US futures are higher again, led by tech and small caps. As of 7:30am, S&P 500 futures rose 0.7%, signaling US stocks are set for another record high when the market reopens after Memorial Day weekend. Nasdaq 100 contracts, supercharged by the artificial intelligence trade, gained more than 1% as Magnificent Seven big tech shares rallied in premarket trading. In premarket trading, all Mag 7 are higher led by NVDA (+0.8%), TSLA (+0.8%) and GOOG/L (+0.7%). 10-year Treasury yields fell six basis points and the dollar was steady after dropping against major peers in the previous session. Europe’s benchmark Stoxx 600 index slipped, handing back some of Monday’s 1% advance. Brent trading below $100 on hopes of deescalation between Iran and the US. Yet even though we have seen a barrage of optimistic media reports regarding progress on the US-Iran negotiation; on Monday night the US conducted "defensive" strikes on Iranian military targets, which the Iranian foreign ministry moments ago condemned as ceasefire violations. Gold and silver are both lower this morning, falling 1.0% and 2.5%, respectively; Ags are mostly lower. Today's economic data slate includes the April Chicago Fed national activity index and May Philadelphia Fed non-manufacturing activity (8:30am), March FHFA house price index, S&P Cotality home prices and FHFA 1Q house price purchase index (9am), May consumer confidence (10am) and May Dallas Fed manufacturing activity (10:30am).In premarket trading, Mag 7 stocks are all higher (Nvidia +1.2%, Tesla +1%, Apple +0.6%, Amazon +0.4%, Alphabet +0.2%, Microsoft +0.2%, Meta Platforms +0.1%) Amentum Holdings Inc. shares (AMTM) gain 0.4% after BNP Paribas initiated coverage of the engineering firm with a recommendation of underperform as it sees growth lagging peers.AutoZone shares (AZO) fall 5.6% after it reported net sales for the third quarter that missed the average analyst estimate.Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. shares (BAH) are up 1.4% after Stifel upgraded the company to buy from hold.Bridgebio Pharma shares (BBIO) dip 0.8% after Raymond James downgraded the drugmaker to market perform from outperform, citing near-term headwinds.Circle Internet Group Inc. shares (CRCL) rise 0.6% after it was initiated at KeyBanc Capital Markets with a recommendation of sector weight as it sees the stablecoin issuer being a leader in the sector, however dealing with lower margins.Okta Inc. shares (OKTA) are up 2.3% after Arete upgraded the software company by two notches, to buy from sell.Pembina Pipeline Corp. (PBA) rises 0.9% after it was upgraded to buy from hold at TD Cowen on sector growth.Shares in rocket and satellite companies (RDW +16%, MDA +17%, ASTS +7%) are rallying, set to extend recent gains since SpaceX filed publicly for what stands to be the largest-ever initial public offering.Shares in semiconductor companies with exposure to Asia (WOLF +8.5%, SMTC +4%) are rallying on optimism over a potential breakthrough in technology by Huawei.Shares in rocket and satellite companies rallied in US premarket trading Tuesday, extending recent gains. The sector has advanced since SpaceX filed publicly for what stands to be the largest-ever initial public offering. Among the movers, Redwire Corp. climbed 15%, MDA Space Ltd. jumped 13% and Firefly Aerospace Inc. rose 11%.Investors are largely shrugging off a modest rebound in crude prices after the US hit Iranian ships and missile launch sites, and Iran’s Tasnim news agency said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had fired at a US F-35 fighter jet. Israel also threatened to intensify its strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. While the news flow clouds prospects of a swift resumption in oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, investors appear optimistic that peace talks can still progress.US authorities have described their strikes as defensive in nature, following President Donald Trump’s comment on Monday that talks were “proceeding nicely.” And despite Tuesday’s increase, oil prices are on track for a drop in May after rising in the previous two months."The main driver of the mood music is the story in Iran,” Mizuho Bank Ltd. strategist Jordan Rochester said. Despite the strikes and belligerent rhetoric from Iran, “both sides are closer than they have been to date to getting something over the line. The US has made it clear it does not want the kinetic action to re-start,” he said. With the Middle East de-escalation lifting equity sentiment, “one might have expected to see the dollar weaker across the board – but it has been holding up quite well,” Turner wrote. “We suspect this is being driven by the view that the Federal Reserve is about to turn less dovish.” As Big Tech raises hundreds of billions of dollars to fund AI investment, Wall Street banks are increasingly finding they have to trade more credit derivatives to keep doing business with the hyperscalers.JPMorgan strategists said low-volatility stocks look attractive after a selloff triggered by rising bond yields, regardless of where yields go from here. Their US basket includes the likes of P&G, Coca-Cola, J&J and American Electric Power. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley's Mike Wilson said stock markets can handle higher bond yields as long as strong economic growth is the main catalyst, rather than a more aggressive central bank stance. Meanwhile, the SEC has given the go-ahead for Nasdaq to list index options based on the price of Bitcoin, the latest sign that Wall Street is becoming more tightly integrated with the world of digital assets. South Korea — the world’s best-performing yet most volatile market — is set to debut its first ever single-stock leveraged ETFs this week, tools that have the potential to amplify gains and losses. Analysts expect strong demand from the nation’s more than 14 million retail investors.Investors are also closely watching the outlook for Federal Reserve policy, with expectations growing that the central bank will need to keep policy tight after the oil-price jump spurred the biggest inflation surge since 2023. A number of officials have abandoned their easing bias, while Trump — who has repeatedly called interest-rate cuts — said on Friday he wanted new Chair Kevin Warsh to lead the Fed independently.An inflation gauge due later this week is expected to show annual price growth ticking up further in April, potentially reinforcing expectations that policy will stay tight. Chris Turner at ING Bank NV also highlighted the possibility of a strong jobs print later Tuesday, following last week’s robust reading. BlackRock’s Navin Saigal says the Fed may have enough reason to justify a rate cut rather than a hike under new chairman Kevin Warsh. The swaps market is not convinced, pricing in a better than 80% chance of a 25-bpt hike by the end of the year.Prints this week should shed light on how American businesses are dealing with unresolved questions around tariff refunds. AutoZone reports before the open on Tuesday, followed a day later by HP, and Costco on Thursday. This week is a big one for economic data, which according to Bloomberg Economics’ Anna Wong “speak directly to the two questions markets care about: whether US consumers are buckling under high gasoline prices, and whether inflation is too sticky for the Fed’s comfort.”
Futures Rise, US Stocks Set For New Record As Hopes For Iran Peace Deal Persist Despite Bombing
“The main driver of the mood music is the story in Iran. Both sides are closer than they have been to date to getting something over the line. The US has made it clear it does not want the kinetic action to re-start"












