Good Morning, Traders!…👋

US stock futures edged higher Thursday after a tough session the previous day, driven by signs of progress in US-Japan trade talks, which raised hopes for tariff relief.

The rebound came after a sharp sell-off fueled by concerns over the economic consequences of President Trump’s trade policies.

Stocks extended their losses on Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell issued a strong warning about how tariffs could negatively impact the US economy. Powell stated that the central bank would likely face a "challenging scenario," with tariffs exacerbating inflation and slowing economic growth.

He also dampened expectations that the Fed would soon cut interest rates due to tariffs, stating that officials would "wait for greater clarity" on Trump's trade policy.

Earnings Watch

Earnings hit today from UnitedHealth $UNH ( ▼ 1.32% ), American Express $AXP ( ▼ 0.94% ), and TSMC $TSM ( ▲ 0.56% )  before open, plus Netflix $NFLX ( ▲ 0.43% )  after close.

Analysts expect UnitedHealth to post $7.29 EPS with healthcare strength, AXP to hit $3.45 EPS on card spending, TSMC to deliver $2.00 EPS with AI chip demand, and Netflix to stream $5.67 EPS

Happening Today

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Initial Jobless Claims

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

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Housing Starts (Mar)

✓ 11:45 AM ET – Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Barr Speaks

✓ 01:00 PM ET – 5-Year TIPS Auction

✓ 04:30 PM ET – Fed's Balance Sheet

PREMARKET SNAPSHOT 📈

​U.S. stock futures are trading lower in premarket activity, with the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq all showing declines.​

SECTOR SNAPSHOT✨

Markets extended their decline yesterday with a broad-based selloff across nearly all sectors. Information technology led the drop, followed by sharp losses in consumer discretionary and communication services. Financials, healthcare, and industrials also saw notable weakness. Energy was the lone gainer on the day, while utilities, materials, and real estate posted smaller declines.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

📈 SMX (Security Matters) $SMX ( ▼ 0.48% ) is making headlines this morning, soaring nearly 64% in pre-market trading. The volume has surged to 12.71M, dwarfing its 70.23K average—an explosive move that has traders watching closely.

📈 Baijiayun Group Ltd $RTC ( ▲ 75.42% ) is seeing a strong upside breakout, jumping nearly 77% with 19.89M shares traded, a dramatic spike from its 598.02K average. The unusual volume suggests aggressive buying pressure ahead of the open.

📈 Hertz Global Holdings $HTZ ( ▼ 4.05% ) is accelerating in early trade with a 28% gain. Pre-market volume is 2.36M, significantly above its 174.21K average, signaling growing investor interest in the stock.

📈 urban-gro, Inc. $UGRO ( ▼ 7.05% ) is up over 5% pre-market. Volume stands at 121.59K, compared to an average of 11.42K, marking a notable uptick in activity for this thinly traded name.

📈 Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. $FFAI ( ▼ 7.9% ) is inching higher with a 9% pre-market pop. Volume has reached 301.84K, above its 74.28K average, suggesting renewed momentum in this speculative EV play.

Premarket Picks

Baijiayun Group Ltd (RTC) saw its shares jump 73.04% in pre-market trading, reaching $0.37. The surge follows the announcement of a strategic cooperation agreement with Beijing Xinlantian Education Technology Co., Ltd.

SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited Company (SMX) rose 58.21% pre-market to $2.31 after the company filed a Form 6-K with the SEC, sparking investor interest.

JFB Construction Holdings (JFB) surged 58.96% to $6.74 in pre-market action. The boost comes after the company announced the commencement of a $21 million construction contract, the largest in its history.

SAGTEC GLOBAL LIMITED (SAGT) gained 16.13% pre-market, trading at $2.52. The move follows news of its Speed+ Smart Cloud Ordering Software licenses being successfully deployed in Indonesia through its sole distributor, marking the company's official market launch.

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

Top Upgrades:

1. Bank of America Corporation $BAC ( ▲ 0.28% )  

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

Phillip Securities has raised its rating on Bank of America from "Accumulate" to "Buy," setting a new price target of $45.

Analysts have set a high price target of $57.00 for Bank of America, with a median target of $50.00 and a low of $42.00. The average target comes in at $49.17. Bank of America provides a wide range of financial products and services to individuals, businesses, investors, and governments globally.

2. Nasdaq, Inc. $NDAQ ( ▲ 0.83% )  

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

Redburn Atlantic has boosted its recommendation on Nasdaq from "Neutral" to "Buy," aiming for a $91 price target.

For Nasdaq, Inc., analysts project a high price target of $105.00, a median of $84.00, and a low of $74.00. The average price target is $84.29. Nasdaq operates as a technology company supporting capital markets and various other industries around the world.

3. Intuit Inc. $INTU ( ▲ 1.51% )  

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

Scotiabank has upgraded Intuit from "Sector Perform" to "Outperform," with a revised price target of $700.

Intuit Inc. has a high analyst price target of $860.00, a median of $725.00, and a low of $530.00, with the average at $706.44. Intuit offers financial management, compliance, and marketing solutions across the U.S.

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.