Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures make slight gains as Wall Street eyes earnings with trade tensions ahead

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US stock futures pushed up on Tuesday as Wall Street regained its balance after a tumultuous week and braced for the next wave of corporate earnings.

Futures attached to the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered below the flatline, the benchmark S&P 500 rose 0.2% and the Nasdaq 100 was up 0.3%.

Palantir stock rose in premarket trading after the company's earnings report beat expectations and revealed its revenue had topped $1 billion in a quarter for the first time.

On Monday, stocks sharply rebounded after tanking on Friday in the aftermath of a number of market-shaking events, including a weak jobs report, fresh tariffs, new signs of rising prices, and the firing of the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

President Trump continued to amp up pressure on trade on Monday, threatening to hike tariffs on India. Yahoo Finance reports.

👩‍💻 What are Wall Street Analysts' target price for Microsoft stock?

With a market cap of $3.9 trillion, Microsoft Corporation is a global leader in software, services, devices, and cloud solutions.

It operates through key segments including Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud, and More Personal Computing, offering a broad range of products from Microsoft 365 and Azure to Windows, Xbox, and Surface devices.

Shares of the Redmond, Washington-based company have outpaced the broader market over the past 52 weeks. MSFT stock has increased 25.7% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has gained 14.5%.

Moreover, shares of Microsoft have soared 24.3% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX's 6.1% rise. Read full report at Yahoo Finance.

📊 Palantir Q2 earnings: revenue, EPS beat estimates, company raises guidance citing 'astonishing impact' of AI leverage

Palantir Technologies Inc reported financial results for the second quarter after the market close on Monday.

Q2 Earnings: Palantir reported second-quarter revenue of $1.004 billion, beating analyst estimates of $939.71 million.

The company reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of 16 cents per share, beating analyst estimates of 14 cents per share.

Palantir has now met or exceeded analyst estimates on the top and bottom lines in eight consecutive quarters, according to data from . Benzinga.

🌯 Taco Bell parent Yum Brands misses estimates as spending slows, costs rise

Yum Brands missed analysts' estimates for second-quarter comparable sales and profit on Tuesday, hit by higher ingredient costs and muted demand that weighed on its businesses, including Taco Bell.

Concerns over the impact of steep tariffs and economic growth have dented U.S. consumer spending on eating out, prompting fast-food chains, including Yum Brands, McDonald's and Burger King-owner Restaurant Brands, to launch budget-friendly meal deals to boost foot traffic.

Taco Bell, which accounts for 38% of the company's total revenue, rolled out meal boxes ranging from $5 to $9.

Still, its same-store sales growth in the US - the biggest market - slowed to 4% during the second quarter from 5% a year earlier. MarketScreener reports.

🚜 Caterpillar's second-quarter profit falls on slow demand:

Caterpillar reported a lower second-quarter profit on Tuesday, hurt by sluggish demand, pricing pressure and higher costs tied to US tariffs.

Adjusted profit in the second quarter fell to $4.72 per share, compared with $5.99 a year ago. Yahoo Finance reports.

💊 Pfizer raises annual profit forecast after upbeat second quarter

US drugmaker Pfizer on Tuesday raised its full-year profit forecast on strong demand for its heart disease drug, Vyndaqel, and blood thinner, Eliquis, after its second-quarter results benefited from a weaker dollar.

Pfizer said the new forecast includes a one-time charge of 20 cents per share related to its recent licensing deal with China's 3SBio for experimental cancer treatment. Reuters reports.

🚗 Autopilot verdict deals Tesla a 'black eye', threatens Musk's robotaxi ambitions

A court verdict against Tesla last week, stemming from a fatal 2019 crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S, could hurt its plans to expand its nascent robotaxi network and intensify concerns over the safety of its autonomous vehicle technology.

A Florida jury ordered Musk's electric vehicle company on Friday to pay about $243 million to victims of the crash, finding its Autopilot driver-assistance software defective. Tesla said the driver was solely at fault and vowed to appeal. Reuters reports.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on Early Pre-Market from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM Eastern Time)
Benzinga reports.

1) $STTK: Shattuck Labs

Total gain: +60.22%

2) $AIP: Arteris

Total gain: +58.30%

3) $STAA: Staar Surgical

Total gain: +45.53%

4) $PRIM: Primoris Services

Total gain: +22.23%

5) $CSTL: Castle Biosciences

Total gain: +19.51%

The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $3 on August 4.
Benzinga reports.

*All pricing and percent gains are based on regular market trading hours from 9:30am to 4:00pm Eastern Time

1) $PBM: Psyence Biomedical 

Total gain: +92.37%

The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

2) $BTAI: BioXcel Therapeutics

Total gain: +87.22%

The company announced the completion of the last patient's last visit in the pivotal Phase 3 SERENITY At-Home clinical trial. Topline data from the study are expected to be released this month and are intended to support a planned supplemental New Drug Application to potentially expand the label of IGALMI (dexmedetomidine) for use in the at-home (outpatient) setting. Benzinga reports.

3) $COMM: CommScope

Total gain: +86.13%

The company reported results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, including net sales of $1.39 billion, GAAP income from continuing operations of $29.4 million, non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA of $337.8 million¹, and cash flow generated by operations of $77.1 million with free cash flow of $64.5 million. Benzinga reports.

*Estimate and Actual numbers represent Earnings Per Share in US Dollars


ATKR: Atkore
3Q 2025

Before Market Open
Estimate: 1.500
Actual: 1.630

LDOS: Leidos Holdings
2Q 2025

Before Market Open
Estimate: 2.640
Actual: 3.210

ACRE: Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation
2Q 2025

Before Market Open
Estimate: 0.010
Actual: -0.510

Time (ET) | Report | Period

8:30 am - U.S. trade deficit - June

9:45 am - S&P final U.S. services PMI - July

10:00 am - ISM services - July

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