U.S. equity futures slipped on Tuesday morning, contrasting the broadly positive finish observed on Wall Street the previous day. Futures linked to key indices showed declines as investors prepared for the release of pivotal inflation data for December. Across the board, the Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Russell 2000 futures displayed modest percentage losses, pointing to a cautious market mood ahead of economic updates.
Analysts as well as investors widely expect that the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December will hold steady at 2.7%, with the monthly inflation rate projected at 0.3%. These figures are anticipated to be benign, not stirring significant concern across markets regarding inflation's trajectory. The bond market reflected a similar sentiment, with the 10-year Treasury note yield positioned at 4.19%, and the 2-year Treasury yield at 3.55%. According to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool, there is roughly a 95% probability that the Federal Reserve will maintain the current benchmark interest rates during its January policy meeting.
| Index | Performance |
|---|---|
| Dow Jones | -0.13% |
| S&P 500 | -0.12% |
| Nasdaq 100 | -0.19% |
| Russell 2000 | -0.22% |
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE: SPY) and the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ), which track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 respectively, opened Tuesday lower in pre-market trading sessions. SPY traded slightly down by 0.019% to $694.53 per share, while QQQ declined by 0.12% to $626.40 according to Benzinga Pro's latest data.
Corporate Highlights
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG; NASDAQ: GOOGL) saw its shares rise by 0.68%, a move that coincided with the company surpassing a market capitalization of $4 trillion, propelled by growing enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence. Additionally, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) confirmed that Google's upcoming AI project, Gemini, will play a role in enhancing Siri, Apple’s voice assistant.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that Alphabet maintains strong price momentum over short, medium, and long time horizons, accompanied by a less favorable valuation metric.
Xpeng Inc. ADR (NYSE: XPEV) shares fell 2.63% despite the company’s announcement concerning plans to establish independent and expansive supply chain teams in Europe and ASEAN markets by 2026. This expansion would complement existing overseas production, research and development, service, and data infrastructure frameworks. Despite the price drop, Benzinga’s rankings show that Xpeng sustains strong price trends across various timeframes.
Five9 Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVN) marginally increased by 0.36% following the news of an extension of its partnership with Google Cloud, aimed at enhancing enterprise customer experience through AI technologies. Despite this development, Five9 is characterized by weaker price momentum in multiple timeframes and a moderate value assessment.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) edged up by 0.31% as market participants awaited the firm’s fourth-quarter earnings report, expected prior to market open. Analysts forecast earnings per share of $4.92 alongside total revenue approximating $46.02 billion. JPMorgan displays robust price trends across short, medium, and long terms and holds a moderate level of quality in its appraisal.
Revvity Inc. (NYSE: RVTY) shares gained 4.92% after releasing preliminary fourth-quarter earnings estimates on Monday. The company anticipates revenue around $772 million for the quarter, translating to roughly 6% growth on a reported basis and 4% organically compared to the prior year’s equivalent period. Revvity benefits from strong price momentum but carries a poor valuation rating.
Sector and Market Snapshot
The prior session saw consumer staples lead gains, while financials and energy sectors were the only groups to close in negative territory. Major indices closed with modest advances: Dow Jones up 0.17% to 49,590.20, S&P 500 climbing 0.16% to 6,977.27, Nasdaq Composite increased 0.26% to 23,733.90, and the Russell 2000 rose 0.44% to 2,635.69.
Analyst Perspectives
LPL Financial maintains a bullish stance for 2026, projecting a continuation of sustained double-digit earnings growth across quarters. Their positivity is underpinned by a robust U.S. economy, evidenced by an over 4% annualized growth rate in third-quarter GDP, and enduring corporate margin expansion despite ongoing tariff challenges.
Within this outlook, technology and artificial intelligence remain central growth drivers. LPL highlights that AI-related investment activity is accelerating, with the so-called “Magnificent Seven” technology companies poised to contribute more than 60% of the S&P 500’s earnings growth in the current quarter.
Nevertheless, the firm anticipates a potential broadening of the market rally, favoring cyclical value stocks such as industrial companies that may capitalize on the effects of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” fiscal package.
Looking forward, 2026 is expected to be influenced heavily by policy factors - fiscal, regulatory, and monetary - which could provide support for corporate profitability. While recognizing the possibility of market volatility, LPL concludes that a mid-teens percentage increase in stock valuations is achievable if adoption of AI technologies quickens and boosts productivity.
Upcoming Economic Indicators and Events
- December’s NFIB Small Business Optimism Index is scheduled for release by 6:00 a.m. ET.
- The key December headliner and core U.S. CPI data will be published at 8:30 a.m. ET.
- October’s New Home Sales report will be available at 10:00 a.m. ET.
- St. Louis Federal Reserve President Alberto Musalem is set to speak at 10:00 a.m. ET.
- The U.S. budget deficit figures for December will be announced by 2:00 p.m. ET.
- Richmond Federal Reserve President Tom Barkin will address audiences at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Commodities and Global Markets
Crude oil futures traded down by approximately 2.19% early in the New York session, settling near $60.62 per barrel. Meanwhile, gold prices declined marginally by 0.22% to roughly $4,586.67 per ounce, below the recent record of $4,630.47 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index edged up slightly by 0.07% to a level of 98.9330.
In cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin registered gains of about 1.57%, trading near $92,154.63 per coin.
Asian markets exhibited mixed results on Tuesday: India’s Nifty 50 and China’s CSI 300 indices recorded declines, while Australia’s ASX 200, Japan’s Nikkei 225, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, and South Korea’s Kospi indices closed higher. European markets opened with mixed performances in early trading.