Happy Christmas, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock futures are climbing early Wednesday, attempting to recover after yesterday’s sharp drop. Traders remain on edge as President-elect Donald Trump’s policies and signs of stronger inflation keep uncertainty high at the start of 2025.

The Federal Reserve’s next move is the central focus. After cutting interest rates by a percentage point late last year, traders are now scaling back expectations for additional cuts in 2025, a development that’s weighing on stocks.

Today, investors will turn their attention to the ADP private payrolls report and weekly jobless claims, both due this morning, followed by the release of the Fed’s December meeting minutes at 2 p.m. ET.

Happening Today

✓ 08:15 AM ET – ADP Nonfarm Employment Change (Dec)

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Initial Jobless Claims

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Fed Waller Speaks

✓ 10:30 AM ET – Crude Oil Inventories

✓ 10:00 AM ET – JOLTS Job Openings (Nov)

✓ 01:00 PM ET – 30-Year Bond Auction

✓ 02:00 PM ET – FOMC Meeting Minutes

✓ 03:00 PM ET – Consumer Credit (Nov)

PREMARKET SNAPSHOT 📈

Market futures are nearly flat, with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ slightly down and the Dow unchanged.

SECTOR SNAPSHOT✨

Yesterday market faced widespread declines, with information technology and consumer discretionary sectors experiencing notable losses. Communication services and real estate also struggled, reflecting investor caution. Energy bucked the trend, posting gains amid sector resilience, while health care managed modest growth. Staples, financials, industrials, and utilities saw smaller declines, rounding out a mixed session with a predominantly negative tone.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

📈 EON Resources Inc (EONR) experienced a significant rise of 74.56%, closing at 1.40. The trading volume reached 33,707,454 shares, far exceeding its average volume of 326.01.

📈 JBDI Holdings Ltd (JBDI) saw a gain of 45.48%, closing at 1.03. The trading volume was 24,732,681 shares compared to its average volume of 614.27.

📈 GlucoTrack Inc (GCTK) recorded an increase of 14.97%, with a closing price of 0.18. The trading volume reached 53,515,463 shares, significantly surpassing its average volume of 1,768.39.

📈 Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology (BHAT) posted an 18.87% increase, closing at 0.14. The trading volume was 112,820,398 shares, far above its average volume of 10,001.99.

📈 Trio Petroleum Corp (TPET) witnessed a rise of 53.54%, closing at 1.95. The trading volume totaled 25,663,913 shares, well above its average volume of 2,526.66.

Premarket Picks

Sana Biotechnology, Inc. (SANA) is trading at $5.7200 in pre-market, up 246.67%, after announcing positive results from a Type 1 diabetes study using its hypoimmune (HIP) technology. The study showed transplanted allogeneic islet cells survived and functioned without immunosuppression, producing insulin as indicated by C-peptide levels, with no safety issues observed.

Solid Biosciences Inc. (SLDB) is trading at $4.8400 in pre-market, up 23.47%, after receiving FDA clearance for its IND application for SGT-212, the first dual-route gene therapy targeting both neurologic and cardiac symptoms of Friedreich’s ataxia. The therapy uses systemic IV and direct cerebellum infusions to address the disease's full spectrum.

Absci Corporation (ABSI) is trading at $4.0500 in pre-market, up 31.92%, after announcing a strategic partnership with Invetx to leverage Absci’s generative AI drug creation platform to develop a Half-Life Extension (HLE) platform for animal health therapeutics.

AngioDynamics, Inc. (ANGO) is trading at $11.00 in pre-market, up 17.02%, after reporting fiscal Q2 results that beat expectations with adjusted losses of 4 cents per share versus the forecasted 11 cents. Revenue reached $72.8 million, surpassing estimates of $71.2 million. The company reaffirmed its full-year earnings guidance of 34 to 38 cents per share on revenue of $282 to $288 million.

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

Top Upgrades:

1. Autodesk Inc. (ADSK)

Analyst Firm: Piper Sandler
Rating: Upgraded from Neutral to Overweight
Price Target: $357 (upgraded from $311)
Last Price: $290.82
Upside: 16.89%

Piper Sandler’s Clarke Jeffries has upgraded Autodesk Inc. to an Overweight rating from Neutral, raising the price target to $357 from the previous target of $311. Autodesk is a global leader in design and engineering software, catering to industries such as architecture, construction, and manufacturing.

According to 22 Wall Street analysts, the stock's 12-month price targets range from a low of $290.00 to a high of $380.00, with an average target of $339.95. This indicates a potential upside of 16.89% from the last traded price of $290.82.

2. LTC Properties Inc. (LTC)

Analyst Firm: JMP Securities
Rating: Upgraded from Market Perform to Market Outperform
Price Target: $40
Last Price: $34.14
Upside: 17.13%

JMP Securities’ Aaron Hecht has upgraded LTC Properties Inc. from Market Perform to Market Outperform, setting a price target of $40. LTC Properties is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the long-term healthcare sector, including skilled nursing facilities and assisted living properties.

According to five Wall Street analysts, the stock's 12-month price targets range from $34.00 to $40.00, with an average price target of $36.75. This represents a 7.64% potential upside from its last traded price of $34.14.

3. Erasca, Inc. (ERAS)

Analyst Firm: BofA Securities
Rating: Upgraded from Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $5
Last Price: $2.75
Upside: 81.82%

BofA Securities analyst Alec Stranahan has upgraded Erasca, Inc. from Neutral to Buy, assigning a price target of $5. Erasca is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing precision oncology medicines to target cancer-driving mutations.

Based on input from five Wall Street analysts over the last three months, the stock's 12-month price targets range between $4.00 and $6.00, with an average price target of $5.00. This reflects a significant potential upside of 81.82% from the last traded price of $2.75.

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.