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Stocks Rise Pre-Bell as Investors Monitor Latest Middle East Developments, Await Key Economic Data

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Stocks Rise Pre-Bell as Investors Monitor Latest Middle East Developments, Await Key Economic Data

The benchmark US stock measures were pointing higher before the opening bell Tuesday as traders assess the latest developments in the Middle East and await key economic data later in the week.

The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.5% and the Nasdaq added nearly 1% in premarket activity. The indexes finished Friday trading in the green, with the Dow hitting a new record high.

US markets were closed on Monday for the Memorial Day holiday.

The US military said it carried out strikes in southern Iran on Monday, targeting missile launch locations and vessels allegedly trying to deploy mines, CNBC reported. The US Central Command said the strikes were intended "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces," the report added.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly said Tuesday it would retaliate against violations of the ongoing ceasefire.

The incident occurred after President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Monday that negotiations with Iran were "proceeding nicely." In a separate post, Trump said that Iran's enriched uranium "will either be immediately turned over to the US" or be destroyed in place or at another "acceptable location."

Tehran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reportedly described recent discussions with the US as "overall good," but said that a memorandum of understanding between the two countries would be subject to the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 4.4% to $92.31 a barrel before the open, while Brent fell 4.7% to $95.6.

The personal income and outlays report for April is scheduled to be released on Thursday. The report includes the personal consumption expenditure core price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation metric. The second estimate report of the first-quarter gross domestic product is also due on Thursday.

Treasury yields fell in premarket action, with the two-year rate retreating 6.5 basis points to 4.06% and the 10-year rate declining 7.6 basis points to 4.5%.

Tuesday's economic calendar has the Chicago Fed national activity index for last month at 8:30 am ET, followed by the Case-Shiller Home Price Index and the Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index, both for March at 9 am. The consumer confidence report for May is out at 10 am, followed by the Dallas Fed manufacturing survey for the same month at 10:30 am.

Costco Wholesale (COST), Marvell Technology (MRVL), Salesforce (CRM) and Dell Technologies (DELL) are some of the major companies slated to release their latest financial results this week.

AutoZone (AZO) posts earnings before the bell, among others, while Zscaler (ZS) is expected to announce its results after the markets close.

Gold edged up 0.2% to $4,531 per troy ounce, while bitcoin slipped 0.3% to $77,121.

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