Good Morning, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock futures edged higher on Friday as investors celebrated fresh economic strength that pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite to new all-time highs.

Thursday’s rally saw the tech-heavy indexes continue their record-breaking momentum, fueled by stronger-than-expected retail sales and a decline in jobless claims—signs that the U.S. consumer remains resilient despite ongoing tariff pressures from President Trump’s trade agenda.

Markets are on track to close the week with solid gains. Much of the noise around Trump’s recent criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell has faded, especially after Powell responded with a letter defending the Federal Reserve’s renovation plans.

Still, speculation is mounting over who might succeed Powell next year, as Wall Street braces for the possibility of a new Fed leader who must strike a balance between satisfying political demands and preserving the central bank’s independence.

Earnings Watch

Earnings hit today from American Express $AXP, Charles Schwab $SCHW, 3M $MMM, Truist Financial $TFC, Schlumberger $SLB, and Autoliv $ALV before open.

Analysts expect AXP at $3.43 EPS with strong credit card spending, SCHW at $0.80 EPS amid wealth management growth, MMM at $2.01 EPS under new leadership, TFC at $0.90 EPS with banking stability, SLB at $0.92 EPS on oilfield services demand, and ALV at $1.85 EPS with automotive safety trends.

Happening Today

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Housing Data

✓ 10:00 AM ET – Michigan Consumer Sentiment

✓ 11:30 AM ET – Atlanta Fed GDPNow (Q2)

✓ 01:00 PM ET – U.S. Baker Hughes Rig Count

✓ 03:30 PM ET – CFTC Speculative Net Positions

SECTOR SNAPSHOT

On the last trading day, most sectors advanced, indicating broad market optimism. Financials and Industrials saw strong gains, while Information Technology's modest decline and Health Care's notable drop suggest a rotation in investment, potentially influenced by sector-specific news or broader economic shifts impacting these industries.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

Here's a quick rundown of today's pre-market high-volume stocks:

📈 Telomir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (TELO) is exploding +142.98% to $1.21 on massive volume, with retail investors holding a significant stake. While there's no immediate fresh news today, recent positive preclinical results for its anti-aging drug Telomir-1 and a prior equity investment have generated interest.

📈 Blaize Holdings, Inc. (BZAI) is surging +98.02% to $3.03 with high volume, primarily driven by yesterday's announcement of a major $120 million agreement to deploy scalable hybrid AI infrastructure across Asia-Pacific markets with Starshine Computing Power Technology Limited.

📈 Bit Origin Limited (BTOG) is gaining +17.77% at $0.6310 with substantial volume, continuing its rebound after regaining Nasdaq compliance and riding the broader positive sentiment in cryptocurrency-related stocks.

📈 NOVONIX Limited (NVX) is up +5.41% at $1.48 with notable volume; recent news of expansion plans, including securing supply deals and a conditional loan from the U.S. Department of Energy for its battery materials, is likely contributing to its movement.

📈 reAlpha Tech Corp. (AIRE) sees a +5.16% rise to $0.1550 with increased volume, despite a recently priced public offering of 13.3 million shares at $0.15 with warrants, which could lead to significant dilution.

Premarket Picks

Telomir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (TELO) is seeing a massive pre-market surge of 148.76%, with its stock price hitting $3.01. The jump follows the company’s recent filing of an 8-K form with the SEC.

Blaize Holdings, Inc. (BZAI) gained 66.67% in pre-market trading, reaching $5.05 per share. This surge comes as Blaize prepares to launch a hybrid AI platform in partnership with Starshine, an AI infrastructure provider in Asia, starting in Q3 2025 and continuing through 2026.

Westwater Resources, Inc. (WWR) experienced a 13.74% pre-market increase, with shares trading at $0.78. The boost comes after the company expressed support for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s initial finding in the anti-dumping investigation of graphite anode materials imported from China.

Talen Energy Corporation (TLN) rose 14.77% pre-market to $303.00 per share. The company announced agreements to acquire two gas-fired plants — Moxie in Pennsylvania and Guernsey in Ohio — both located in the PJM power market.

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

Top Upgrades:

1. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH)

Analyst Firm: Guggenheim

Upgraded: Neutral to Buy

Price Target: $90

Yesterday's Close: $75.56

Jonathan Lee, an analyst at Guggenheim, raised his rating on Cognizant from Neutral to Buy and set a price target of $90. Analysts have set a stock price target range for Cognizant, with a high of $103.00, a median of $88.00, and a low of $80.00. The average target comes to $88.57. Cognizant is a global provider of consulting, technology, and outsourcing services.

2. Abbott Laboratories (ABT)

Analyst Firm: Jefferies

Upgraded: Hold to Buy

Price Target: $145

Yesterday's Close: $120.51

Jefferies analyst Matthew Taylor upgraded Abbott from Hold to Buy, increasing the price target slightly from $143 to $145. For Abbott Laboratories, analysts project a high price target of $159.00, a median of $145.00, and a low of $130.00, with an average target of $144.00. Abbott operates globally in the healthcare sector, manufacturing and marketing a wide range of medical products.

3. Synovus Financial Corp. (SNV)

Analyst Firm: Raymond James

Upgraded: Market Perform to Outperform

Price Target: $62

Yesterday's Close: $53.85

Raymond James upgraded its rating on Synovus, moving it from Market Perform to Outperform, with a price target of $62. Analyst estimates for Synovus Financial place the stock price target between $54.00 and $68.00, with a median of $62.00 and an average of $61.74. Synovus is a U.S.-based bank holding company offering a variety of commercial and consumer banking services.

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.