Market Moves Higher as Iran Talks Loom and Earnings Season Heats Up
MarketDash
U.S. stock futures edged up Tuesday morning, with investors watching geopolitical developments and a slate of major corporate earnings. Here's what's moving the markets.
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So, after a bit of a stumble on Monday, the U.S. stock market is trying to get its footing back this Tuesday morning. Futures for the major indices are ticking higher, which is a nice change of pace. It seems investors are in a slightly better mood, maybe because there's a plan to talk things out: negotiating teams from the United States and Iran are slated to arrive in Islamabad for further discussions. Because nothing says "stable markets" like high-stakes diplomacy.
This comes after a Monday session where the Dow Jones managed to close only about five points lower. That's pretty much a flat day, which is almost impressive given that tensions between the U.S. and Iran were reportedly intensifying as a ceasefire deadline drew closer.
Meanwhile, in the bond market, things were relatively calm. The 10-year Treasury yield was sitting at 4.252%, with the two-year note at 3.735%. And if you're wondering what the Federal Reserve is likely to do next, the market has basically made up its mind. The CME Group's FedWatch tool shows traders pricing in a 99.5% likelihood that the Fed leaves interest rates unchanged at its April meeting. So, no surprises expected there.
Index
Performance (+/-)
Dow Jones
0.20%
S&P 500
0.23%
Nasdaq 100
0.37%
Russell 2000
0.18%
The big ETFs that track the broad market were also moving up in premarket trading. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), which follows the S&P 500, was up 0.25% at $710.46. The Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ), tracking the Nasdaq 100, gained 0.18% to $647.97.
Stocks In Focus: Earnings, Leadership, and AI Deals
Apple
In a major corporate transition, Tim Cook will step down as the CEO of Apple Inc. (AAPL) in September 2026, with John Ternus set to succeed him. This marks the end of Cook's 15-year run at the helm. AAPL shares were down 0.60% in pre-market trading on the news.
According to market data, AAPL maintains a strong price trend over the short, medium, and long terms.
UnitedHealth
Wall Street is waiting for UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) to report quarterly earnings before the opening bell. Analysts expect earnings of $6.58 per share on revenue of $109.58 billion. UNH shares were essentially flat, up a tiny 0.037% in pre-market trading.
Market data shows UNH also maintains a strong price trend across all time frames.
3M
Another earnings report on deck: analysts expect 3M Co. (MMM) to post quarterly earnings of $1.99 per share on revenue of $6.01 billion before the bell. 3M shares gained 0.3% to $151.84 in after-hours trading.
In contrast to the others, market data indicates MMM maintains a weak price trend over the short, medium, and long terms.
Amazon
Shares of Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) jumped nearly 3% in Tuesday's pre-market session. The catalyst? The company announced an expanded partnership with AI startup Anthropic. Because in 2026, the answer to "what will make my stock go up?" is still often "AI."
Market data shows AMZN maintains a strong price trend over the short, medium, and long terms.
Spruce Biosciences
On the other end of the spectrum, shares of Spruce Biosciences Inc. (SPRB) fell more than 11% in pre-market trading. The biotech company announced a proposed public offering of common stock and warrants, which tends to dilute existing shareholders and often sends the stock lower.
Market data shows SPRB maintains a strong price trend over the short term, but a weak trend over the medium and long terms.
Cues From Last Session
Looking back at Monday's action, it was a mixed bag by sector. Materials, financials, and real estate stocks recorded the biggest gains. On the losing side were communication services, health care, and utilities.
Index
Performance (+/-)
Value
Dow Jones
-0.01%
49,442.56
S&P 500
-0.24%
7,109.14
Nasdaq Composite
-0.26%
24,404.39
Russell 2000
0.58%
2,792.96
Insights From Analysts: The Fed Chair Saga
Analysts at the Schwab Center for Financial Research pointed out that a key focus today will be on Capitol Hill. The Senate Banking Committee has a confirmation hearing scheduled for Federal Reserve Chair nominee, Kevin Warsh.
"Warsh is expected to answer questions at the hearing, meaning he could be asked to discuss economic issues like inflation. With his expected ascent to the chairmanship, his comments could begin to take on more weight from a market perspective," the firm stated in a note.
But there's a political twist. "We still have the issue of Senator Thom Tillis blocking any vote on Warsh until the criminal investigation of Powell is resolved," said Michael Townsend, managing director of legislative and regulatory affairs at Schwab. "Tillis is fine with the confirmation hearing taking place, but he won't vote for confirmation until that investigation is over." So, the path to leading the Fed might not be a smooth one.
Upcoming Economic Data
On Tuesday, the main event is that Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing for Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump's nominee for Fed Chair. It's scheduled for 10 a.m. ET.
On Thursday, the weekly Initial Jobless Claims report will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET.
On Friday, we'll get the University of Michigan's final Consumer Sentiment Index reading for April at 10 a.m. ET.
The New York Fed Staff Nowcast is also due Friday.
Commodities, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets
In the commodity markets, crude oil futures were trading a bit lower in the early New York session, down 0.32% to hover around $87.14 per barrel.
Gold Spot (USD) declined 0.87% to around $4,778.63 per ounce. For context, its last record high stood at $5,595.46 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index was barely changed, up 0.03% at the 98.1280 level.
Over in crypto, Bitcoin (BTC) was trading 1.57% higher at $75,911.31 per coin, according to data from the last 24 hours.
Globally, Asian markets closed higher on Tuesday. India's Nifty 50, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, Australia’s ASX 200, South Korea’s Kospi, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 indices all surged. European markets, however, were mostly lower in early trade.
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