U.S. stock futures surrendered earlier gains on Tuesday amid continuing uncertainty over the outlook for the Iran war, erasing some of the rally seen in energy and broader markets during the prior session.
By 07:47 ET, the Dow futures contract had dropped by 71 points, or 0.2%. S&P 500 futures were down 12 points, or 0.2%, while Nasdaq 100 futures were lower by 24 points, or 0.1%.
Several individual equities moved notably in premarket trade:
- ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips fell after oil prices eased from their highest levels since 2022 amid hopes for an easing in the Iran conflict. The pullback in crude weighed on major integrated and exploration-and-production names.
- BioNTech SE ADRs dropped sharply after the vaccine maker issued an underwhelming revenue forecast for fiscal 2026, prompting a negative reaction ahead of the open.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise gave back some of its earlier gains even though the company posted a bullish revenue outlook that highlighted strong demand for hardware used to power artificial intelligence models; quarterly revenue, however, came in weaker than anticipated.
- Kohl’s slid after reporting disappointing quarterly sales, prolonging the retailer’s recent struggles with weak returns.
- Casey’s General Stores edged down when third-quarter revenue fell short of analysts’ expectations.
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals rose after interim data were released from a late-stage trial of the group’s experimental drug for a rare autoimmune kidney disease.
- Zevra Therapeutics climbed steeply following the company’s earnings release.
- CrowdStrike shares moved higher after Morgan Stanley upgraded the cybersecurity platform, citing a solid presence in AI and an upbeat growth outlook.
- Oracle was marginally higher as investors prepared for the company’s quarterly results due after the closing bell.
- Bunge Global ticked up after the agribusiness and food company announced a $3 billion share repurchase program.
- Carnival Corp. edged lower after analysts at Bernstein warned that the cruise operator’s no fuel-hedging policy could leave the company exposed to a spike in fuel costs tied to the Iran conflict.
- Vail Resorts fell after the ski operator cut its full-year guidance following one of the worst snowfalls in the western U.S. in decades, which reduced available skiing terrain through February.
The premarket action reflected a mix of macro-driven moves - notably in energy - and a raft of company-specific developments that affected sectors from biotech to retail and travel. Investors were reacting both to evolving geopolitical signals and to fresh corporate data that highlighted uneven top-line performance and guidance across industries.
As trading approaches the open, market participants appeared focused on whether the Iran situation would continue to influence oil prices and, by extension, energy stocks, while quarterly reports and guidance from individual companies continued to drive stock-specific volatility.
Note: This report summarizes early premarket moves and company news; developments after the opening bell and later corporate announcements may alter market dynamics.