124 stories mentioning MRKUpdated 16d ago
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Richard R. DeLuca, Executive Vice President & President, Merck Animal Health, on August 06, 2026, sold 6,050 shares in Merck & Co. (MRK) for $788,773. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, DeLuca has control over a total of 155,487 common shares of the company, with 155,487 shares held directly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/310158/000031015826000217/xslF345X05/form4.xml
S&P 500 companies' quarterly earnings growth rate eased from a week ago amid a drop in the healthcare sector, though the results continue to be "strong" overall, Oppenheimer Asset Management said Monday.Some 89% of the companies in the benchmark equity index have reported results in the ongoing cycle, with earnings rising about 51% year over year, compared with 57% growth a week ago. Revenue growth eased to 14.6% from 14.8%, the report showed.The healthcare sector saw earnings fall 7.5% on an annual basis, compared with a 20% jump a week ago.In the sector, Merck (MRK) swung to a quarterly loss amid an acquisition charge, while Pfizer's (PFE) second-quarter adjusted earnings fell year over year last week.The remaining 10 S&P 500 sectors reported year-over-year profit growth, with energy up 147%. Consumer discretionary and communication services soared more than 110% each, Oppenheimer said Monday.Bottom-up estimates from FactSet put analysts' projected earnings growth at 24% prior to the start of the latest reporting season, according to the brokerage.In terms of sales, energy continued to lead the sectors with a 42% annual gain for the quarter, followed by technology's 27% advance."Continued strong results reported for (the second-quarter) earnings season, along with economic data that showed acceleration in services and manufacturing activity even as jobs declined in July, lent support for the (Federal Reserve) to remain 'on hold'," Oppenheimer Asset Management Chief Investment Strategist John Stoltzfus said in a note to clients."In addition to these solid reported results, a number of company managers in key sectors have provided positive forward guidance, suggesting that conditions are favorable for further improvement ahead," Stoltzfus wrote.Only 11 S&P 500 companies are scheduled to report results this week, including Cisco (CSCO), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Simon Property (SPG).Markets are pricing in a 50% probability that the Fed will leave its benchmark lending rate unchanged in September, with the remaining odds in the favor of a 25-basis-point increase, according to the CME FedWatch tool.Price: $130.65, Change: $+2.07, Percent Change: +1.61%
David Michael Williams, Executive Vice President, Chief Information & Digital Officer, on August 05, 2026, sold 52,847 shares in Merck & Co. (MRK) for $6,805,145. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, Williams has control over a total of 31,716 common shares of the company, with 31,716 shares held directly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/310158/000031015826000214/xslF345X05/form4.xml
Merck (MRK) said Wednesday that Keytruda, in combination with enfortumab vedotin, has received Canadian approval for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer in adults who are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy.The company said that the approval from Health Canada was based on results from a phase-3 trial, which was conducted in collaboration with Pfizer (PFE) and Astellas.Results from the trial showed that patients treated with neoadjuvant and adjuvant Keytruda in combination with enfortumab vedotin had statistically significant improvements in event-free survival and overall survival compared with radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection alone, the company said.Price: $130.02, Change: $+2.02, Percent Change: +1.58%
Merck (MRK) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $136.60, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $129.87, Change: $+1.87, Percent Change: +1.46%
Merck (MRK) remains on track to repurchase $3 billion in shares this year, Morgan Stanley said in a note Tuesday.In its Q2 earnings call, the company reiterated its confidence in the more than $70 billion commercial opportunity from over 20 new pipeline products first laid out earlier this year, the investment firm said.Morgan Stanley said Merck expressed a bullish view on its pipeline, and characterized the company as more diversified and better positioned for sustainable growth.Outlook for the stock depends on Keytruda life cycle management, pipeline progress outside of cancer, and M&A capital deployment, according to the note.Morgan Stanley retained an equal-weight rating on the stock, but increased its price target to $116 from $113.Shares of Merck were up 1.7% in Wednesday trading.Price: $130.13, Change: $+2.13, Percent Change: +1.66%
Healthcare stocks were lower late Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index down 0.7% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) decreasing 0.3%.The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) climbed 2%.In corporate news, AdaptHealth (AHCO) reported a Q2 loss Tuesday, with revenue below market expectations. The company also lowered its full-year 2026 sales guidance. Its shares fell 37%.AbbVie (ABBV) has commenced a $10 billion investment-grade bond sale to help finance its pending acquisition of Apogee Therapeutics (APGE), Bloomberg reported. The offering, which includes bonds maturing in two to 40 years, has drawn about $63 billion of peak demand, the report said. AbbVie shares were down 0.4%.BioNTech (BNTX) shares shed 0.5% after it reported a wider Q2 adjusted loss and lower revenue, and cut its 2026 revenue guidance.Merck (MRK) and Pfizer (PFE) raised their respective full-year sales outlooks on Tuesday, as both pharmaceutical giants logged better-than-expected sales for Q2. Merck shares rose 0.6%, and Pfizer added 1.5%.
Merck's (MRK) "HIV pipeline" is brewing in the background, as weekly treatment are interesting and showing path towards long-acting treatments, UBS Securities said in a report emailed Tuesday.The company presented phase 3 data showing its once-weekly oral combination of islatravir and lenacapavir was noninferior to Gilead Sciences' (GILD) biktarvy and other standard treatments. The firm expects Merck and Gilead Sciences to file data with the FDA soon, with a potential approval in 2027, according to the report.The firm viewed alimatravir as "intriguing" because its once-monthly dosing, fast onset and lack of a "loading dose" could appeal to patients seeking alternatives to daily PrEP. Phase 3 data are expected in 2027, potentially supporting a launch as early as 2028, the report said.Merck is also advancing a weekly combination of ulonivirine and islatravir into phase 3 testing. However, the firm said "adoption" could take time because of competition from Gilead and GSK (GSK) and the likelihood that the products will initially be used mainly as "switch" therapies, according to the report.UBS kept its buy rating on Merck with a price target of $145.Price: $128.79, Change: $+1.02, Percent Change: +0.79%
Healthcare stocks were lower Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index down 0.5% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) easing 0.2%.The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) climbed 1.7%.In corporate news, BioNTech (BNTX) shares fell nearly 1% after it reported a wider Q2 adjusted loss and lower revenue, and cut its 2026 revenue guidance.Merck (MRK) and Pfizer (PFE) raised their respective full-year sales outlooks on Tuesday, as both pharmaceutical giants logged better-than-expected sales for Q2. Merck shares rose 0.8%, and Pfizer added 1.6%.AbbVie's (ABBV) Allergan Aesthetics unit said Tuesday that the US Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review its supplemental biologics license application for BOTOX Cosmetic, or onabotulinumtoxinA for masseter muscle prominence. AbbVie shares were down 1%.
Healthcare stocks were mixed Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index easing 0.2% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) fractionally higher.The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) climbed 1.8%.In corporate news, Merck (MRK) and Pfizer (PFE) raised their respective full-year sales outlooks on Tuesday, as both pharmaceutical giants logged better-than-expected sales for Q2. Merck shares rose 1.2%, and Pfizer added 1.8%.
All three major US stock indexes were up in late-morning trading Tuesday, as investors grew more optimistic on a potential deal between the US and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.The US and Iran could reach a deal Tuesday or Wednesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial ships, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday in an interview with CNBC.In company news, Palantir Technologies (PLTR) reported Q2 adjusted earnings late Monday of $0.41 per diluted share, above the FactSet consensus estimate of $0.34. Second-quarter revenue was $1.94 billion, up from $1.00 billion a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus of $1.81 billion. For Q3, the company expects revenue of $2.160 billion to $2.164 billion, above the FactSet consensus of $2.00 billion. For full-year 2026, the company expects revenue of $8.150 billion to $8.158 billion, above its previous guidance of $7.650 billion to $7.662 billion and above the FactSet consensus of $7.725 billion. Palantir shares were up 27.2% around midday.Caterpillar (CAT) reported Q2 adjusted profit of $8.17 per share, up from $4.72 a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus of $6.22. Total Q2 sales and revenue were $20.54 billion, up from $16.57 billion a year ago and above the FactSet consensus of $19.34 billion. Caterpillar shares were up 6.5%.Anthropic has signed a $10 billion deal for computing capacity with Volta Infra, a new infrastructure startup backed by Nvidia (NVDA), Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Separately, Blackstone (BX) has held early talks with investors to assess their interest in a second massive debt package to finance Anthropic's use of chips from Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Google, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. One early proposal was for at least $36 billion, but the size, structure and whether Blackstone will lead the financing remain unknown, the report said, citing the people. Nvidia shares were up 2%. Blackstone shares were up 1.5%, while Alphabet Class C and Class A shares were up 0.2% and 0.5%, respectively.Amazon.com (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos indicated plans to sell 15 million shares of the company valued at $4.07 billion, according to a regulatory filing. Separately, Amazon was sued Tuesday by New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, who accused the online retailer of abusing its market power over independent delivery drivers, Davenport's office confirmed to. Amazon shares were down 2.2%.McDonald's (MCD) reported Q2 non-GAAP diluted EPS Tuesday of $3.38, up from $3.19 a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus of $3.32. Total Q2 revenue was $7.10 billion, up from $6.84 billion a year ago but below the FactSet consensus of $7.13 billion. The company said Skye Anderson was appointed as president of McDonald's USA, effective Tuesday, succeeding Joe Erlinger. McDonald's shares were up 1.5%.Merck (MRK) reported a Q2 non-GAAP loss Tuesday of $0.13 per share, swinging from earnings of $2.13 per share a year earlier but narrower than the FactSet consensus of a loss of $0.27 per share. Second-quarter sales were $16.61 billion, up from $15.81 billion a year ago and above the FactSet consensus of $16.37 billion. For full-year 2026, the company expects non-GAAP EPS of $2.66 to $2.76, below its prior outlook of $5.04 to $5.16 and below the FactSet consensus of $2.79. Merck shares were down 1.1%.Price: $159.84, Change: $+34.19, Percent Change: +27.21%
Merck (MRK) and Pfizer (PFE) raised their respective full-year sales outlooks on Tuesday, as both pharmaceutical giants logged better-than-expected sales for the second quarter.For 2026, Merck now expects revenue of $66.3 billion and $67.3 billion, compared with its prior guidance of $65.8 billion to $67.0 billion and the FactSet-polled consensus of $66.86 billion. The company cut its full-year adjusted earnings estimate to a range of $2.66 and $2.76, from $5.04 to $5.16, to account for charges of $2.43 per share for the acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals (TERN). Analysts expect non-GAAP EPS of $2.79.For the June quarter, Merck's sales rose 5% year over year to $16.61 billion, topping the consensus of $16.37 billion. The company swung to a second-quarter non-GAAP loss $0.13 per share due to the Terns acquisition charge, from EPS of $2.13 a year earlier, while analysts expected a loss of $0.27.In May, the company announced completion of the acquisition of Terns and flagged the one-time charge."We delivered growth in the quarter led by continued strength in oncology and animal health, along with increasing contributions from our diverse and compelling new products across an array of therapeutic areas," Merck Chief Financial Officer Caroline Litchfield said at an earnings call, according to a FactSet transcript.Pfizer narrowed its full-year revenue outlook to between $60.5 billion to $62.5 billion from the previous range of $59.5 billion to $62.5 billion, reflecting a $500 million increase at the midpoint. The company maintained its adjusted EPS guidance of $2.80 to $3. At midpoint the estimates are both below the consensus forecasts of $61.77 billion and $2.94, respectively.Pfizer's second-quarter sales grew 3% year over year to $15.03 billion, while analysts projected $14.4 billion. Adjusted EPS fell to $0.77 from $0.78 a year earlier but exceeded the Street's $0.68 forecast."Our launched and acquired products performed well, our obesity program is advancing with meaningful momentum and our oncology portfolio remains a source of strength," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.Last week, AbbVie (ABBV) lowered its full-year earnings guidance to account for the expected dilution from its planned acquisition of Apogee Therapeutics (APGE), despite reporting stronger-than-expected second-quarter results.Last month, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) raised its full-year outlook after reporting better-than-expected second-quarter results, driven by growth in its innovative medicine and medical device businesses. Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) also raised its full-year guidance after reporting second-quarter results.Merck shares of were advancing by 0.3% in Tuesday morning trade, with the stock up 22% so far this year. Pfizer was down 0.4% intraday and is up about 0.1% since the start of the year.Price: $128.40, Change: $+0.63, Percent Change: +0.49%
Healthcare stocks were declining premarket Tuesday, with the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) down 0.1%.Merck (MRK) shares were up more than 1% after the company posted an increase in Q2 sales and raised its 2026 sales outlook.BioNTech (BNTX) stock was down more than 3% after the company reported a wider Q2 adjusted loss and lower revenue, and cut its 2026 revenue guidance.IDEXX Laboratories (IDXX) shares were up more than 7% after the company raised its 2026 EPS outlook.
Healthcare stocks were steady premarket Tuesday, with the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) inactive and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) marginally advancing.Merck (MRK) shares were up 0.9% after the company posted an increase in Q2 sales and raised its 2026 sales outlook.
(Updates with economic data, recent oil price movement, world markets' overview and corporate stock movements.)US equity futures were higher pre-bell Tuesday as technology-related stocks were on the upswing, highlighted by a Q2 beat-and-raise from Palantir Technologies (PLTR).Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 1.2% higher, S&P 500 futures were up 0.3%, and Nasdaq futures were 1.1% higher.Palantir shares were up more than 15% in pre-market activity after the company posted Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue that surpassed analysts' estimates, as well as boosting its full-year 2026 revenue outlook.President Donald Trump said late Monday that Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) had made "too much money" off higher oil prices and told them to "give some of that back to the public," multiple media outlets reported.SpaceX (SPCX) is expected to report its Q2 earnings after the market closes. Analysts polled by FactSet expect a loss of $0.23 per share on revenue of $6.83 billion.Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 2.4% at $81.77 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 3.1% lower at $77.86 per barrel.The US international trade deficit narrowed to $73.26 billion in June from revised $77.65 billion gap in May, compared with a $73.0 billion gap expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.June factory orders, due at 10 am ET, are expected to have gained 0.2%, compared with a decline of 1.3% previously. June job openings from the US Department of Labor's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey are expected at 7.454 million, compared with 7.594 million in the prior month.In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.3% higher, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 0.6% lower, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.3% higher. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.3%, and Germany's DAX index was 0.8% higher in Europe's early afternoon session.In equities, Caterpillar (CAT) shares rose 11% after the company's Q2 adjusted profit and revenue beat analysts' consensus. Merck (MRK) stock was up 0.9% after the company posted better-than-expected Q2 results. Broadcom (AVGO) shares were 2.7% higher and Micron Technology (MU) stock was up 4.5% as part of a broader rally in technology stocks.On the losing side, HSBC (HSBC) shares fell 2% despite the company posting higher basic earnings and revenue for Q2. Prologis (PLD) stock was down 3% after the company said it reached a recommended agreement to acquire Segro in a transaction valuing the target company at about $18.8 billion.
US equity futures were tracking in the green on Tuesday as traders await the latest batch of corporate earnings and assess ongoing uncertainty over a potential resolution to the Middle East conflict.The S&P 500 rose 0.2% in premarket activity, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq gained 0.3% each. All three main indexes finished Monday trading up, with the Dow notching a record closing high.Caterpillar (CAT), Merck (MRK), McDonald's (MCD), Pfizer (PFE), Spotify Technology (SPOT), Transdigm (TDG), Rockwell Automation (ROK), Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), BioNTech (BNTX) and DuPont de Nemours (DD) are all scheduled to report their latest financial results before the bell.SpaceX (SPCX) shares were up 2% pre-bell with the rocket and satellite company expected to release its first quarterly results since going public after the markets close, along with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Arista Networks (ANET), Amgen (AMGN) and Gilead Sciences (GILD).Palantir Technologies' (PLTR) stock jumped 15% early Tuesday as the company lifted its full-year revenue guidance on the back of stronger-than-expected second-quarter results. Snap (SNAP) climbed 7.3% after the social media company announced second-quarter results above Wall Street's estimates.President Donald Trump reportedly said Monday that the latest round of talks between the US and Iran is the "last chance" for Tehran to "sign a good document." Trump recently called off a planned attack on Iran.However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei reportedly ruled out an immediate plan to negotiate with Washington. Tehran was in talks with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important chokepoint for crude flows, Baghaei reportedly said.West Texas Intermediate crude oil inclined 1.6% to $81.64 a barrel before the opening bell, while Brent advanced 2.3% to $85.66."Hopes of a peace deal in the Middle East weighed on crude prices," D.A. Davidson said in a Monday client note.Treasury yields were trending higher in premarket action, with the two-year rate ticking up 1 basis point to 4.27% and the 10-year rate adding 2.2 basis points to 4.71%.Tuesday's economic calendar has the international trade in goods and services report for June at 8:30 am ET, followed by the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for the same month at 10 am.Gold moved up 0.3% to $4,103 per troy ounce, while bitcoin declined 0.7% to $63,441.
(Updates with market moves at the end of the day, and other changes, if any.)The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an all-time high on Monday as Wall Street extended its rally into the third day, while hopes for a US-Iran deal sent oil prices lower.The Dow rose 1.3% to 53,178.41, notching a record closing high. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.1% to 25,913.90, while the S&P 500 climbed 1.5% to 7,600.50. Most sectors were in the green, led by communication services' 4.3% jump, while energy led the laggards.West Texas Intermediate crude oil tumbled 5.2% to $80.29 a barrel in Monday late-afternoon trade, while Brent dropped 4.7% to $83.80.President Donald Trump said Monday that the US is in talks with Iran. He previously called off a planned attack against Tehran."Hopes of a peace deal in the Middle East weighed on crude prices," D.A. Davidson said Monday in a note.However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday ruled out an immediate plan to negotiate with Washington, according to news reports. Tehran was in talks with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important chokepoint for crude flows, Baghaei reportedly said.Treasury yields were lower, with the 10-year rate down 6.1 basis points at 4.68% and the two-year rate falling 3.7 basis points to 4.25%.In company news, Boeing (BA) shares jumped 8%, the best performer on the Dow. The planemaker has received the US Federal Aviation Administration's clearance for its 737 Max 7, paving the way for the model's launch after nearly a decade of regulatory review.Atkore (ATKR) jumped 28% after the electrical products manufacturer announced a $3.8 billion deal to be acquired by Italian cable maker Prysmian.Marriott International (MAR) was the worst performer on the S&P 500, down 7%. The hotel giant reported second-quarter revenue below Wall Street's estimates amid headwinds related to the Middle East conflict, while it provided a downbeat earnings outlook for the ongoing three-month period.Major companies including SpaceX (SPCX), Eli Lilly (LLY), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Caterpillar (CAT), Merck (MRK), McDonald's (MCD), Walt Disney (DIS), Shopify (SHOP) and Uber Technologies (UBER) are slated to release their quarterly results this week.In economic news, the US manufacturing sector continued to grow in July, with Institute for Supply Management data indicating the fastest expansion rate in more than four years and S&P Global (SPGI) signaling steady growth pace.Spot gold edged up 0.2% to $4,052.94 per troy ounce, while silver rose 1% to $58.34 per ounce.
(Updates with latest market prices and developments.)US stocks climbed intraday as oil prices fell after President Donald Trump renewed hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East conflict.The Nasdaq Composite was up 2% at 25,877.1 after midday Monday, while the S&P 500 rose 1.3% to 7,586.4. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.9% to 52,962.1. Among sectors, communication services paced the gainers, while energy led the laggards.West Texas Intermediate crude oil tumbled 5.8% to $79.77 a barrel, while Brent dropped 4.8% to $83.70.Over the weekend, Trump said negotiations with Iran would begin Monday, without revealing venue details, news outlets reported. In a social media post, Trump said that he called off a planned attack against Iran because the "perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.""Hopes of a peace deal in the Middle East weighed on crude prices," D.A. Davidson said Monday in a note.However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday ruled out an immediate plan to negotiate with Washington, according to news reports. Tehran was in talks with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important chokepoint for crude flows, Baghaei reportedly said.Treasury yields were lower intraday, with the 10-year rate down 5.5 basis points at 4.69% and the two-year rate falling 3.1 basis points to 4.26%.In company news, Atkore (ATKR) jumped 28% intraday after the electrical products manufacturer announced a $3.8 billion deal to be acquired by Italian cable maker Prysmian.Lantheus (LNTH) will become a private company following the completion of an up to $8 billion deal with Curium. Lantheus shares were up 2.7% intraday.Integer (ITGR) agreed to be acquired and taken private by investment firm KKR (KKR) in an all-cash deal with an enterprise value of about $5.7 billion. Integer rose 2.7%, while KKR advanced 2.1%.Marriott International (MAR) shares were the worst performer on the S&P 500, down 7.1%. The hotel giant reported second-quarter revenue below Wall Street's estimates amid headwinds related to the Middle East conflict, while it provided a downbeat earnings outlook for the ongoing three-month period.Major companies including SpaceX (SPCX), Eli Lilly (LLY), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Caterpillar (CAT), Merck (MRK), McDonald's (MCD), Walt Disney (DIS), Shopify (SHOP) and Uber Technologies (UBER) are slated to release their quarterly results this week.Palantir Technologies (PLTR) is scheduled to release its latest quarterly results after markets close Monday.Spot gold fell 0.2% to $4,038.48 per troy ounce, while silver was up 0.1% at $57.83 per ounce.
S&P 500 companies' second-quarter earnings growth has eased from a week ago as a sharp slowdown in profits reported by technology firms shadowed outsized gains in energy and consumer discretionary, Oppenheimer Asset Management said in a report Monday.So far, 306 companies, or 61% of the total, have reported results, with profit growth slowing to 57% from about 70% a week ago. Revenue growth jumped to 15% from nearly 13%.Earnings growth in the tech sector plunged to 61% from 190% a week ago, Oppenheimer Asset Management Chief Investment Strategist John Stoltzfus said.Last week, Meta Platforms (META) reported an unexpected annual decline in quarterly net income per share, while Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon.com (AMZN) posted gains.All 11 sectors reported annual profit growth, with energy and consumer discretionary soaring more than 130% each. Energy overtook tech as the sector with the fastest revenue growth pace, at 39%, while tech revenue expansion slowed to 25% from 45%.Analysts polled by FactSet projected S&P 500 earnings growth at nearly 24% year over year ahead of the second-quarter reporting season, Oppenheimer said.Another 138 S&P 500 companies are scheduled to report results this week, including Eli Lilly (LLY), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Caterpillar (CAT), and Merck (MRK).Oil prices declined as President Donald Trump reportedly said Sunday that negotiations with Iran begin Monday. Trump previously called off a planned attack on Iran.Wall Street's stock market benchmarks closed out July mostly lower."A silver lining to the over-hanging clouds of recent volatility has been some further reduction in the forward earnings multiple of the S&P 500," Stoltzfus said.Price: $1120.72, Change: $-28.12, Percent Change: -2.45%
The benchmark US stock measures were pointing higher before the opening bell Monday as President Donald Trump said he called off a planned attack on Iran, while traders await fresh labor market data and more corporate earnings later in the week.The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.6% and the Nasdaq added 0.4% in premarket activity. All three main indexes finished Friday trading in the green.In a social media post over the weekend, Trump said he canceled a planned attack against Iran after being asked by Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold off because the "perimeters of a deal has been agreed to." The proposed deal would include the "immediate, complete, and total opening" of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump wrote."I have agreed, for the future benefit of the world and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a deal," Trump said. Media reports last week said Trump was preparing for a fresh round of strikes against Tehran.West Texas Intermediate crude oil dropped 5.8% to $79.77 a barrel before the open, while Brent fell 4.7% to $83.82.On Sunday, seven members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, or OPEC+, said they agreed to raise combined oil production by 188,000 barrels per day next month.Fresh labor market data is scheduled to be released later this week, beginning with the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for June on Tuesday. Last month's ADP employment and Challenger Job Cut reports are due on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The government's nonfarm payrolls data for July is out on Friday.Treasury yields were trending lower in premarket action, with the two-year rate retreating 4.7 basis points to 4.24% and the 10-year rate declining 6.1 basis points to 4.68%.Monday's economic calendar has the final Purchasing Managers' manufacturing index for July at 9:45 am ET, followed by the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index for the same month at 10 am.Major companies including SpaceX (SPCX), Eli Lilly (LLY), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Caterpillar (CAT), Merck (MRK), McDonald's (MCD), Walt Disney (DIS), Shopify (SHOP) and Uber Technologies (UBER) are slated to release their latest quarterly results this week.Palantir Technologies (PLTR), Williams (WMB) and Snap (SNAP) post their earnings after the markets close Monday, while Marriott International (MAR), EchoStar (ECHO) and Tyson Foods (TSN) are expected to announce their financial statements before the bell, among others.AstraZeneca's (AZN) US-listed shares slipped 5.1% pre-bell following media speculation that the company is in talks with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY) about a potential combination that would create a pharmaceutical company valued at nearly $400 billion. Bristol Myers' stock gained 6.4%.Atkore (ATKR) jumped 27% early Monday after the electrical products manufacturer agreed to be acquired by Italian cable maker Prysmian in an all-cash deal with an enterprise value of about $3.8 billion.Gold inched 0.1% higher to $4,109 per troy ounce, while bitcoin was down 1.2% at $62,596.
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