Stock Markets May 7, 2026 08:51 AM

U.S. Futures Pause After Prior Rally; Energy Stocks Lead Pre-Market Declines

S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures tick higher as energy and consumer names see divergent premarket moves

By Sofia Navarro CVX

U.S. equity futures were modestly higher early Thursday after a strong rally in the previous session tied to hopes of an imminent end to the Iran war. Energy names fell alongside a drop in crude, while a range of corporate earnings and guidance moves drove outsized stock reactions in consumer, industrial and technology sectors.

U.S. Futures Pause After Prior Rally; Energy Stocks Lead Pre-Market Declines
CVX

Key Points

  • S&P 500 futures were up 7 points (about 0.1%) and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 18 points (about 0.1%) at 06:38 ET (10:38 GMT); Dow futures were mostly unchanged.
  • U.S. energy stocks fell broadly, mirroring a decline in crude oil prices; major producers and oilfield services names moved lower.
  • Corporate earnings and guidance swings produced sharp moves: Celsius, Tapestry, DoorDash, Howmet Aerospace and Datadog gained, while Shake Shack and Whirlpool declined materially.

U.S. stock futures showed only modest movement in early trading Thursday after a significant advance in the prior session that market participants linked to growing hopes for a near-term end to the Iran war. By 06:38 ET (10:38 GMT), the S&P 500 futures contract had gained 7 points, equivalent to roughly 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 18 points, also about 0.1%. Dow futures were largely flat.

Market attention ahead of the opening bell was focused on energy names, several consumer and retail reports, and select industrial and technology results. Below are the most notable premarket movers and the developments behind their moves.


Energy and related sectors

  • U.S. energy stocks broadly declined, tracking a pullback in crude oil prices. Major integrated and exploration-and-production names including Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Occidental Petroleum, Devon Energy, Diamondback Energy and ConocoPhillips were all trading lower in premarket activity.
  • Oilfield services firms Baker Hughes and SLB also dipped, while refiners Phillips 66 and Marathon Petroleum moved down ahead of the open.

Consumer and retail results

  • Celsius Holdings outperformed after reporting first-quarter sales and earnings that beat expectations. The maker of energy drinks cited continued demand for its products despite intense competition and an environment of shaky consumer sentiment.
  • McDonald's shares were higher after the fast-food chain released mixed quarterly results.
  • Shake Shack fell sharply after reporting adjusted core profit and revenue for the first quarter that came in well below analysts' estimates. The company attributed the disappointing results to "significant weather impacts."
  • Coach-owner Tapestry raised its annual forecast for a third time in 2026, pointing to solid demand among younger customers. The revised outlook underpinned a rally in the stock.
  • DoorDash jumped more than 10% following a second-quarter marketplace gross order value outlook that exceeded analysts' estimates.
  • Kenvue said it would not provide forward guidance because of a pending tie-up with Kimberly-Clark; the consumer health group's shares were slightly lower in premarket trading.
  • Whirlpool tumbled sharply after the appliance maker cut its full-year revenue forecast.

Industrials and technology

  • Howmet Aerospace surged after the company said strength at its commercial aerospace and industrial gas turbine businesses supported an improved annual forecast.
  • Datadog posted a first-quarter revenue beat driven by solid customer growth and the roll-out of new artificial intelligence-enhanced products, sending the observability platform's shares sharply higher.

Investors and traders looking to follow intraday moves were reminded of available platforms to monitor market action - for example, a promoted note mentioned tracking U.S. stocks with InvestingPro.

For traders considering a position in Chevron, an embedded reminder highlighted a chart-analysis tool that provides entry, stop-loss and profit-target suggestions for CVX, in an effort to bridge what the note called a typical conviction gap when reading charts.

Overall, the premarket session reflected a mix of sector pressures - with energy names underperforming amid weaker crude, while individual company reports and guidance moves drove pronounced stock-specific reactions across consumer, industrial and technology groups.

Risks

  • Volatility in oil prices - the drop in crude was associated with declines across energy producers and services firms, posing downside risk to energy sector performance.
  • Company-specific guidance changes and weather-impacted results - several consumer and retail names showed that earnings, forecasts or one-off impacts can trigger outsized stock moves.
  • Uncertainty around corporate guidance and pending transactions - Kenvue withholding forward guidance due to a pending tie-up with Kimberly-Clark introduces visibility risk for that consumer health stock.

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