Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures mixed after Treasury's bond intervention buoys markets

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures mixed after Treasury's bond intervention buoys markets

Grace O'Donnell · Editor, Special Projects

Updated Thu, August 20, 2026 at 3:14 PM GMT+3 1 min read

US stock futures traded mixed on Thursday after President Trump vowed to squeeze Iran economically and the US Treasury's surprise move to intervene in the bond market caused Treasury yields to retreat and cryptocurrencies to surge.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) fell 0.1%, while those on the S&P 500 (ES=F) traded near the flat line. Contracts for the Nasdaq-100 (NQ=F) led gains, rising 0.1% after all three major indexes notched winning sessions on Wednesday.

Markets reeled after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stepped in to lower long-dated government bond yields, which could complicate Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh's intention to allow the markets to do some of the tightening for the Fed.

The 10-year yield (^TNX) fell by 5 basis points to 4.65%, while the 30-year yield (^TYX) declined by 9 basis points to 5.19%. Bitcoin (BTC-USD), meanwhile, surged over 10% and reached the $70,000 level for the first time since early June.

At the same time, more attention turned to the United States' financial health as the national debt surpassed $40 trillion, having more than doubled in less than a decade.

Read more: How the soaring federal debt affects you personally

In the background, Trump grew more frustrated about the lack of a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the Iran war. On Wednesday evening, President Trump posted on Truth Social that the US plans to unleash an "ECONOMIC D-DAY" against Iran that entails "Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale."

Walmart (WMT) earnings highlighted the calendar on Thursday. The retailer reported strong earnings, but the stock fell on slowing sales growth in the US.