Stock Markets February 23, 2026

U.S. Futures Slip as Drugmakers and Streaming Stocks Move in Premarket

Novo Nordisk dives after trial setback while Eli Lilly, Domino’s and biotech deal activity shift early trading

By Caleb Monroe NVO LLY GOOGL NVDA DPZ
U.S. Futures Slip as Drugmakers and Streaming Stocks Move in Premarket
NVO LLY GOOGL NVDA DPZ

U.S. stock futures traded lower Monday as investors weighed renewed trade uncertainty following a Supreme Court decision on emergency tariffs. Several notable premarket movers included a steep decline for Novo Nordisk after a failed obesity drug trial, gains for Eli Lilly and Domino’s Pizza, and a large rally in Arcellx after a takeover agreement with Gilead.

Key Points

  • U.S. futures dipped as markets digested a Supreme Court decision on emergency tariffs and renewed trade uncertainty - impacting broad market sentiment.
  • Novo Nordisk plunged after its obesity drug CagriSema failed to meet a primary endpoint in a head-to-head trial; Eli Lilly rose following comparative trial results favoring its drug.
  • Domino’s outperformed on better-than-expected U.S. same-store sales driven by promotional activity and new menu items; Arcellx jumped after a takeover agreement with Gilead.

U.S. equity futures opened softer on Monday, with market participants parsing the implications of renewed trade uncertainty after the Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs. Premarket activity showed a mix of sharp moves across health care, technology and consumer stocks.

Below are some of the most significant premarket movers:

  • Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) - The drugmaker’s shares plunged more than 13% after the company reported that its experimental obesity drug, CagriSema, failed to meet a primary endpoint in an open-label head-to-head clinical trial.
  • Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) - Lilly’s stock climbed 2.9% in the wake of Novo Nordisk’s trial results, which showed the rival obesity treatment fell short against Lilly’s medication in a Copenhagen study.
  • Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) - Shares in the parent of Google ticked up about 0.3% after Wells Fargo raised its rating to "overweight" from "equal weight," citing the company’s advantages in data, distribution and compute capacity that it said position Alphabet to lead the next phase of artificial intelligence.
  • Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) - The chipmaker slipped roughly 0.2% ahead of its highly anticipated earnings report, which investors see as a potential barometer for the broader AI sector amid rising skepticism among some market participants.
  • Domino’s Pizza (NASDAQ:DPZ) - Domino’s shares rose 4.9% after the fast-food chain reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter U.S. same-store sales, attributing the outperformance to value-focused promotions and new menu offerings that helped drive customer demand.
  • Merck (NYSE:MRK) - Merck gained about 0.4% after a Wall Street Journal report said the drugmaker plans to split its human-health business into two divisions as it works to address pressures related to the impending loss of patent protection for Keytruda, its top-selling drug.
  • Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) - Netflix slipped 0.7% after President Trump called on the streaming company to remove board member Susan Rice or "pay the consequences" following her comments that Democrats would press corporate accountability if they retake power in the November midterm elections. Separately, the Department of Justice is reviewing Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD).
  • Arcellx (NASDAQ:ACLX) - Arcellx soared 78% after Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) agreed to acquire the cancer therapy developer for an implied equity value of $7.8 billion; Gilead’s shares were down about 0.6% in early trading.

Investors are continuing to absorb mixed headlines across several sectors, including health care, technology and consumer services, while awaiting corporate earnings and regulatory developments that may influence near-term market direction.

Risks

  • Clinical trial outcomes can sharply move pharmaceutical and biotech stocks, creating volatility in the health care sector - exemplified by Novo Nordisk’s drop and Eli Lilly’s gains.
  • Regulatory and political developments, including the Supreme Court ruling on emergency tariffs and DOJ review of major transactions, introduce uncertainty for market participants across sectors such as trade-sensitive industries and media.
  • Earnings reports, such as Nvidia’s upcoming release, could shift investor sentiment for tech and AI-related securities amid growing skepticism in the sector.

More from Stock Markets

Morgan Stanley Downgrades Redeia, Cites Near-Zero EPS Growth to 2028 Mar 26, 2026 Novocure Shares Gain After PANOVA-4 Shows Improved Disease Control in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Mar 26, 2026 Kodiak Shares Jump After GLOW2 Shows Strong Zenkuda Results in Diabetic Retinopathy Mar 26, 2026 EU launches probe into Snapchat over alleged failures to curb child grooming and illegal sales Mar 26, 2026 Wall Street Banks on Corporate Earnings to Withstand Oil-Driven Market Shock Mar 26, 2026