U.S. index futures point to gains in pre-market trading on Monday, reflecting optimism after strong performances by the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, which recorded their best week of gains since early November. Traders are focused on a week filled with corporate earnings releases and labor data, as well as the highly anticipated Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday. Although the Fed is expected to keep interest rates steady, investors are eagerly awaiting Jerome Powell’s press conference after the announcement for signals about the future of monetary policy.
As of 6:24 AM, Dow Jones futures (DOWI:DJI) were up 45 points, or 0.12%. S&P 500 futures advanced 0.16%, and Nasdaq-100 futures gained 0.24%. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was at 4.624%.
In the commodities market, West Texas Intermediate crude for June fell 0.27% to $83.63 per barrel. Brent crude for June fell 0.58%, near $88.98 per barrel. Iron ore traded on the Dalian exchange fell 0.51% to $120.69 per metric ton.
European markets are showing gains in this session, with investors focusing on upcoming interest rate decisions, corporate earnings releases, and new data from central banks throughout the week. Concurrently, shares of Philips (NYSE:PHG) saw a significant jump of 45% after the renowned Dutch medical equipment company announced a $1.1 billion agreement in the United States related to the recall of sleep apnea treatment devices.
Asian markets closed higher, with the Shanghai SE in China advancing 0.79%, while the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong rose 0.54%. In South Korea, the Kospi recorded an increase of 1.17%, and the ASX 200 in Australia gained 0.81%. Notably, Japan’s Nikkei was closed due to a holiday. The markets were boosted by a positive weekend on Wall Street and a jump in shares of real estate developers in China and Hong Kong. The lifting of housing purchase restrictions by a major Chinese city also generated optimism. Investors are also awaiting China’s PMI index, along with important industrial and retail sales data from Japan.
U.S. stocks posted significant gains last Friday, reflecting a notable recovery after a session of losses. Major indices, such as the Nasdaq, saw significant rises, led by technology companies. A highlight was Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), which surged 10.2% due to surprising results and announcements of dividends and stock buybacks. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Snap (NYSE:SNAP) also exceeded expectations, boosting the market, while Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) disappointed with its future projections. Inflation data aligned with estimates helped maintain market optimism. Last week, the Nasdaq soared 4.2%, the S&P 500 rose 2.7%, and the Dow advanced 0.7%.
On the earnings front, companies scheduled to report before market open include SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ:SOFI), Onsemi (NASDAQ:ON), Domino’s Pizza (NYSE:DPZ), Philips (NYSE:PHG), Daqo New Energy (NYSE:DQ), Jinko Solar (NYSE:JKS), Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA), Bank of Marin (NASDAQ:BMRC), Alliance Resource Partners (NASDAQ:ARLP), Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN), among others.
After the market closes, earnings reports are expected from Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGI), Lattice Semiconductor (NASDAQ:LSCC), Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA), NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI), Transocean (NYSE:RIG), Chegg (NYSE:CHGG), Rambus (NASDAQ:RMBS), Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD), Arch Capital Group (NASDAQ:ACGL), F5 Networks (NASDAQ:FFIV), and more.