Good Morning, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock futures fell early Monday as investors braced for another week of developments on President Trump's rapidly evolving tariff policies and the start of Big Tech earnings season.

Last week, the S&P 500 dropped around 1.5% in a shortened trading session, while both the Nasdaq Composite and Dow lost approximately 2.6%. All three indexes are down more than 5% since Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement at the White House.

On the economic data front, it will be a quieter week, with key reports on the housing market and a consumer sentiment reading set for later in the week.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC-USD) surged to its highest level since Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcements, driven by concerns over his push to remove Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Earnings Watch

Earnings drop today from Comerica $CMA ( ▲ 2.03% )  and Bank of Hawaii $BOH ( ▼ 0.35% )  before open, plus AGNC Investment $AGNC ( ▲ 1.28% )  and Medpace $MEDP ( ▲ 4.25% )  after close.

Analysts expect Comerica to hit $1.29 EPS with banking strength, BOH to post $0.87 EPS, AGNC to deliver $0.54 EPS on REIT gains, and Medpace to shine at $3.10 EPS.

Happening Today

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

PREMARKET SNAPSHOT 📈

​U.S. stock futures are trending lower in pre-market trading, with the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq all showing declines. Investors remain cautious amid ongoing trade tensions and concerns over Federal Reserve policy.​

SECTOR SNAPSHOT✨

Markets saw a mixed session on Friday as defensive sectors and energy led gains, while tech and healthcare lagged. Consumer staples and energy rallied over 2%, with strong support from real estate and utilities. Financials, materials, and industrials also posted modest gains. However, weakness in healthcare and information technology weighed on broader sentiment, keeping gains in check.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

📈 Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. $DRCT ( ▲ 10.31% )  is showing significant early action with a 16% pre-market gain. Volume has jumped to 1.75M, a massive leap from its 10.28K average—clear evidence of unusual activity that could carry into the session.

📈 SHF Holdings, Inc. $SHFS ( ▲ 15.15% )  is soaring nearly 97% pre-market. With 2.89M shares traded versus an average of 24.10K, this stock is drawing heavy interest, potentially fueled by bullish sentiment or breaking developments.

📈 Intelligent Protection Management Corp. IPM is climbing over 26% in pre-market hours. Trading volume has reached 110.57K, far exceeding its 5.83K average—a sharp deviation that suggests traders are piling in early.

📈 Gulf Resources, Inc. $GURE ( ▲ 11.77% )  is up over 36% ahead of the bell, with 9.03M shares exchanged versus a 591.20K average. This unusual volume surge indicates strong investor interest in today’s session.

📈 Color Star Technology Co., Ltd. $ADD ( ▼ 4.83% )  is seeing a steady pre-market rise of 7%. The volume of 1.38M stands well above its 128.66K average, signaling increased momentum and potential volatility.

Premarket Picks

SHF Holdings Inc (SHFS) is trading at $4.39 in the pre-market, a significant jump of +105.14%. This surge appears to be driven by the announcement of a strategic partnership with FundCanna to expand access to capital for cannabis operators.

Calamos Global Dynamic Income Fund (CHW) is trading at $8.40 in the pre-market, showing a substantial gain of +39.30%. Recent news indicates that the fund announced a monthly dividend of $0.05 per share, payable on April 21, 2025, with the ex-dividend and record dates being April 11th. This upcoming dividend payment likely makes the fund more attractive to income-seeking investors, driving up the pre-market price.

American Resources Corporation (AREC) is trading at $1.26 in the pre-market, up by +13.5%. The latest news driving this movement appears to be the company's announcement on April 17, 2025, where they unveiled a mobile modular rare earth leaching solution. This technology is designed to extract value from coal and mine waste, potentially offering a more sustainable and cost-effective approach to rare earth element recovery.  

CaliberCos Inc. (CWD) is trading at $0.3260 pre-market, a gain of +8.67%. The company recently priced a public offering of 2,400,000 units at $0.375 per unit (announced April 17, 2025), intended for debt repayment and working capital.

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

Top Upgrades:

1. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. $FIS ( ▲ 0.58% )  

Analyst Firm: Phillip Securities
Upgraded: Accumulate to Buy
Price Target: $45
Yesterday's Close: $37.33

Analysts have set a high price target of $113.00 for Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (FIS), with the median estimate at $83.50, a low of $66.00, and an average target of $85.25. Fidelity National provides financial technology solutions to banks, businesses, and developers across the globe.

2. The Walt Disney Company $DIS ( ▲ 3.12% ) 

Analyst Firm: Redburn Atlantic
Upgraded: Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $91
Yesterday's Close: $71.69

For The Walt Disney Company (DIS), analysts project a high price target of $640.00, with a median of $125.00, a low estimate of $79.00, and an average target of $123.48. Disney continues to operate as a leading global entertainment company, delivering content and experiences worldwide.

3. Spotify Technology S.A. $SPOT ( ▲ 2.24% )  

Analyst Firm: Scotiabank
Upgraded: Sector Perform to Outperform
Price Target: $700
Yesterday's Close: $588.08

Spotify Technology S.A. (SPOT) has a high price target of $740.00, a median of $462.17, and a low of $457.00, though the average estimate was not provided. Spotify, along with its subsidiaries, offers audio streaming subscription services to users around the world.

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.