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Update: US Equity Futures Edging Lower Pre-Bell as Traders Cautious on Tech, US Strikes Iran Targets Anew
(Updates with economic data, recent oil price movement, world markets' overview and corporate stock movements.)US equity futures were edging lower pre-bell Thursday as traders saw tech stocks trend downwards and the US unleashed another round of strikes against Iran.Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.1% higher, S&P 500 futures were down 0.4%, and Nasdaq futures were 1% lower.SK Hynix (SKHY) stock fell more than 11% in Seoul and 8% in premarket activity on the Nasdaq.US Central Command said in a post on X that it completed another wave of attacks against Iran, holding the nation "accountable" at the direction of President Donald Trump.Iran warned that it would hit key infrastructure in the Gulf region if the US followed through on Trump's threats on Tuesday to strike Iranian infrastructure such as bridges and power plants if progress on peace talks was not achieved.Traders took note of the latest round of earnings with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) posting higher Q2 earnings and revenue.Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 1.3% at $86.06 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 1.3% higher at $80.66 per barrel.US retail sales rose by 0.2% in June, following a 1.0% gain in the prior month and meeting expectations in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. Initial jobless claims dropped to 208,000 in the week ended July 11 from 216,000 in the previous week, compared with expectations for an increase to 217,000. The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's monthly manufacturing index rose to 41.4 in July from 10.3 in June, compared with expectations for a smaller increase to a reading of 12.5.The July US housing market index, slated for 10 am ET, is expected at 35, unchanged from the prior month. Pending home sales for June are expected to decline by 0.5% after a gain of 3.8% in the prior month.Federal Reserve Dallas President Lorie Logan, Kansas City President Jeffrey Schmid, and Vice Chair Philip Jefferson are slated to speak on Thursday.In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 2.8% lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1.3% higher, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 1.9% lower. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was down 0.4%, and Germany's DAX index was 0.9% lower in Europe's early afternoon session.In equities, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing shares were 4.2% lower despite the company's Q2 earnings and revenue surpassing analysts' consensus estimates. Stocks of STMicroelectronics (STM), Western Digital (WDC), and Seagate Technology (STX) were down as part of a larger decline in the tech sector. STMicroelectronics shares fell 4.8%, Western Digital stock was down 7.7%, and Seagate Technology shares dropped 6.5%.On the winning side, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) stock was up 6.7% after the company reported Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue that beat analyst estimates, as well as boosting its 2026 outlook. Baidu (BIDU) stock was up 2.1% after the company said its board approved a plan to pursue a voluntary conversion to a dual-primary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, while maintaining its primary listing on the Nasdaq.
Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$BIDU$SKHY$STM$STX$TSM$UNH$WDC
