Good Morning, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock futures traded in a narrow range on Friday as investors waited to see if the latest economic data would challenge the emerging picture of stagnating growth amid elevated prices.

The S&P 500, which has dropped five of the last six sessions, ended at its lowest level since January 14 after President Trump threatened additional tariffs. Nvidia reported better-than-expected earnings, but they fell short of blowout results.

There was also a big rise in jobless claims. Additionally, Tesla, under Elon Musk’s leadership, has dropped for six straight sessions, losing 22% in that time. Key economic data will be released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, including personal income, consumer spending, and the PCE price index, along with an advanced look at the U.S. trade balance. Also on the docket is the Chicago PMI data.

Happening Today

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Initial Jobless Claims

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Goods Trade Balance (Jan)

✓ 09:45 AM ET – Chicago PMI (Feb)

✓ 10:30 AM ET – Atlanta Fed GDPNow (Q1)

✓ 03:30 PM ET – CFTC Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 speculative net positions

PREMARKET SNAPSHOT 📈

U.S. stock futures are slightly higher as investors await key inflation data. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures have risen by 0.3%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures have also increased by 0.3%.

SECTOR SNAPSHOT✨

Yesterday market experienced a sharp decline in information technology, down 3.79%, and communication services, which fell 1.83%, contributing to overall negative sentiment. Consumer discretionary also saw a notable drop of 1.79%, while utilities and industrials declined further. However, financials, energy, and real estate showed resilience with moderate gains, while consumer staples remained flat. Despite pockets of strength, the broad sell-off in tech and communication stocks weighed heavily on overall market performance.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

📈 ARB IOT Group Limited (ARBB) is experiencing a 63.69% surge in pre-market trading, reaching $0.4800. With 7.19 million shares traded, marking an astonishing 12,845.95% increase in volume, the stock appears to be attracting significant interest. This surge may indicate a strong catalyst at play, potentially linked to a corporate announcement or broader market sentiment favoring tech and IoT stocks.

📈 Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (VRPX) has gained 30.81%, trading at $0.2272 in pre-market activity. Volume has skyrocketed to 23.61 million shares, reflecting a 1,758.42% increase over its average. The biotech sector often sees pre-market movement tied to regulatory updates, trial results, or strategic partnerships, making this a stock to watch.

📈 Powell Max Limited (PMAX) is making a substantial jump of 92.72% to $0.3560, with 22.26 million shares traded pre-market—an impressive 1,166.38% increase in volume. This kind of price action suggests heightened speculative interest, possibly fueled by earnings, mergers, or industry-related news.

📈 MicroAlgo, Inc. (MLGO) is trending upward with a 5.08% gain at $4.33, albeit with a more moderate pre-market volume of 165.1K shares, up 118.99% from its average. While the volume spike is not as dramatic as others on this list, the steady upward movement indicates underlying strength in the stock.

📈 Rapid Micro Biosystems, Inc. (RPID) has climbed 5.14% in pre-market action, now trading at $3.31. The stock has seen 3.31 million shares traded, marking a 90.46% volume increase. Given its sector, this movement could be linked to developments in the biotech and medical testing industry, making it a potential breakout candidate.

Premarket Picks

Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (VRPX) saw a significant pre-market surge of 33.38%, bringing its price up to $0.30. The surge was driven by positive results from the company’s human study on its Molecular Envelope Technology, signaling potential advancements in its drug delivery systems.

ARB IOT Group Limited (ARBB) experienced a pre-market jump of 73.48%, with shares reaching $0.82. This surge came after the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish an AI data center experimental laboratory, aimed at advancing research and AI application development in a state-of-the-art facility.

Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (AMBC)’s pre-market price rose by 10.58%, reaching $11.50. The increase followed the release of its fourth-quarter 2024 results, where the company reported an impressive 89% year-over-year revenue growth, totaling $236 million from continuing operations.

iHeartMedia, Inc. (IHRT) saw an 18.18% pre-market increase, bringing its price to $2.47. The surge followed the company’s announcement of its financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, highlighting its performance over the last year.

Below is a complete list of hot stocks in pre-market today:

Top Upgrades:

1. Welltower Inc. (WELL)

Analyst Firm: RBC Capital
Upgraded: Sector Perform to Outperform
Price Target: $168
Yesterday's Close: $151.52

RBC Capital raised Welltower's rating to Outperform from Sector Perform, setting a new price target of $168, up from $146.

Welltower Inc., a REIT and S&P 500 company based in Toledo, Ohio, is at the forefront of transforming healthcare infrastructure. Analysts have set the stock price target for Welltower with a high of $242.00, a median of $155.00, and a low of $127.00. The average target price stands at $159.76.

2. Voya Financial, Inc. (VOYA)

Analyst Firm: Morgan Stanley
Upgraded: Equal Weight to Overweight
Price Target: $87
Yesterday's Close: $70.50

Morgan Stanley upgraded Voya Financial to Overweight from Equal Weight, increasing the price target to $87 from $76.

Voya Financial, Inc. provides workplace benefits and savings products both in the United States and internationally. The stock price target for Voya ranges from a high of $94.00 to a low of $75.00, with a median estimate of $81.00. The average price target comes in at $80.77.

3. Energy Fuels Inc. (UUUU)

Analyst Firm: Roth MKM
Upgraded: Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $5.75
Yesterday's Close: $4.02

Roth MKM analyst Joe Reagor upgraded Energy Fuels to Buy from Neutral, with a price target of $5.75.

Energy Fuels Inc. specializes in extracting, recovering, recycling, exploring, and selling uranium properties across the U.S. Analysts have set the stock price target for Energy Fuels with a high of $12.51, a median of $10.00, and a low of $5.50. The average target price is $9.57.

Happy investing,

Maeve Grace
Editor In Chief
Premium Stock Alerts

Important: This newsletter does not provide investment advice. The stocks mentioned should not be taken as recommendations. Your investments are solely your decisions.

Disclosure: I hold no positions in any companies mentioned, either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.