Good Morning, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock futures remained near the flatline following another volatile trading session, as optimism faded regarding the Trump administration's potential pursuit of concessions over its sweeping tariffs.

Stocks had surged at the opening on Tuesday, driven partly by hopes that Trump might engage in negotiations on tariffs with several U.S. trading partners. However, those gains were quickly reversed after White House officials confirmed plans to impose an additional 50% tariff on China, escalating the U.S. duties on the world’s second-largest economy to 104%.

In response, China vowed to fight back against what it labeled as blackmail. The implementation of Trump’s tariffs, including the 104% levies on China, took effect on Wednesday, exacerbating a global trade conflict and dampening market sentiment.

The release of the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting minutes is scheduled for Wednesday, though analysts caution that its significance might be diminished by the swift policy shifts from the White House since the Fed’s March meeting.

Earnings Watch

Earnings arrive today from Delta Air Lines $DAL ( ▼ 1.05% )  and Simply Good $SMPL ( ▼ 0.54% )  before open, plus Constellation Brands $STZ ( ▼ 1.15% )  and PriceSmart $PSMT ( ▼ 1.7% )  after close, among others.

Analysts expect Delta to lift off with $1.88 EPS, Simply Good to nourish $0.39 EPS, Constellation to toast $3.45 EPS, and PriceSmart to ring up $1.41 EPS—could these soar past forecasts?

Happening Today

✓ 10:30 AM ET – Crude Oil Inventories

✓ 01:00 PM ET – 10-Year Note Auction

✓ 02:00 PM ET – FOMC Meeting Minutes

PREMARKET SNAPSHOT 📈

​U.S. stock futures are mixed as markets react to the implementation of significant new tariffs by the Trump administration, including a 104% duty on Chinese imports. These measures have intensified global trade tensions and raised concerns about economic growth.​

SECTOR SNAPSHOT✨

Yesterday markets extended their sharp decline as every sector continued to bleed. Materials and energy stocks were hit hardest, each falling more than 2%, while tech and consumer discretionary also saw significant downside. Defensive pockets like utilities and financials held up relatively better, but still ended in the red. The selling remained broad-based, pointing to ongoing risk aversion across the board.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

📈 Venus Concept Inc. $VERO ( ▼ 5.34% ) is exploding in pre-market trading, surging over 269% with volume reaching 2.3M shares—far beyond its 9.6K average. The biotech stock is drawing strong interest, likely triggered by a major catalyst or corporate update.

📈 Femto Technologies Inc. $FMTO ( ▲ 0.28% ) is up nearly 57% this morning, trading 3.14M shares compared to its usual 35.3K. The unusual volume activity signals a surge in investor enthusiasm, potentially linked to recent developments or speculative momentum.

📈 SCWorx Corp. $WORX ( ▼ 12.31% ) has gained nearly 76%, supported by volume of 16.11M, dramatically higher than its 252.7K average. The spike suggests renewed attention, possibly from retail traders looking to ride the early strength.

📈 Bit Origin Limited $BTOG ( ▲ 3.99% ) is up over 15% in pre-market trading, moving 18.64M shares versus its average of 294.5K. The stock’s elevated activity points to short-term bullish sentiment despite the modest price move.

📈 XChange TEC.INC $XHG ( ▲ 4.32% ) is showing a more muted gain of 6.4%, but volume stands at 231.81K, sharply above its 8.7K average. This kind of early action often hints at growing interest and potential follow-through during regular hours.

Premarket Picks

Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (HEPA) saw a pre-market surge of 27.41%, with its stock price reaching $0.52. The increase was driven by the company submitting its 10-K form with the SEC.

Peabody Energy Corporation (BTU) experienced a 19.72% pre-market rise, bringing its price to $13.48. The surge followed the company’s announcement that it is reviewing all options related to its acquisition of steelmaking coal assets from Anglo American.

Venus Concept Inc. (VERO) saw an impressive pre-market surge of 242.01%, with its stock price climbing to $9.85. This surge occurred after the company filed an 8-K form with the SEC.

Satellogic Inc. (SATL) gained 11.51% in pre-market trading, with its price reaching $3.39. The boost was due to the company securing a $30 million, multi-year contract to provide ultra-low latency analytics from its AI-driven satellite constellation to a key defense and security customer.

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

Top Upgrades:

1. Constellation Energy Corporation $CEG ( ▲ 2.26% )  

Analyst Firm: Citi
Upgraded: Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $232
Yesterday's Close: $184.94

Citi raised its rating on Constellation Energy to Buy from Neutral, setting a price target of $232. The stock price target for Constellation Energy Corporation has been set with a high of $385.00, a median of $334.00, and a low of $258.42. The average price target stands at $329.26. Constellation Energy is a key player in the U.S. energy market, providing energy products and services across the nation.

2. Eastman Chemical Company $EMN ( ▼ 6.16% ) 

Analyst Firm: RBC Capital
Upgraded: Sector Perform to Outperform
Price Target: $91
Yesterday's Close: $72.70

RBC Capital increased its rating on Eastman Chemical to Outperform from Sector Perform, with a price target of $91. Eastman Chemical Company’s stock price target is projected with a high of $128.00, a median of $110.00, and a low of $90.00. The average target price is $109.84. As a leading specialty materials company, Eastman operates in the U.S., China, and other international markets.

3. Noah Holdings Limited $NOAH ( ▼ 0.43% ) 

Analyst Firm: JPMorgan
Upgraded: Neutral to Overweight
Price Target: $11.50
Yesterday's Close: $7.91

JPMorgan's Peter Zhang upgraded Noah Holdings to Overweight from Neutral, maintaining a price target of $11.50. For Noah Holdings, the stock price target is forecasted with a high of $14.82, a low of $11.36, and an average of $12.94. Noah Holdings specializes in wealth and asset management for high-net-worth clients across 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.