&P Global US services PMI (March preliminary); S&P Global US Composite PMI (March preliminary) Earnings: FactSet (FDS), KB Home (KBH) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Trump just made the Fed's rate call even more complicated Opinion: Trump wages 2 wars — one with trade partners, one with Iran Why Iran could hold off blocking the Strait of Hormuz Oil erases spike in gains in wait for Iran's response Morgan Stanley: Geopolitical selloffs tend to fade fast Analysts react as markets brace for Iran's next move Dollar advances as investors brace for Iran response to US attacks BNY Mellon approached Northern Trust for merger: WSJ Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Tesla (TSLA) stock rose over 1% in premarket trading after rolling out its driverless taxi service to riders on Sunday. The debut of the robotaxi was introduced to a handful of riders, which included retail investors and social-media influencers in Tesla's hometown of Austin. Wolfspeed (WOLF) stock fell 11% in premarket trading on Monday after announcing it plans to file for bankruptcy in the US under a new restructuring agreement with its creditors. The agreement would provide fresh financing and slash debt by nearly 70%. Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) shares rose 4% before the bell after a report from The Wall Street Journal said that Bank of New York Mellon Corp had reached out to the asset and wealth manager and expressed interest in a merger. Most investors will awaken today searching online for "Strait of Hormuz" after the weekend attacks from the US on Iran. For speed of analysis purposes, if this key oil shipping hub closes down (seems like it won't happen, based on everything I am seeing this morning), it could really send oil (CL=F, BZ=F) prices skyrocketing. Here's what Goldman's team estimates: "If oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz were to drop by 50% for one month and then were to remain down 10% for another 11 months, we estimate that Brent would briefly jump to a peak of around $110." Read more here on Goldman's scenarios. Gold pushed higher with the world in limbo as the US joined Israel's attack on Iran over the weekend. No formal response has been issued by Iran, with wider fallout expected. Spot gold climbed 0.2% to $3,375.04 an ounce taking it to within $125 of its record high as investors sought safe-haven assets in a tumultuous economic situation. Gold then sank 0.5% despite broader haven demand. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Wall Street is closely watching escalating tensions in the Middle East after President Trump confirmed that the US launched a surprise strike on Iran's nuclear sites late Saturday, marking the country's official entry into the two-week-old conflict. Markets have held mostly steady in the aftermath of the escalation, although US stock futures fell across the board when trading opened Sunday evening. Additionally, bitcoin (BTC-USD) prices, often viewed as a barometer of risk appetite, dropped over 1.6% to trade around $100,500 a coin. WTI crude (CL=F) and Brent (BZ=F) futures jumped, trading near $76 and $79 a barrel, respectively, as uncertainty looms over the potential closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing threats from Iran. The latest surge follows oil's third consecutive week of gains on Friday. "We wouldn't be surprised to see this spark a risk-off reaction in US equities and will be watching the futures closely on Sunday evening and Monday morning," Lori Calvasina, head of US equity strategy research at RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a Sunday evening note to clients. "It has been and remains our belief that the longer and broader the conflict becomes, the more challenging it could be for US equities," Calvasina added. "These escalations come at a tricky time for US equities, as the S&P 500 has looked fairly valued to us (perhaps a bit overvalued) from a fundamental perspective, with more room to run from a sentiment perspective." The analyst said her three main concerns include: first, the risk that rising national security uncertainty could weigh on equity valuations; second, the possibility that renewed geopolitical tensions could stall the recovery in sentiment that began after the early April tariff lows; and third, the potential for a spike in oil prices, which could fuel inflation concerns. In terms of sectors, Energy (XLE) tends to outperform when oil prices rise, while Consumer Discretionary (XLY) and Communication Services (XLC), along with Entertainment, Media, and Interactive Media, tend to lag behind the broader market, Calvasina noted. Citi analyst Stuart Kaiser agreed that sharply higher oil prices remain "the channel for geopolitical risks to impact stock markets," identifying crude prices "well above $80 a barrel" as a critical threshold for concern. Kaiser added that options markets are now pricing in a 10% chance that oil surges 20% over the next month, up from just 2.5% two weeks ago, reflecting mounting tail risks as the conflict deepens. Still, the analyst pointed to resiliency in stocks amid the volatility, saying, "Markets powered through extreme oil volatility and unstable geopolitical headlines to post a risk-on week." Oil prices rose Sunday evening, with investors taking stock of the US entry into the Israel-Iran conflict and how Iran might respond. Much of the focus has turned to Iran's status as a major oil producer and whether it might seek to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas flows. Iran's parliament reportedly pushed for the strait's closure, though it left the ultimate decision up to Iran's top national security body. That may be by design, as Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul details: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports: Read more here. Google's artificial intelligence model is set to drive $4.2 billion in subscription revenue within its Google Cloud segment in 2025, according to an analysis from Bank of America on Monday. That includes $3.1 billion in revenue from subscribers to Google's AI plans with its Google One service, Bank of America's Justin Post estimates. Post also expects that the integration of Google's Gemini AI features within its Workspace service will drive $1.1 billion of the $7.7 billion in revenue he projects for that segment in 2025. 'We believe Google has moved beyond the catch-up phase in the LLM [large language model] race, with Gemini now comparing favorably with leading peer models from OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Meta,' Post wrote, saying that AI is a 'major growth driver for Google Cloud.' But, Post added, 'While the revenue opportunity is growing with subscriptions, Google will likely see a significant deterioration of market share relative to its ~90% share of search revenues.' At the same time, Alphabet is set to spend $75 billion on AI investments in 2025. 'If revenue growth doesn't keep pace with rising Capex, higher spending could weigh on free cash flow and margin projections,' Post wrote. He holds a Buy rating and $200 price target on Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG) shares. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Claire Boston reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports: Read more here. President Trump called for lower energy prices as he posted on social media on Monday: "EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!" He also wrote,"To The Department of Energy: DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!" Oil futures fell more than 1% on Monday after spiking more than 5% on Sunday night as traders assessed whether Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Strategy (MSTR) stock fell as much as 3% on Monday morning after the Michael Saylor-helmed firm announced another bitcoin purchase. The software firm turned crypto giant said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it bought $26 million worth of bitcoin between June 16 and June 22. As of Monday's filing, Strategy has spent nearly $42 billion to acquire over 592,000 bitcoins since 2020. Over that time frame, the stock has soared more than 2,800% relative to the S&P 500's 78% gain. Strategy shares pared initial losses shortly after the market opened and are down less than 1%. At the same time, Strategy is facing two new lawsuits from investors — one filed in May, the second last week — over its bitcoin strategy. The lawsuits allege that the company misled investors about how its bitcoin strategy would affect its profits and its stock price, given the cryptocurrency's volatility. Tesla stock (TSLA) rose 5% in early trading Monday after its robotaxi launch kicked off on Sunday in Austin, Texas. Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian reports that several users on X claimed they were able to hail and ride some of the 10-20 Tesla Model Y vehicles available, which featured "Robotaxi" graphics on the sides of the cars. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had announced the rollout on X earlier in the day, saying that customers will pay a flat $4.20 fee. Only select invited Tesla users were invited to test the robotaxi service, as it begins to scale to take on industry leader Waymo (GOOG, GOOGL). Wedbush analyst and Tesla bull Dan Ives wrote in a note: 'We took two approximately 15 minute rides around Austin and the key takeaways are that it was a comfortable, safe, and personalized experience.' Read more here. US stocks wavered on Monday as oil trimmed gains and supply worries eased over Iran's possible retaliatory move following US strikes on the country's nuclear facilities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell slightly while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) was little changed. The tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) fell slightly. OIl futures were little changed after spiking more than 5% on Sunday night as traders assessed whether Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil products flow. Trump Media & Technology (DJT) stock rose 4% before the market opened Monday morning after the company announced a $400 million stock buyback. Shares of the company — in which President Trump is the majority stakeholder — have fallen roughly 48% in 2025. Stock buybacks, a common practice that faces a fair share of criticism, reduce the amount of a company's common shares in the public market and, hence, boost its earnings per share even if its profits don't rise. Trump Media said the buybacks 'would be funded separately from, and would not alter, Trump Media's previously announced Bitcoin treasury strategy.' The company is aiming to create a bitcoin treasury to hold the cryptocurrency on its balance sheet and announced a $2.5 billion private funding round to fund the initiative in May. Trump Media is part of a wave of firms following in the footsteps of crypto tycoon Michael Saylor's company, Strategy (MSTR), which has seen its stock soar by buying up bitcoin. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to clients on Monday that he expects cybersecurity stocks to be in focus following the US bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Ives wrote that 'cyber security stocks in particular [are] set to be front and center this week as investors anticipate some cyber attacks from Iran could be on the horizon as retaliation.' 'On the cyber security sector, our favorite names remain Palo Alto (PANW), Cyberark (CYBR), Crowdstrike (CRWD), Zscaler (ZS), and Checkpoint (CHKP)." The stocks traded roughly flat premarket on Monday. Defense stocks were modestly higher Monday during premarket trading after the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Palantir (PLTR), Lockheed Martin (LMT), and Northrop Grumman (NOC) rose less than 1%, while RTX (RTX) climbed 1.3%. Palantir supplies AI-fueled defense tech to Israel, which has prompted blowback from former employees and protesters. The other three companies supply weapons to Israel through their contracts with the US government. The defense stocks had jumped immediately after Israel's first airstrikes on Iran on June 12, but only RTX has sustained notable gains of 4% since those strikes. Lockheed Martin is up 0.3% over that time frame, while Northrop Grumman is roughly flat (up 0.1%). Palantir has risen 1.6%. Jefferies (JEF) analyst Mohit Kumar wrote Monday, 'Market is now waiting to see how Iran reacts …​​However, we are not fully convinced around the market's sanguine reaction.' 'Defence has been one area that we have been bullish on, and we continue to maintain our overweight exposure,' he added. 'NATO countries have moved to increase defense spending with a long term goal of taking to 5% of GDP. We are typically skeptical of long term goals as goal posts do change, but it is also clear to us that defense spending needs to increase globally and not just for NATO countries.' Energy stocks rose alongside rising oil prices in premarket trading on Monday while overall stock futures wobbled. Those with oil production in the US and outside the Middle East caught a bid as investors weighed the possibility of further disruption to the oil supply following the US strikes on Iran. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) advanced 0.6% and has risen 6% in the past month. Here's a look at how trending energy stocks are trading this morning: View more trending tickers here. Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports: Read more here. Economic data: Chicago Fed activity index (February); S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI (March preliminary); S&P Global US services PMI (March preliminary); S&P Global US Composite PMI (March preliminary) Earnings: FactSet (FDS), KB Home (KBH) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Trump just made the Fed's rate call even more complicated Opinion: Trump wages 2 wars — one with trade partners, one with Iran Why Iran could hold off blocking the Strait of Hormuz Oil erases spike in gains in wait for Iran's response Morgan Stanley: Geopolitical selloffs tend to fade fast Analysts react as markets brace for Iran's next move Dollar advances as investors brace for Iran response to US attacks BNY Mellon approached Northern Trust for merger: WSJ Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Tesla (TSLA) stock rose over 1% in premarket trading after rolling out its driverless taxi service to riders on Sunday. The debut of the robotaxi was introduced to a handful of riders, which included retail investors and social-media influencers in Tesla's hometown of Austin. Wolfspeed (WOLF) stock fell 11% in premarket trading on Monday after announcing it plans to file for bankruptcy in the US under a new restructuring agreement with its creditors. The agreement would provide fresh financing and slash debt by nearly 70%. Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) shares rose 4% before the bell after a report from The Wall Street Journal said that Bank of New York Mellon Corp had reached out to the asset and wealth manager and expressed interest in a merger. Most investors will awaken today searching online for "Strait of Hormuz" after the weekend attacks from the US on Iran. For speed of analysis purposes, if this key oil shipping hub closes down (seems like it won't happen, based on everything I am seeing this morning), it could really send oil (CL=F, BZ=F) prices skyrocketing. Here's what Goldman's team estimates: "If oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz were to drop by 50% for one month and then were to remain down 10% for another 11 months, we estimate that Brent would briefly jump to a peak of around $110." Read more here on Goldman's scenarios. Gold pushed higher with the world in limbo as the US joined Israel's attack on Iran over the weekend. No formal response has been issued by Iran, with wider fallout expected. Spot gold climbed 0.2% to $3,375.04 an ounce taking it to within $125 of its record high as investors sought safe-haven assets in a tumultuous economic situation. Gold then sank 0.5% despite broader haven demand. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Wall Street is closely watching escalating tensions in the Middle East after President Trump confirmed that the US launched a surprise strike on Iran's nuclear sites late Saturday, marking the country's official entry into the two-week-old conflict. Markets have held mostly steady in the aftermath of the escalation, although US stock futures fell across the board when trading opened Sunday evening. Additionally, bitcoin (BTC-USD) prices, often viewed as a barometer of risk appetite, dropped over 1.6% to trade around $100,500 a coin. WTI crude (CL=F) and Brent (BZ=F) futures jumped, trading near $76 and $79 a barrel, respectively, as uncertainty looms over the potential closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing threats from Iran. The latest surge follows oil's third consecutive week of gains on Friday. "We wouldn't be surprised to see this spark a risk-off reaction in US equities and will be watching the futures closely on Sunday evening and Monday morning," Lori Calvasina, head of US equity strategy research at RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a Sunday evening note to clients. "It has been and remains our belief that the longer and broader the conflict becomes, the more challenging it could be for US equities," Calvasina added. "These escalations come at a tricky time for US equities, as the S&P 500 has looked fairly valued to us (perhaps a bit overvalued) from a fundamental perspective, with more room to run from a sentiment perspective." The analyst said her three main concerns include: first, the risk that rising national security uncertainty could weigh on equity valuations; second, the possibility that renewed geopolitical tensions could stall the recovery in sentiment that began after the early April tariff lows; and third, the potential for a spike in oil prices, which could fuel inflation concerns. In terms of sectors, Energy (XLE) tends to outperform when oil prices rise, while Consumer Discretionary (XLY) and Communication Services (XLC), along with Entertainment, Media, and Interactive Media, tend to lag behind the broader market, Calvasina noted. Citi analyst Stuart Kaiser agreed that sharply higher oil prices remain "the channel for geopolitical risks to impact stock markets," identifying crude prices "well above $80 a barrel" as a critical threshold for concern. Kaiser added that options markets are now pricing in a 10% chance that oil surges 20% over the next month, up from just 2.5% two weeks ago, reflecting mounting tail risks as the conflict deepens. Still, the analyst pointed to resiliency in stocks amid the volatility, saying, "Markets powered through extreme oil volatility and unstable geopolitical headlines to post a risk-on week." Oil prices rose Sunday evening, with investors taking stock of the US entry into the Israel-Iran conflict and how Iran might respond. Much of the focus has turned to Iran's status as a major oil producer and whether it might seek to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas flows. Iran's parliament reportedly pushed for the strait's closure, though it left the ultimate decision up to Iran's top national security body. That may be by design, as Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul details: Read more here. Sign in to access your portfolio