U.S. equity futures showed a mixed pattern Tuesday as investors queued up ahead of the next Federal Reserve meeting and the earnings calendar accelerated. Corporate reports dominated premarket price moves, with several large-cap names drawing notable attention across transportation, industrials, consumer goods and financials.
Here are the leading premarket movers and the results or guidance that shaped their early trading:
- American Airlines (AAL) - The carrier's shares were up 3.5% after it set 2026 profit guidance that exceeded market expectations. The company said the recovery in corporate travel and robust demand for premium services helped underpin its forecast.
- General Motors (GM) - GM stock climbed 4.5% after the automaker reported a stronger fourth-quarter core profit, attributing the improvement in part to solid sales of its lower-cost crossover SUVs and pickup trucks over the year.
- Kimberly-Clark (KMB) - Shares rose 1.2% following fourth-quarter adjusted earnings that topped analyst views, with the company continuing a strategic pivot toward higher-margin personal care product categories.
- JetBlue (JBLU) - The low-cost carrier's shares fell 3.5% after it reported fourth-quarter losses that were wider than expectations, despite revenues slightly outpacing forecasts.
- Northrop Grumman (NOC) - Shares slipped 2% even though the defense supplier posted higher fourth-quarter profit and revenue. The company cited strength in its aeronautics business amid a backdrop of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
- UnitedHealth (UNH) - The stock plunged 16% after the insurer reported a sharp drop in fourth-quarter earnings. UnitedHealth cited elevated medical costs as a headwind. The company also faced downward pressure from a proposal by the Trump administration that would raise next year’s Medicare Advantage plan payments by less than expected.
- United Parcel Service (UPS) - UPS shares advanced 3.1% after the parcel giant projected higher revenue for 2026. The company said it is continuing to reduce low-margin deliveries for its largest customer, Amazon, while shifting the business mix toward higher-paying shipment types.
- RTX Corp (RTX) - The aerospace and defense firm gained 3.6% after reporting higher fourth-quarter revenue and profit, driven by increased engine sales and demand for commercial aircraft maintenance and repair services.
- Roper Technologies (ROP) - Roper shares slipped 2.1% after a modest fourth-quarter earnings beat was offset by a full-year outlook that failed to meet investor expectations.
- CoreWeave (CRWV) - The cloud computing company jumped 4.5% after receiving an additional $2 billion investment from Nvidia, prompting an analyst upgrade from Deutsche Bank.
- Cloudflare (NET) - The stock soared 11%, extending gains after growing investor enthusiasm around Clawdbot, an open-source AI agent that has driven recent momentum for the company.
- HSBC (HSBC) - ADRs rose 2.9% after the bank's market value climbed above $300 billion, a development noted ahead of its upcoming earnings where it is expected to raise profit targets.
Overall, the premarket moves illustrated how corporate earnings and company-specific developments are influencing early trading in distinct sectors - from airlines and parcel delivery to defense contractors and cloud software firms - while macro attention remains fixed on the Fed meeting. Investors appeared to react selectively, rewarding companies reporting stronger-than-expected results or favorable strategic shifts and penalizing firms that revealed profit pressures or guidance that disappointed.