Stock Market Today: Nasdaq, S&P 500 Futures Gain Ahead Of Apple's 'Awe Dropping' Event—Nebius, Fox, Oracle In Focus
U.S. stock futures were mostly higher on Tuesday following Monday’s advances. Futures of major benchmark indices were rising.
Investors were gearing up for Apple Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL) annual September gathering, this year dubbed the “Awe Dropping” event, set to begin later today.
Additionally, the market is waiting for the crucial producer price inflation and consumer price inflation data slated to be released on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.06% and the two-year bond was at 3.50%. The CME Group's FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 100% likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting the current interest rates for the Sept. 17 decision.
| Futures | Change (+/-) |
| Dow Jones | 0.04% |
| S&P 500 | 0.12% |
| Nasdaq 100 | 0.20% |
| Russell 2000 | -0.02% |
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, rose in premarket on Tuesday. The SPY was up 0.13% at $649.66, while the QQQ advanced 0.21% to $580.09, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Cues From Last Session
Sectors that gained on Tuesday saw information technology and consumer discretionary stocks buck the overall market trend, closing higher, while most S&P 500 sectors closed negatively, with utilities, real estate, and communication services stocks recording the biggest losses.
Still, U.S. stocks settled higher, with the Dow Jones index gaining more than 100 points ahead of a busy week of economic reports leading up to next week's Federal Reserve meeting. The Nasdaq Composite also settled at a record high.
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) continued its rally, climbing another 3.2% following Friday's 9.4% surge from blockbuster earnings, and is on track for its best two-day performance since April 9. Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) soared around 16% — its biggest one-day gain in five months — on news of its addition to the S&P 500 index.
On the economic front, the US Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index was reported as flat for August when compared to the previous month.
The Dow Jones index ended 114 points or 0.25% higher at 45,514.95, whereas the S&P 500 index rose 0.21% to 6,495.15. Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.45% to 21,798.70, and the small-cap gauge, Russell 2000, gained 0.16% to end at 2,394.89.
| Index | Performance (+/-) | Value |
| Nasdaq Composite | 0.45% | 21,798.70 |
| S&P 500 | 0.21% | 6,495.15 |
| Dow Jones | 0.25% | 45,514.95 |
| Russell 2000 | 0.16% | 2,394.89 |
Insights From Analysts
Renowned economist Professor Jeremy Siegel believes the stock market received exactly the news it needed last week, confirming an economic slowdown that paves the way for the Federal Reserve to begin cutting interest rates.
In his weekly commentary, Siegel argues that this environment is a “tailwind for stocks,” with a series of rate cuts expected before the end of the year. According to Siegel, recent economic data shows a “definitive deceleration” rather than a collapse. He points to several key indicators:
- Softer payroll gains.
- Persistent weakness in manufacturing.
- A rise in the U-6 underemployment rate to 8.1% indicates more slack in the job market.
- There has been a significant cooling in healthcare hiring, which has been a major driver of job creation over the past year.
This slowdown makes a September rate cut a “near certainty” in his view. Siegel forecasts three 25-basis-point cuts this year, one in September, followed by two more in the subsequent meetings. He maintains that the policy debate has decisively shifted toward the weakening labor market, so even an unexpected rise in the upcoming CPI or PPI inflation reports should not derail the Fed’s path.
The bond market is already anticipating this shift, with the 10-Year Treasury yield falling toward its cycle low near 4.00%. Siegel notes that this is a classic sign of investors pricing in easier monetary policy as economic growth weakens. He advocates for the Fed to eventually bring the policy rate below 3%, arguing that restrictive rates are unnecessary with inflation trending between 2-3%.
For investors, Siegel outlines a straightforward, bullish case for equities:
- Favorable Conditions: An easing of financial conditions led by the bond market is bullish for stocks, though the economic slowdown will likely “keep a cap on any exuberance”.
- Broadening Rally: While tech leadership remains intact, the rally’s breadth should improve. The best performance is expected from small caps and cyclicals, which have lagged in the high-interest-rate environment.
- S&P 500 Forecast: Siegel’s base case sees the S&P 500 “grinding higher” into the end of the year.
The ultimate bull case, Siegel concludes, would be a re-acceleration in productivity combined with the Fed’s easing policy, which would create “disinflationary growth and multiple expansion”. While this scenario is “very much alive,” he adds a note of caution, stating, “we are closer to the top of this bull run than the April bottom”.
Meanwhile, in a recent interview, the University of Michigan professor, Justin Wolfers, cautioned that Americans could soon get “‘two bad tastes at the same time’—rising unemployment and rising inflation.”
He explained that the ingredients for this challenging scenario are already present. He broke down the dual nature of stagflation, describing it as a mix of economic stagnation and persistent inflation.
See Also: How to Trade Futures
Upcoming Economic Data
Here's what investors will be keeping an eye on Tuesday;
- August’s NFIB optimism index data will be released by 6:00 a.m. ET.
Stocks In Focus
- Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was down 0.24% in premarket on Tuesday ahead of its “Awe Dropping” event, as enthusiasts eagerly anticipated the iPhone 17 lineup, including the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, as well as refreshed Apple Watches, AirPods, and potentially other surprises.
- Nebius Group NV (NASDAQ:NBIS) soared 48.14% after signing a $17.4 billion deal to provide Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) with AI infrastructure.
- Yext Inc. (NYSE:YEXT) rose 2.71% after reporting better-than-expected earnings for the second quarter on Monday. The company posted quarterly earnings of 13 cents per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate of 12 cents per share.
- Caseys General Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) declined by 1.05% despite beating the first-quarter results after Monday's closing bell.
- Designer Brands Inc. (NYSE:DBI) rose 1.20% as it is expected to report earnings before the opening bell. Analysts estimate earnings of 23 cents per share on revenue of $737.85 million.
- Core & Main Inc. (NYSE:CNM) was up 0.60% as analysts expect it to report earnings of 79 cents per share on revenue of $2.14 billion before the opening bell.
- Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) gained 1.35% as it is expected to report earnings after the closing bell. Analysts estimate earnings of $1.48 per share on revenue of $15.03 billion.
- Wolfspeed Inc. (NYSE:WOLF) skyrocketed 66.67% after confirming a "reorganization plan," paving the way for its exit from bankruptcy.
- Fox Corp. (NASDAQ:FOX) dropped 3.19% after announcing a secondary offering of Class B stock.
Commodities, Gold, And Global Equity Markets
Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 1.00% to hover around $62.88 per barrel.
Gold Spot US Dollar rose 0.46% to hover around $3,652.72 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $3,659.27 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.12% lower at the 97.34 level.
Asian markets closed in a mixed manner on Tuesday as Australia's ASX 200, China’s CSI 300, and Japan's Nikkei 225 indices fell, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng, India’s S&P BSE Sensex, and South Korea's Kospi indices rose. European markets were also mixed in early trade.
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