Stock futures are making notable gains this morning as investors brace for an influx of earnings reports, critical inflation data, and updates on ongoing trade negotiations in the days ahead. After a turbulent trading period influenced by concerns in the banking sector and trade tensions, major indices rose last week, setting a positive tone for the current week. Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.2%, while the S&P 500 and tech-focused Nasdaq rose by 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively. In another sign of market shifts, gold futures climbed nearly 2% to $4,295 an ounce, recovering from a recent downturn. Moreover, Bitcoin traded close to $111,000 after dipping below $104,000 earlier in the week. The yield on the 10-year Treasury remained steady at 4.01%, impacting borrowing costs for consumers.
In a major incident, Amazon Web Services (AWS) faced significant outages that disrupted several high-profile websites, including Disney+, Lyft, and the New York Times. Reports indicate that various Amazon services, such as Alexa, were also affected. Shares of Amazon showed little change in pre-market trading, despite the fact that the stock has fallen 3% since the beginning of the year, making it the only company in the Magnificent 7—a group of top technology firms—currently in negative territory for 2025.
Meanwhile, Apple’s new iPhone 17 model is making waves, having outsold the previous iPhone 16 by 14% in the U.S. and China during its initial ten days on the market, according to Counterpoint Research. It credited the success to enhancements such as a superior chip, improved display, and increased base storage—all offered at the same price as its predecessor. The iPhone 17’s strong performance in China and the impressive demand for the premium iPhone 17 Max in the U.S., aided by carrier discounts, helped boost Apple’s shares by 1.5% in pre-market trading.
In a noteworthy development concerning Tesla, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has advised shareholders to vote against a proposed pay package for CEO Elon Musk, valued at $1 trillion. ISS expressed concerns about the package’s size and the ambitious benchmarks, which would require the company’s valuation to surpass $8.5 trillion, well above its current market cap of about $1.5 trillion. Additionally, investors are urged to reject a proposal for Tesla to invest in Musk’s newly merged AI company, xAI. Despite these concerns, Tesla shares saw a modest increase of about 1% ahead of the company’s upcoming earnings report scheduled for Wednesday.
Shares of Cooper Companies rose more than 5% in pre-market trading following news of activist investor Jana Partners building a stake in the medical device manufacturer. Reports suggest that Jana may be seeking strategic alternatives for Cooper, including a potential merger of its contact lens division with rival Bausch + Lomb. In response to this news, shares of Bausch + Lomb fell nearly 2% in pre-market activity.
Investors are closely monitoring these developments as they prepare for an impactful week ahead.
