After a rough Monday, U.S. stock futures decided to try a little optimism on Tuesday. Futures for the major indices were all in the green, looking to claw back some of the ground lost in a sell-off that seemed to have a little bit of everything: existential dread about artificial intelligence and some old-fashioned geopolitical trade threats.

The mood on Monday was soured by a viral report warning of a "Global Intelligence Crisis." The gist? A wildly successful AI revolution could ironically tank the consumer economy through mass white-collar job losses and something ominously called "Ghost GDP." It's the kind of deflationary depression scenario that makes investors want to hide under the desk.

Adding fuel to the fire were renewed geopolitical worries. Former President Donald Trump proposed hiking global tariffs to a blanket 15%. He also threatened trading partners, vowing "much higher" tariffs against any country that tries to use a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling to tear up existing trade deals. Between robot-induced unemployment and trade wars, the market had plenty to fret about.

In the bond market, the 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.03%, with the two-year at 3.45%. Traders, according to the CME's FedWatch tool, are almost certain (95.9% chance) the Fed will leave interest rates untouched at its March meeting.

Here’s how the major index futures were shaping up early Tuesday:

The ETFs that track the broad market were also higher. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.26% at $684.14 in premarket trading, while the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ), which follows the Nasdaq 100, advanced 0.36% to $603.57.

Stocks In Focus: Big Movers and Earnings Watchers

While the broader market was trying to steady itself, there was plenty of action under the surface with some huge single-stock moves.

Whirlpool

Whirlpool Corp. (WHR) took a 7.46% dive in premarket trading. The appliance maker announced concurrent public offerings of common stock and depositary shares, aiming to raise a total of $800 million. New shares hitting the market often dilute existing holders, which tends to put downward pressure on the stock price. Market data indicates WHR has maintained a weak price trend across short, medium, and long-term timeframes.

Keysight Technologies

On the brighter side, Keysight Technologies Inc. (KEYS) soared 16.04%. The electronics measurement company delivered first-quarter results that beat expectations and issued strong guidance for the second quarter. The stock is noted for having a strong price trend, though its value ranking is considered poor.

Vir Biotechnology

The day's biggest winner was Vir Biotechnology Inc. (VIR), which skyrocketed 63.39%. The biotech firm reported quarterly revenue of $64.07 million, blowing past estimates, and managed to narrow its losses to $0.31 per share. The stock maintains a strong price trend across all measured periods.

HP

All eyes were on HP Inc. (HPQ) ahead of its earnings report after the closing bell. The stock was virtually flat, down a mere 0.054%. Analysts were expecting earnings of 77 cents per share on revenue of $13.94 billion. Market data shows HPQ has a weak price trend but a moderate value score.

Uber Technologies

Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) gained 0.47% after announcing plans to acquire the parking app SpotHero. While the stock's price trend is considered weaker, it boasts a solid growth ranking.

Looking Back: Monday's Sector Story

Monday's sell-off wasn't uniform. It had a very clear defensive flavor. Sectors like Consumer Staples, Health Care, and Utilities actually managed to post gains. Energy, Real Estate, and Materials also saw modest growth. The pain was concentrated elsewhere, with significant declines in Financials, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrials dragging down the major averages.

Here’s how the indexes finished the prior session:

The Analyst View: Patience Over Prediction

In an environment filled with noisy headlines, some analysts are preaching calm and discipline. George Smith and the team at LPL Research are framing this as a period where "starting points matter." Their 2026 Strategic Asset Allocation outlook suggests current stock valuations are fair but offer "limited compensation" for the risk of owning equities.

The concern is that high price-to-earnings ratios have historically been a precursor to "weaker long-term performance." Because of this, their strategy emphasizes "patience over prediction" rather than trying to aggressively chase growth. They're preparing for a range of economic outcomes, noting "less stable stock-bond correlations" and various structural forces that could keep inflation sticky.

Smith's framework is designed to be "intentionally insulated" from the daily news cycle. Instead, it focuses on "valuations, cash flow durability, and cross-asset relationships" over a three-to-five-year horizon. To navigate this, the strategy maintains a modest underweight to overall equity risk. It favors "high-quality core taxable bonds" and diversifiers like real assets to build resilient portfolios. The ultimate goal isn't a quick score, but "steady compounding" by carefully balancing risk as macroeconomic conditions shift.

What's on Tap: Economic Data and Fed Speakers

Tuesday brings a full slate of data and commentary for investors to digest:

• The economic calendar features December's S&P Case-Shiller home price index for 20 cities at 9:00 a.m. ET, followed by December's wholesale inventories and February's consumer confidence data at 10:00 a.m. ET.
• The Federal Reserve will be well-represented. The speaking circuit includes Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee at 8:00 a.m., Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic at 9:00 a.m., Fed Governor Christopher Waller at 9:15 a.m., and Fed Governor Lisa Cook at 9:30 a.m. ET. Their remarks will be closely parsed for any hints on the future path of interest rates.

Commodities, Crypto, and Global Markets

Elsewhere in the markets, performance was a mixed bag:

Crude oil futures were up 0.36% in early New York trading, hovering around $66.55 per barrel.

Gold, however, was losing its luster. The spot price fell 1.09% to about $5,171.00 per ounce. Its last record high was $5,595.46. The U.S. Dollar Index, a measure of the dollar's strength against a basket of other currencies, was up 0.11% at the 97.8170 level.

In the crypto world, Bitcoin (BTC) was trading 4.73% lower at $63,221.56.

Asian markets closed mixed on Monday. South Korea's Kospi, China's CSI 300, and Japan's Nikkei 225 posted gains, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng, India's Nifty 50, and Australia's ASX 200 fell. European markets were trading lower in their early Tuesday session.