Stocks Mostly Down Pre-Bell as Traders Assess Middle East Developments, Await Fresh Labor Data
The benchmark US stock measures were mostly pointing lower before the opening bell Monday as investors assess the latest developments in the Middle East involving the Strait of Hormuz and await fresh labor market data later in the week.The S&P 500 fell 0.1% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.3% in premarket activity, while the Nasdaq was slightly in the green. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq closed Friday's trading session with new record highs, while the Dow finished in the red.In a social media post on Sunday, President Donald Trump said the US will start guiding some neutral ships "locked up" in the Strait of Hormuz out of the crucial waterway. The initiative, dubbed "Project Freedom," is scheduled to begin on Monday, Trump said."These are ships from areas of the world that are not in any way involved with that which is currently taking place in the Middle East," according to Trump. "If, in any way, this humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully."US Central Command said Sunday it will provide military support to restore commercial shipping through the strait, including the use of guided-missile destroyers.Iran's Fars news agency said two missiles hit a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported Monday. US Central Command reportedly said that no US navy ships had been struck.Iran reportedly said Sunday it's reviewing a response from Washington to its latest offer for a peace deal, CNBC reported, citing Iranian state media. Tehran had reportedly sent an updated proposal to the US through Pakistani mediators.West Texas Intermediate crude oil climbed 4.7% to $106.76 a barrel before the open, while Brent advanced 4.8% to $113.37.Investors will be looking ahead to fresh labor market data later this week, beginning with the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for March on Tuesday, followed by the ADP employment report for April on Wednesday. The Challenger Job Cut report and the government's nonfarm payrolls data, both for last month, are scheduled to be released on Thursday and Friday, respectively.Treasury yields were moving higher in premarket action, with the two-year rate inclining 3.9 basis points to 3.93% and the 10-year rate gaining 3 basis points to 4.41%.Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams is slated to speak at 12:50 pm ET.Several major companies are expected to release their latest financial results this week, including Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Walt Disney (DIS), McDonald's (MCD), Uber Technologies (UBER), Shopify (SHOP) and Pfizer (PFE).Palantir Technologies (PLTR) is set to announce its earnings after the markets close, while Tyson Foods (TSN) posts its results before the bell, among others.Shares of eBay (EBAY) jumped 10% pre-bell after video game retailer GameStop (GME) said it has sent a proposal to acquire the e-commerce company in a deal worth about $55.5 billion. Nebius' (NBIS) US-listed stock increased 2.5%.Gold fell 1.9% to $4,555 per troy ounce, while bitcoin nudged up 0.3% to $79,000.