Good Morning, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock index futures dipped on Thursday as investors pulled back from risk amid renewed tariff threats from President Donald Trump, mounting geopolitical concerns, and a cautious Federal Reserve outlook.

On Wednesday, President Trump announced plans to unveil new tariffs within the next month—or sooner—adding lumber and forest products to his existing proposals targeting imported cars, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals. Safe-haven assets like gold and the Japanese yen gained, while Treasury yields edged lower.

Later today, the market will turn its attention to the weekly jobless claims report and commentary from several Fed officials, including Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee.

Additionally, retail giant Walmart—an important indicator of American consumer health—will report its quarterly results before the opening bell.

Happening Today

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Initial Jobless Claims

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (Feb)

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Philly Fed Employment (Feb)

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

✓ 12:00 PM ET – Crude Oil Inventories

✓ 02:30 PM ET – Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Barr Speaks

PREMARKET SNAPSHOT 📈

As of February 20, 2025, U.S. stock futures are experiencing slight declines, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and NASDAQ Composite all trending downward. This movement reflects investor caution amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and recent policy announcements.

SECTOR SNAPSHOT✨

Yesterday market saw modest gains across most sectors, with Health Care leading the way, followed by Consumer Staples and Energy. Industrials, Real Estate, and Utilities also posted slight gains, while Information Technology and Communication Services remained flat. Materials was the only major laggard, slipping into negative territory.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

📈 Xos, Inc. (XOS) is exhibiting remarkable pre-market momentum, with trading volume surging to 1.58 million shares—an astronomical 14,548.39% increase compared to its average of 49.95K. The stock is currently priced at $3.13, reflecting a 23.00% gain. This significant activity suggests heightened investor enthusiasm, likely fueled by positive company developments or sector-wide catalysts.

📈 Mobile-health Network Solutions (MNDR) is seeing a substantial surge in pre-market volume, reaching 23.12 million shares—up 3,494.35% from its 1.58 million average. The stock has jumped 44.85% to $0.3293, signaling strong bullish sentiment, possibly driven by a fundamental shift or speculative trading interest.

📈 Mill City Ventures III, Ltd. (MCVT) is another pre-market standout, with volume spiking to 1.43 million shares, a staggering 2,632.85% increase compared to its 122.42K average. The stock is trading at $2.18, reflecting a 9.20% gain, suggesting increasing investor confidence and potential upcoming catalysts.

📈 Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CTXR) is experiencing unusual trading volume, with 959 shares exchanged in pre-market trading—a 921.05% jump from its 229.72K average. The stock is priced at $2.15, up 6.98%, indicating steady pre-market accumulation that could extend into the regular session.

📈 MicroVision, Inc. (MVIS) is drawing strong market interest, with pre-market volume at 2.25 million shares, an 850.01% increase from its 5.24 million average. Trading at $1.75, the stock is up 17.71%, reflecting significant investor demand and positioning it as one to watch closely during today’s session.

Premarket Picks

Mobile-health Network Solutions (MNDR) saw a pre-market surge of 47.56%, with its price reaching $0.48. This jump follows the company’s announcement of a $10 million strategic funding agreement to support the development and expansion of its AI Agent technology.

Xos, Inc. (XOS) experienced a 30.81% increase, bringing its pre-market price to $4.16. The surge comes after the company revealed that its innovative Xos Hub has been officially added to the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule.

SEALSQ Corp. (LAES) saw a pre-market surge of 17.75%, with its price rising to $3.98. The increase is attributed to the company’s commitment to providing post-quantum security (PQS) solutions for the financial sector, ensuring resilience against emerging quantum threats.

Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. (CWAN) experienced an 18.57% surge, pushing its pre-market price to $32.06. This increase follows the release of the company’s strong fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 financial results, which included a record quarterly revenue of $126.5 million, up 28% year-over-year.

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

Top Upgrades:

1. Roku, Inc. (ROKU)

Analyst Firm: Jefferies
Upgraded: Underperform to Hold
Price Target: $100
Yesterday's Close: $92.41

Jefferies raised Roku's rating to Hold from Underperform, increasing the price target to $100 from $55 after the company exceeded expectations in Q4. Roku's stock price target estimates range from a low of $58.00 to a high of $130.00, with a median target of $106.50 and an average of $105.88. Roku, Inc., along with its subsidiaries, operates a TV streaming platform, serving customers in the United States and internationally.

2. NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NXPI)

Analyst Firm: Citi
Upgraded: Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $290
Yesterday's Close: $245.58

Citi analyst Christopher Danely upgraded NXP Semiconductors to Buy from Neutral, boosting the price target to $290 from $210. For NXP Semiconductors, stock price estimates range from a low of $205.00 to a high of $300.00. The median target stands at $250.00, while the average is $248.18. NXP Semiconductors offers a wide range of semiconductor products across various industries.

3. Amplitude, Inc. (AMPL)

Analyst Firm: DA Davidson
Upgraded: Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $16
Yesterday's Close: $11.85

DA Davidson raised Amplitude's rating to Buy from Neutral, with a new price target of $16, up from $12.50, after the company posted a strong Q4 performance. Amplitude’s stock price target ranges from a low of $11.00 to a high of $17.00, with a median of $16.00 and an average target of $15.14. Amplitude offers a digital analytics platform that tracks customer behavior both in the U.S. and around the globe.

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.