Good Morning, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock futures climbed as Wall Street prepared for President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs on America’s top trading partners to take effect today. Canada and Mexico are facing 25% duties on U.S. imports. Despite negotiations with the Trump administration to avoid the tariffs, Trump stated on Monday that there is "no room left for Canada or Mexico" to strike a deal.

As traders braced for the new tariffs, a report about Nvidia (NVDA) chips being smuggled into China despite export controls caused shares of the AI giant to tumble. Nvidia closed at its lowest point since September, though shares stabilized after the bell.

Retail giants Best Buy (BBY) and Target (TGT) are set to report earnings before the market opens on Tuesday, while Crowdstrike (CRWD) and Nordstrom (JWN) will release their earnings reports after the bell.

Happening Today

✓ 02:20 PM ET – FOMC Member Williams Speaks

✓ 04:30 PM ET – API Weekly Crude Oil Stock

✓ 09:00 PM ET – U.S. President Trump Speaks

PREMARKET SNAPSHOT 📈

​As of March 4, 2025, U.S. stock futures are experiencing slight declines, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq Composite all edging lower. This follows a significant selloff in the previous session, where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq suffered their largest one-day percentage drops since mid-December, driven by concerns over escalating trade tensions due to newly imposed tariffs by President Donald Trump on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China.​

SECTOR SNAPSHOT✨

Yesterday markets faced heavy selling pressure, with information technology and energy leading the decline, both down over 3.5%. Consumer discretionary and industrials also posted significant losses, while financials and materials struggled. However, consumer staples and healthcare managed to stay positive, and real estate edged higher. Utilities held steady with a slight gain, offering some defensive support amid the broader downturn.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

📈 Bit Origin Limited (BTOG) is experiencing a significant 30.22% pre-market surge, trading at $0.3193 with an impressive 39.38 million shares changing hands. This represents a staggering 25,669.12% increase in volume compared to its average. Given its focus on blockchain-related operations, this surge may be driven by crypto market trends or a corporate announcement. Traders should monitor further price action as the session unfolds.

📈 Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc. (PTIX) is making waves with a 48.86% pre-market jump to $0.2763, with volume skyrocketing to 20.98 million shares—a 1,569.08% spike over its average. This biotech firm, which specializes in neuropsychiatric treatments, may be seeing movement due to positive trial data, funding updates, or speculative interest.

📈 Biodesix, Inc. (BDSX) has gained 33.25% to $0.7130 in early trading, backed by 835.87K shares traded—up 176.98% from typical levels. As a player in lung disease diagnostics, potential news regarding regulatory approvals or partnerships could be fueling the rally.

📈 Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (ESPR) is seeing a 9.49% rise to $1.58, albeit on a lower 105.39K pre-market volume, representing a 127.43% increase over its average. This cholesterol-lowering drug developer has been volatile recently, making it one to watch for further movement during market hours.

📈 Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (MRSN) is up 6.04% to $0.48, but pre-market volume of 209.94K is slightly lower than usual, marking a -3.00% deviation from its average. While the gain is modest, continued momentum could indicate potential catalysts such as clinical trial progress or sector-wide interest.

Premarket Picks

Biodesix, Inc. (BDSX) saw a pre-market price of $0.80, reflecting a surge of 12.22%. This increase followed the company's announcement of its fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2024 results, which were well-received by the market.

Okta, Inc. (OKTA) traded at a pre-market price of $101.12, marking a 16.02% increase. The surge was driven by Okta’s achievement of reaching $1 billion in aggregate sales over the past four years in AWS Marketplace, a significant milestone for the company.

GCL Global Holdings Ltd Ordinary Shares (GCL) reached a pre-market price of $2.59, up 28.22%. This surge came after the company disclosed that it had entered into a term sheet with LEAP Studio Limited, a game studio in Hong Kong, and its affiliates.

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (PLRX) saw its pre-market price rise to $1.50, an 8.70% increase. This boost followed the company’s release of its fourth-quarter 2024 financial results, which were positively received by investors.

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

Top Upgrades:

1. Medtronic plc (MDT)

Analyst Firm: Citi
Upgraded: Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $107
Yesterday's Close: $94.30

Citi upgraded Medtronic to a Buy rating from Neutral, with a revised price target of $107, up from $92.

For Medtronic, the high stock price target is $109.00, while the median estimate stands at $95.00 and the low target is $85.00. The average price target is $94.83. Medtronic is a global leader in developing and selling medical devices to healthcare providers and patients.

2. Agree Realty Corporation (ADC)

Analyst Firm: Barclays
Upgraded: Underweight to Equal Weight
Price Target: $75
Yesterday's Close: $74.08

Barclays analyst Richard Hightower raised Agree Realty's rating to Equal Weight from Underweight, setting a new price target of $75, slightly higher than the previous $74.

Analysts have set a high stock price target of $89.00, with a median target of $79.00, and a low estimate of $74.00. The average stock price target for Agree Realty is $79.65. This real estate investment trust focuses on acquiring and developing properties leased to top omni-channel retail tenants.

3. Labcorp Holdings Inc. (LH)

Analyst Firm: Citi
Upgraded: Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $300
Yesterday's Close: $254.04

Citi also upgraded Labcorp to a Buy rating from Neutral, increasing the price target to $300, up from $250.

The high stock price target for Labcorp is $293.00, with a median target of $277.50 and a low estimate of $248.00. The average price target is $274.31. Labcorp operates in two main segments: Diagnostics Laboratories and Biopharma Laboratory Services.

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.