5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens
U.S. stock futures are slightly lower this morning. Key developments include Home Depot's pricing strategy amid tariffs, a strong trading debut for Tesla’s battery supplier CATL, insider buying at UnitedHealth, and upcoming earnings from Palo Alto Networks. Here's what investors need to know:1. U.S. Stock Futures Edge Lower After Strong Start to the Week
Futures are mostly down after a solid Monday.
- S&P 500 futures: -0.2%
- Nasdaq futures: -0.3%
- Dow Jones futures: flat
Meanwhile, Bitcoin is trading just below $105,000, gold is ticking up slightly, and oil is slipping. The 10-year Treasury yield has risen to around 4.46%.
2. Home Depot Rises After Beating Estimates, Will Hold Prices Steady
Home Depot (HD) is up 2% premarket after reporting better-than-expected revenue and saying it will "generally maintain" prices despite new U.S. tariffs.
- Revenue: $39.86 billion (↑9% YoY)
- EPS: $3.56 (in line with expectations)
The company also reaffirmed its full-year outlook.
3. Tesla Battery Supplier CATL Soars in Hong Kong Debut
Chinese EV battery maker CATL jumped 16% in its Hong Kong secondary listing, raising over $4.5 billion. Already listed in Shenzhen, CATL supplies Tesla and said its batteries were in over 17 million EVs by the end of last year—one in three EVs globally.
4. UnitedHealth Climbs Again as Executives Buy Shares
UnitedHealth (UNH) is up another 2% premarket after insiders—including new CEO Stephen Hemsley—bought shares following a sharp sell-off.
The stock rebounded 8% Monday but remains down nearly 50% over the past five weeks amid leadership changes and a DOJ Medicare fraud investigation.
5. Palo Alto Networks Set to Report After the Bell
Investors await earnings from cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks (PANW) today.
- Expected EPS: $0.77 (adjusted)
- Expected Revenue: $2.28 billion (+15% YoY)
Of 18 analysts tracked by Visible Alpha, 11 rate it a "buy." Shares are slightly higher in premarket trading and are up 7% year-to-date.