U.S. equity futures opened slightly lower Friday as market participants assessed corporate earnings reports and outlooks ahead of the release of key inflation data. Several individual stocks showed sharp moves in premarket trading, with gains concentrated in a handful of technology and payments names while some media, cloud computing and retail shares weakened.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) jumped 7.3% after the company opted not to raise its offer for Warner Bros Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD), which traded down 1.4% in the same session. The decision increased the likelihood that Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY), which rose 6.4%, will emerge as the winning bidder in an extended corporate tussle over the studio.
Block (NYSE:XYZ) surged 20% after the payments firm announced plans to eliminate more than 4,000 positions - roughly half of its workforce - as part of a broad reorganization intended to integrate artificial intelligence more deeply into its operations.
Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) climbed 12% in premarket trade after reporting fourth-quarter results that beat expectations, with the company citing momentum from a corporate shift toward artificial intelligence infrastructure as a contributing factor to the stronger performance.
Carter's (NYSE:CRI) shares tumbled 9.7% after the children's apparel maker issued fiscal 2026 guidance that failed to meet investor expectations. The company’s outlook was provided excluding potential effects from recent tariff developments.
Target (NYSE:TGT) dipped 0.5% after media reports indicated the retailer will require that all cereals it sells be produced without certified synthetic colors by the end of May.
CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV) fell 11% after announcing a wider fourth-quarter loss and missing adjusted operating margin estimates by a wide margin, even though revenue climbed slightly year over year.
Flutter Entertainment (LON:FLTRF) dropped 13% after projecting only modest profit growth for 2026, a forecast that was well below analyst expectations and attributed to difficulties in its primary U.S. market.
Zscaler (NASDAQ:ZS) slid 9.6% despite reporting a fiscal 2026 second-quarter beat and issuing an outlook that surpassed forecasts; investors had anticipated an even more upbeat tone.
Rocket Companies (NYSE:RKT) gained 7.3% following a fourth quarter in which revenue and earnings exceeded expectations, and the company issued strong forward guidance.
Intuit (NASDAQ:INTU) declined 2.9% after forecasting third-quarter profit below consensus estimates, even as it posted higher second-quarter profit.
Overall, the premarket session featured sizable stock-specific moves tied to earnings and strategic decisions, with markets awaiting broader macroeconomic data that could shape near-term risk appetite.