5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens Today
U.S. stock futures are nudging higher this morning after four straight days of losses for the S&P 500. Investors are preparing for a major earnings release from Nvidia while reacting to big moves in retail stocks and an unexpected energy development from the Department of Energy. Here’s what you need to know before trading begins.
1. Stock Futures Attempt a Rebound After a Multi-Day Slide
Stock futures are slightly up as markets look to break their recent losing streak:
- Dow futures: +0.1%
- S&P 500 futures: +0.2%
- Nasdaq futures: +0.3%
The Dow and S&P 500 have logged four consecutive down sessions, while the Nasdaq is coming off two days of declines, driven by pressure on tech names.
Other market movers:
- Bitcoin: $91,500 — off yesterday’s $93,000 but above the $90,000 overnight low
- Gold: +1.3% to $4,120/oz after five days of losses
- Crude Oil: –2.5% to $59.25/barrel
- 10-year Treasury yield: steady around 4.11%
2. Nvidia Earnings On Deck: Market-Bracing Volatility Expected
All eyes are on Nvidia (NVDA) as the world’s most valuable company prepares to announce quarterly earnings after today’s closing bell.
The report lands amid rising concern that the AI frenzy may be forming a bubble. Analysts expect strong revenue and profit growth, with the stock likely to move sharply once numbers hit.
Nvidia shares — down almost 15% since late October’s all-time high — were up 1.5% in premarket trading.
A big move in NVDA is likely to influence the broader market.
3. Lowe’s Surges After Beating Profit Estimates
Lowe’s (LOW) is jumping more than 5% after posting better-than-expected earnings:
- EPS: $3.06 (vs. $2.89 last year)
- Revenue: $20.81B, roughly in line with forecasts
Lowe’s also raised full-year sales guidance to $86B, reflecting strength in the home improvement category and benefits from its recent Foundation Building Materials acquisition.
The strong report follows Home Depot’s earnings miss just one day earlier, highlighting divergence in the major retail peers.
4. Target Misses on Sales and Slips in Premarket Trading
Target (TGT) is under pressure after reporting weaker-than-expected revenue:
- Revenue: $25.27B (–1.5% YoY)
- Comparable store sales: –3.8%
- Online comparable sales: +2.4%
- Adjusted EPS: $1.78 (above estimates)
Incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke said results aligned with company expectations despite a challenging environment.
Target narrowed its full-year EPS forecast to $7.00–$8.00, previously $7.00–$9.00. Shares were down about 3% premarket.
5. DOE Approves $1B Loan to Restart Three Mile Island Nuclear Facility
Constellation Energy (CEG) is climbing over 2% after the Department of Energy announced a $1 billion loan to help restart operations at the iconic Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor in Pennsylvania.
The revived facility will supply power to Microsoft (MSFT) data centers under a previously announced agreement between the two companies.
The project marks one of the most significant federal investments in nuclear energy in recent years and underscores rising demand for clean, stable power to support AI-driven data infrastructure.
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