$SFD

Stocks Mostly Up Pre-Bell as Investors Assess Uncertainty Over US-Iran Deal

US equity markets were mostly trending higher before the open Tuesday as investors weigh fading optimism that the US and Iran would reach a quick resolution to their conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% and the Nasdaq added 0.3% in premarket activity, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was slightly in the red. The indexes closed Monday's trading session lower.In a social media post Monday, President Donald Trump demanded compensation from Iran for casualties caused by its conflicts, attacks and suppression of protests."I see that representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are asking for compensation for the damage done to them during the last five month military conflict," according to Trump. "I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts, for which they are famous, as led initially by General Soleimani."Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently said there was no possibility of restarting negotiations with the US over a peace deal until it stops violating the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries in June and compensates Tehran for those breaches, according to Iran-based Tasnim News Agency.Trump recently indicated to the media that he's prepared to exert greater economic pressure on Iran instead of launching another military attack.West Texas Intermediate crude oil increased 2% to $83.77 a barrel before the opening bell, while Brent advanced 1.8% to $89.30."Oil prices remain supported by uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz," ING Bank said in a report Monday. "Significant hurdles remain before any broader agreement is reached."US Treasury yields were moving higher in premarket action, with the two-year rate rising 1.4 basis points to 4.25% and the 10-year rate gaining 2.7 basis points to 4.73%.Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) inclined 1% pre-bell after the tech bellwether said it has partnered with six of Wall Street's largest financial institutions to raise more than $500 billion in third-party capital for the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure across its ecosystem.Hims & Hers Health (HIMS) dropped 6.2% after the company reported a wider-than-expected second-quarter loss. Trump Media & Technology (DJT) decreased 0.9% following an 8% decline at the close of Monday as it announced its latest quarterly earnings.Sea (SE), Cardinal Health (CAH), Elbit Systems (ESLT), On Holding (ONON), Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), and Smithfield Foods (SFD) are scheduled to release their latest financial results before the bell, among others. Lumentum (LITE), CoreWeave (CRWV) and Super Micro Computer (SMCI) report their earnings after the markets close.Tuesday's economic calendar has the existing home sales report for July at 10 am ET. The National Federation of Independent Business small business optimism index posted a 2.4-point increase for July to 99.8.Gold rose 0.4% to $4,438 per troy ounce, while bitcoin traded up 0.4% at $64,180.