U.S. stock futures were broadly softer early Monday, pressured by a deepening sell-off in global government bonds and higher crude prices. Market participants were watching individual company developments that drove notable premarket moves even as major index futures showed mixed direction.
At 08:10 ET (12:10 GMT), the Dow futures contract was down 163 points, or about 0.3%. S&P 500 futures had slipped roughly 11 points, or 0.2%, while Nasdaq 100 futures were mostly unchanged.
Notable premarket movers
- Energy majors: Chevron and Exxon Mobil were marginally higher in early trading.
- UnitedHealth: Shares declined after Berkshire Hathaway sold its stake in the health insurer.
- Delta Air Lines: The carrier climbed after Berkshire disclosed it had built a stake in Delta valued at $2.6 billion.
- Macy's: The department store's shares rose following Berkshire's report that it had taken a stake in the company.
- Space and rocket-related names: EchoStar, Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile were higher after Elon Musk said he is working on plans for an initial public offering of his rocket company, SpaceX.
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals: The biotech slipped after phase 3 trial data for its treatment of metastatic melanoma failed to meet expectations.
- Bio-Rad Laboratories: Shares jumped on a Wall Street Journal report that activist investor Elliott has built a stake in the life-sciences tools supplier.
- Dominion Energy: The utility surged after media reports indicated NextEra Energy is in talks on a mostly stock deal that would value Dominion at about $66 billion, a transaction that would be the largest-ever deal in the power sector if completed.
- LiveRamp: The online data broker spiked after Publicis Groupe said it agreed to acquire LiveRamp for around $2.5 billion in cash.
- Applied Materials: Shares edged down after Morgan Stanley lowered its rating on the company to "equal-weight" from "overweight."
- Baidu: U.S.-listed shares gained after the Chinese internet services company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly revenue.
Market context
The broader move lower in futures reflected pressure from fixed-income markets and energy. A deepening global bond sell-off and rising oil prices were cited as headwinds for risk assets in early trade. Despite the negative backdrop for futures, corporate-level news produced both winners and losers in the premarket session, with deals, stake disclosures and clinical-trial outcomes driving firm-specific moves.
What to watch
- Whether the bond market impulse and oil price strength keep weighing on equities through the regular session.
- Updates or confirmations from companies involved in the day’s deal and stake reports, which could alter stock trajectories.
Investors will likely monitor whether the reported discussions and stake filings develop into concrete filings or transactions that affect sector leadership, particularly in utilities, energy, healthcare, aerospace and tech-related services.