Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures hit pause in wait for Hormuz update

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US stock futures stalled on Tuesday, hitting pause on their retreat as investors weighed apparent signs of progress toward an end to the US-Iran war.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) nudged down 0.1%, while those on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) fell 0.3%. Contracts on the S&P 500 (ES=F) shed 0.2%, coming off a second day of losses.

Stocks closed mixed on Monday as rises in oil prices kept worries about war-stoked inflation alive, amid the ongoing halt of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz .

Optimism about a resolution crept into markets after President Trump said Monday that “serious negotiations” are taking place, and there is a “very good chance” of a deal on Iran’s nuclear program. He said that at the request of Gulf allies, he had halted military action against Iran that was scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

At the same time, gains in Treasury yields were seen as putting appetite for growth stocks at risk, with high-flying AI valuations particularly exposed.

The release of Nvidia (NVDA) earnings on Wednesday is the focal point of the week. Investors’ expectations for the world’s most valuable company are sky high. Moreover, Nvidia is a bellwether for the AI trade, which has become increasingly important in propping up markets amid inflation and geopolitical uncertainty. Yahoo Finance reports.

📊 NextEra shares dip after $66.8B Dominion deal — What’s on traders’ radar now

NextEra Energy shares fell ahead of Tuesday’s regular session as investors reacted to its $66.8 billion stock deal with Dominion Energy. The utility is betting on higher power demand from AI data centers. NextEra closed at $89.04 Monday, down 4.6%, while Dominion ended at $67.56, up 9.4%.

The New York Stock Exchange was still closed ahead of its regular hours, which run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern on weekdays. The exchange’s schedule shows Memorial Day, May 25, as the next holiday shutdown in May 2026.

NextEra’s deal is getting attention now because it would mean a larger regulated utility business for the company. A regulated utility has rates and spending set by government regulators. Power demand from data centers is up, and utilities are being pushed to boost generation and grid projects. Reuters said the deal would form one of the world’s largest electric utilities and expand NextEra’s reach in PJM Interconnection, the top U.S. grid operator. Techstock reports.

🏢 What's Going On With Blackstone Stock Tuesday?

Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) stock is trading higher by 0.82% during Tuesday’s premarket session as investors digest joint venture with Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google around AI-focused cloud infrastructure, even with U.S. index ETFs pointing lower before the bell.

Blackstone on Monday announced a joint venture with Google to launch a U.S.-based company focused on artificial intelligence infrastructure and cloud computing services powered by Google Cloud’s Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs.

The new company will provide data center capacity, networking, operations, and TPU-based compute-as-a-service offerings. Customers will be able to access Google’s AI chips outside the traditional Google Cloud platform. Techstock reports.

🔧 Analog Devices Reportedly In Talks To Buy AI Chip Firm Empower Semiconductor For $1.5 Billion

Analog Devices (NASDAQ:ADI) is in advanced talks to acquire AI chip firm Empower Semiconductor for $1.5 ‌billion in cash, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
Empower manufactures high-voltage chips for AI processors and data centers.
Analog Devices and Empower Semiconductor did not respond to Benzinga‘s request for comments. Benzinga reports.

📈 Why Agilysys Shares Are Trading Higher By Over 15%

Shares of Agilysys Inc rose in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results and issued FY27 sales guidance above estimates.

Agilysys reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $82.95 million, beating analyst estimates of $81.56 million, according to Benzinga Pro. The hospitality software provider reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of 63 cents per share, beating estimates of 50 cents per share.

Agilysys shares jumped 15.2% to $81.00 in pre-market trading. Benzinga reports.

🤖 ServiceNow Jumps After Wall Street Shifts AI View

ServiceNow climbed 8.8% Monday to close at $103.42. Bank of America’s Tal Liani put coverage back on the stock, giving it a Buy and a $130 price target. Shares hit $104.68 during the day, with 50.74 million shares changing hands, outpacing the 27.71 million average.

ServiceNow has faced doubts about AI—whether it will boost enterprise software platforms or simply replace what they offer. BofA’s recent call steered the market in favor of the first view, at least for now, giving the stock some relief.

BofA’s Liani said ServiceNow is set to gain from the AI shakeup in software and won’t be swapped out for new AI tools. She pointed to the company’s part in routing work, approvals and controls for large firms. Workflow orchestration is just getting tasks lined up, approved, tracked and audited across systems.

Tech shares stayed under pressure from Treasury yields and oil, pushing the Nasdaq down 0.51% and the S&P 500 off 0.07% Monday. ServiceNow bucked the move in a weak session. Techstock reports.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on Early Pre-Market from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM ET). Stock Analysis reports.

1) AMST: Amesite Inc.

Total gain: +1.714 (218.03%)

2) WNW: Meiwu Technology Company Limited

Total gain: +3.38 (140.25%)

3) MTVA: MetaVia Inc.

Total gain: +0.830 (74.77%)

4) HAO: Haoxi Health Technology Limited

Total gain: +0.0065 (36.52%)

5) HUBC: HUB Cyber Security Ltd.

Total gain: +0.0454 (35.58%)

The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $3 on May 18.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on regular market trading hours from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET)
Stock Analysis reports.

1) NCI: Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited

Total gain: +6.94 (654.72%)

The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

2) HCAI: Huachen AI Parking Management Technology Holding Co., Ltd

Total gain: +5.46 (98.56%)

The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

3) AIIO: Robo.ai Inc.

Total gain: +1.58 (39.30%)

The company announced its inaugural appearance in the 9th International Exhibition for National Security and Resilience (ISNR 2026) in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

ISNR Abu Dhabi is the region's most trusted platform to bring together international officials, technology partners and stakeholders from public and private sectors.

(Estimate and Actual numbers represent Earnings Per Share in US Dollars)

PRPH
ProPhase Labs

Q1 2026

Before Market Open

Estimate: N/A

Actual: N/A

MOVE
Movano
Q1 2026

After Market Close
Estimate: N/A
Actual: N/A

AS
Amer Sports
Q1 2026

Before Market Open
Estimate: 0.300
Actual: N/A

“In trading/investing, it’s not about how much you make but rather how much you don’t lose.”

– Bernard Baruch

Sourced in: Baruch quotes — GoodReads.