Wall Street opened with modest gains on Monday, as investors closely watched ongoing trade negotiations and prepared for the peak of earnings season.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 73 points while the S&P 500 added 0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite increased by 0.3%.
Investor focus remained fixed on US trade policy, as the White House reaffirmed its August 1 tariff deadline but left the door open for further diplomatic engagement.
Markets appeared largely unfazed by last week’s trade-related swings, buoyed instead by a strong start to earnings season and upbeat economic data.
So far, more than 81% of S&P 500 companies reporting have topped profit estimates, a stat helping to support the broader rally.
With few major economic reports on deck, attention now turns to earnings from Alphabet and Tesla, both of which are expected to have an outsized impact on sentiment.
Verizon and Domino’s Pizza were also on investors’ radars ahead of their results, while crypto-related stocks particularly those linked to Ethereum saw renewed momentum, fueled by optimism around stablecoin regulation.
What happened in pre-market trading?
US stock futures pointed higher early Monday, setting a constructive tone to start the week as investors looked ahead to a packed earnings calendar and monitored developments on the trade front.
The S&P 500 futures were up 0.26%, Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.28%, and Dow futures gained 0.25%, all hovering near last week’s record highs.
Tesla and Alphabet both saw early gains, with investors positioning ahead of their earnings reports, underscoring continued confidence in the tech sector.
Verizon shares ticked up 0.7% in the lead-up to its results, while crypto-linked stocks rallied, buoyed by strength in Ethereum following fresh US regulatory moves around stablecoins.
Still, a degree of caution lingered.
With the White House reaffirming its August 1 tariff deadline and markets awaiting potential commentary from Federal Reserve officials, investors remained alert to any signs that could shift the tone in the days ahead.
Investor sentiment
While Monday’s open brought a wave of early optimism, with major indexes ticking higher to start the week.
But alongside the upbeat tone, a note of caution lingered, driven by lingering uncertainty around US trade policy and the looming August 1 tariff deadline.
Much of the week’s direction will hinge on a handful of high-stakes earnings reports, as well as any fresh signals from the Federal Reserve on the path ahead for interest rates.
In all, Wall Street kicked off the week on solid footing, buoyed by hopes for progress on trade and continued strength in corporate earnings setting a cautiously optimistic tone as investors head into one of the most closely watched stretches of the reporting season.
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