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Stocks Mostly Down Pre-Bell as Investors Await More Earnings, Retail Sales Data

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Stocks Mostly Down Pre-Bell as Investors Await More Earnings, Retail Sales Data

US equity markets were mostly tracking in the red before the opening bell Thursday as traders await the latest round of earnings and the June retail sales report.

The S&P 500 edged down 0.1% and the Nasdaq was off 0.5% in premarket activity, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%. The three main indexes finished Wednesday trading higher for the second consecutive session.

UnitedHealth (UNH), GE Aerospace (GE), Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Prologis (PLD), US Bancorp (USB), State Street (STT) and Citizens Financial (CFG) are expected to report their latest financial results before the bell, among others. Streaming giant Netflix (NFLX) posts its earnings after the markets close.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's (TSM) US-listed shares declined 3.9% pre-bell after the semiconductor manufacturer reported its second-quarter results. United Airlines (UAL) was down 2.3% as the air carrier flagged an additional $6 billion in fuel costs for 2026 amid rising oil prices.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) jumped 6.4% as the transportation and logistics company's second-quarter results topped market estimates. Apple (AAPL) added 0.2% after finishing Wednesday with a 4% gain amid media reports that the iPhone maker has held talks with bankers in recent months about possible acquisitions of chip companies.

Last month's retail sales report is out at 8:30 am ET.

Government data showed Wednesday that producer prices unexpectedly dropped on a monthly basis in June amid a steep decline in the cost of energy products. Earlier in the week, an official report showed that consumer prices decreased last month for the first time in more than six years.

"While still nominally elevated at a dangerously high level, the relative improvement in inflation in June emboldens the more dovish argument that price pressures are already cooling and could retreat further into year-end as the lingering impact from tariffs falls off and energy prices potentially normalize amid -- still tentative -- but ongoing, US-Iran peace negotiations," Stifel said in a note Wednesday.

US Treasury yields were up in premarket action, with the two-year rate increasing 3.2 basis points to 4.16% and the 10-year rate adding 2.8 basis points to 4.57%.

Thursday's economic calendar also has the weekly jobless claims bulletin at 8:30 am, along with the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index for July. The housing market index for the current month and the pending home sales index for June are both out at 10 am.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson, Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan and Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid are all slated to speak on Thursday.

Inflation is more likely to accelerate than cool given price pressures arising from an artificial intelligence boom and major supply shocks, Fed Governor Lisa Cook said Wednesday. Separately, New York Fed President John Williams said that inflation should ease in the next few quarters as energy prices retreat.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil dipped less than 0.1% to $79.59 a barrel before the open, while Brent nudged down 0.3% to $84.72.

The US Central Command said Wednesday its forces disabled an unladen oil tanker attempting to transit towards an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf. The US resumed its naval blockade on Iranian ships and ports earlier this week.

A spokesperson for Iran's top military command reportedly said Thursday that it will destroy key infrastructure in the Middle East if the US follows through on President Donald Trump's threat to attack power plants and bridges in the country in case a deal isn't finalized, CNBC reported.

Gold decreased 0.3% to $4,039 per troy ounce, while bitcoin fell 1.1% to $64,176.

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