Good Morning, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock futures climbed early Monday as markets kicked off a pivotal week dominated by megacap earnings and renewed concerns over President Trump's looming tariff deadlines.

Investors are looking to extend last week’s momentum, which saw the Nasdaq gain 1.5% and the S&P 500 rise 0.6%, even as the Dow finished slightly in the red.

This week, Wall Street’s attention will center on two fronts: clarity on trade policy and earnings from tech giants. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reiterated Sunday that the White House’s August 1 tariff deadline remains a “hard stop,” though he noted discussions may continue beyond that point.

On the economic front, all eyes are on Monday’s release of the June Leading Economic Index, as markets search for signals of either continued weakness or signs of stabilization after a recent stretch of soft data.

Earnings Watch

Earnings hit today from Verizon $VZ, Domino’s Pizza $DPZ, and Cleveland-Cliffs $CLF before open, plus NXP Semiconductors $NXPI, AGNC Investment $AGNC, and Steel Dynamics $STLD after close.

Analysts expect VZ at $1.16 EPS with telecom stability, DPZ at $3.66 EPS on strong delivery demand, CLF at $0.01 EPS amid steel market volatility, NXPI at $3.21 EPS with chip demand growth, AGNC at $0.53 EPS in mortgage REITs, and STLD at $2.22 EPS with industrial strength.

Happening Today

✓ 10:00 AM ET – US Leading Index (MoM) (Jun)

SECTOR SNAPSHOT

On the last trading day, market sectors showed a mixed performance. While Utilities significantly outperformed with a +1.71% gain, and Consumer Discretionary, Financials, Materials, and Real Estate also posted gains, other key sectors like Energy, Health Care, Industrials, Information Technology, and Communication Services experienced declines. This could indicate a defensive shift by investors, favoring stable utility stocks, potentially alongside profit-taking in other sectors that have seen recent rallies.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

Here's a quick rundown of today's pre-market high-volume stocks:

📈 LM Funding America, Inc. (LMFA) is up +38.08% at $3.23 on monumental volume, continuing its recent surge driven by its Bitcoin treasury value exceeding its stock price and strategic shifts towards energy sales.

📈 Baiya International Group Inc. (BIYA) is gaining +7.33% at $0.9410 with significant volume, following a strategic merger with Dubai-based Starfish Technology for Web3 and cloud-based HR solutions, despite prior volatility and insider selling.

📈 Blaize Holdings, Inc. (BZAI) is up +6.24% to $4.81 with high volume, continuing momentum from yesterday's announcement of a major $120 million agreement to deploy AI infrastructure across Asia-Pacific.

📈 GlucoTrack, Inc. (GCTK) is exploding +70.50% to $5.83 with substantial volume, showing high volatility as a low-market-cap healthcare stock, though no specific fresh news for today is immediately apparent.

📈 Energous Corporation (WATT) is up +9.62% at $0.5200 with notable volume, after reporting strong preliminary Q2 2025 results with record revenue growth and a reduced net loss, signaling potential for a turnaround.

Premarket Picks

Upexi, Inc. (UPXI) shares surged 18.72% in pre-market trading, hitting $8.88. The boost came after the company filed an 8-K form with the SEC, signaling a potentially significant corporate development.

Westwater Resources, Inc. (WWR) rose 18.38% pre-market to $1.05. The stock extended Friday’s momentum after the company expressed support for the U.S. Commerce Department’s initial ruling in the anti-dumping investigation into graphite anode imports from China.

Veritone, Inc. (VERI) saw a 19.91% jump before the bell, trading at $2.71. The gain followed news that the company achieved "Awardable" status in the Platform One (P1) Solutions Marketplace, positioning it for more federal contracts.

Syntec Optics Holdings, Inc. (OPTX) advanced 11.95% in pre-market action, reaching $1.78. The rise came after the company received initial orders for fuel actuators used in rocket engines for critical defense and space applications.

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

Top Upgrades:

1. CSX Corporation (CSX)

Analyst Firm: TD Cowen

Upgraded: Hold to Buy

Price Target: $45

Friday's Close: $34.39

TD Cowen raised its rating on CSX from Hold to Buy and increased its price target from $32 to $45. Analysts have set CSX’s stock price target between $27.00 and $42.00. The median estimate is $36.00, while the average comes to $35.54. CSX provides rail freight services across the U.S. and Canada.

2. Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC)

Analyst Firm: TD Cowen

Upgraded: Hold to Buy

Price Target: $323

Friday's Close: $276.66

TD Cowen also upgraded Norfolk Southern (NSC) from Hold to Buy, setting a new price target of $323, up from $263. Norfolk Southern’s stock price target ranges from $174.00 to $321.00. The median is $279.00, with an average estimate of $275.65. The company focuses on rail transportation within the U.S.

3. Globant S.A. (GLOB)

Analyst Firm: Scotiabank

Upgraded: Sector Perform to Outperform

Price Target: $115

Friday's Close: $84.34

Scotiabank boosted its rating on Globant to Outperform from Sector Perform, with a new target price of $115. Analysts forecast Globant’s stock price between $87.00 and $230.00. The median estimate is $120.00, and the average is $127.85. Globant delivers technology services worldwide.

Maeve Grace
Editor In Chief
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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.