On Monday, the U.S. financial markets are gearing up for a mixed start, with S&P 500 futures inching up by 0.2%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dipped by 0.14%. Nasdaq futures also saw a marginal rise of 0.14% before the opening bell. This disparity stems from ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, which has led to an increase in oil prices. Iran has maintained its stance that the U.S. must fulfill certain demands before negotiations can resume regarding the reopening of the strategically vital waterway. Iran and Oman are reportedly exploring a potential agreement on managing the Strait, with Tehran suggesting that vessels connected to "hostile countries" will be barred. The international benchmark Brent crude gained 1.4% to reach $84.68 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude saw a similar rise of 1.4% to hit $79.30 per barrel. Analysts speculate that Iran may be leveraging this situation to extract concessions from the U.S. Inflation statistics are set to dominate the U.S. economic landscape this week, with data for July due midweek. The Labor Department is scheduled to release its consumer price index on Wednesday, with experts forecasting a slight decrease from June levels. On Thursday, the U.S. will publish July data on producer prices, which represent costs incurred before goods reach consumers. In the energy sector, U.S. markets are observing a concurrent rise with oil prices. Marathon, Occidental, and Valero emerged as the top performers. Conversely, companies such as Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, hotels, and travel booking sites experienced declines due to anticipated fuel price increases. The tech sector also saw a surge following a weak jobs report on Friday that boosted the likelihood of the Federal Reserve delaying an interest rate hike at its upcoming meeting. The Fed's fast-growth tech sector relies heavily on affordable credit, and there have been expectations that the central bank was leaning towards raising borrowing costs to combat inflation. European and Asian markets mostly registered gains ahead of the U.S. open, with Japan's Nikkei 225 spearheading the advance. The U.S. dollar appreciated against the Japanese yen, reaching 158.80 from 157.72 yen, while the euro depreciated to $1.1552 from $1.1561.