U.S. stock futures opened on a modestly positive note Friday morning, with contracts on the S&P 500 index ticked up approximately 0.1%. Despite this cautious optimism for the market’s direction, behind-the-scenes trading indicated weakness in several individual equities during the pre-market session, prominently featuring WD-40 Co and several other companies facing earnings or forecasts that fell short of analyst expectations.
WD-40 Co Reports Disappointing First Quarter
WD-40 Co, the maker of well-known maintenance products trading under the ticker WDFC on NASDAQ, slid sharply in pre-market activity. The company announced earnings for its first fiscal quarter of $1.28 per share, falling below the consensus analyst estimate of $1.36. Its reported revenues of $154.423 million also missed the forecasted $155.085 million. Following the release of these results, shares of WD-40 dropped 9.1%, closing pre-market trading at $185.00. This notable decline reflects investor concerns over the company’s shortfall in both profitability and sales figures relative to market expectations.
Additional Stocks Experiencing Pre-Market Declines
WD-40 was not the only stock exhibiting weakness early Friday. Beta Bionics Inc (NASDAQ:BBNX), which released preliminary fourth-quarter financial data, experienced a sizable 15.6% decline to $27.00 in pre-market dealings. Similarly, Olin Corporation (NYSE:OLN) saw its share price drop 11.7% to $19.92 after the company revised down its adjusted EBITDA outlook for the fourth quarter from an initial range of $110 million to $130 million, down to approximately $67 million.
Meanwhile, AXT Inc (NASDAQ:AXTI) shares fell 10.3% to $23.12 after updating its expectations for fourth-quarter revenue. Aclarion Inc (NASDAQ:ACON) shares declined 7% to $7.60 in pre-market trading, despite a strong prior session where shares rallied 42% following reports of a 114% year-over-year increase in Nociscan scan volumes.
Additional companies trading lower ahead of the opening bell included iHeartMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:IHRT), down 4.3% to $3.81; Coincheck Group N.V. (NASDAQ:CNCK), which dropped 3.9% to $2.70 following an acquisition agreement; Neogen Corporation (NASDAQ:NEOG), falling 3.1% to $9.40 despite recently raising fiscal year 2026 sales guidance after better-than-expected second-quarter results; and General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), decreasing 1.9% to $83.50 amid disclosures about significant upcoming fourth-quarter charges related to EV asset impairments, China restructuring, and legal costs totaling approximately $7.1 billion.
Broader Market Context
While these individual movements indicate uneven sentiment among these companies, the S&P 500 futures remain modestly higher, suggesting measured confidence in the broader market. Several of the declines reflect specific earnings misses or revisions to financial outlooks rather than a wholesale market sell-off.
Conclusion
The pre-market session in U.S. equities on this Friday paints a picture marked by select corporate disappointments overshadowing a mildly positive S&P 500 futures backdrop. Stocks such as WD-40 Co, Olin Corp, and AXT Inc have been impacted significantly by earnings or forecast announcements that failed to match analyst expectations, leading to share price corrections ahead of regular trading hours. Investors should monitor ongoing developments and detailed earnings releases to assess potential lasting impacts on market dynamics and individual stock valuations.