The U.S. stock market futures this morning exhibited mixed trading with a tinge of optimism, though overall trending toward a slightly flattish performance. The S&P 500 futures gained 2 points, trading slightly above fair value. The Nasdaq 100 futures, on the other hand, rose by 32 points and traded 0.3% above fair value. Conversely, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures marginally fell, losing 2 points and trading just below fair value.
Yesterday was marked by limited buyer activity, with sellers also notably less active following a recent significant market rally. Amid these conditions, Nasdaq 100 futures outshone the other indices, partly propelled by the positive gain from Adobe (ADBE) post their earnings report. This in turn contributed to the growing buzz around AI.
Key highlights from yesterday included:
- Adobe’s Solid Performance: Adobe beat market expectations by $0.12, with its revenues lining up with predictions. Its Q3 EPS guidance was above consensus, signaling promising future performance.
- Micron’s Strategic Investments: Micron plans to invest $600 million in its China expansion and near $1 billion in India, hinting at its aggressive growth strategy.
- Management Shift in Disney: Disney’s CFO Christine McCarthy announced stepping down due to a family medical leave of absence. Kevin Lansberry, Disney Parks CFO, will assume the interim CFO role from July 1.
- Goldman Sachs’ Leadership Reassessment: Goldman Sachs board is reconsidering the position of CEO David Solomon, according to NY Post.
- Nucor’s Profitable Quarter: Nucor has forecasted Q2 earnings above consensus, with expectations of improved earnings from the steel mills segment due to margin expansion.
- Cabot’s Challenging Outlook: Cabot signaled reduced sales volumes in Performance Chemicals and Reinforcement Materials segments, leading to the withdrawal of its FY23 EPS outlook.
- Humana’s Stable Guidance: Humana reaffirmed its FY23 guidance, although it now expects to be at the upper end of its full-year Insurance segment benefit expense ratio guidance of 86.3 to 87.3 percent.
- Virgin Galactic’s Ambitious Launch: Virgin Galactic announced the commencement of commercial spaceline operations, with the first spaceflight planned for June 27-30 and monthly spaceflights to follow.
On the global front, the Bank of Japan retained its interest on excess reserves at -0.10% and voiced intentions to persist with monetary easing patiently. Meanwhile, the Treasury yields were mixed. The 2-year note yield increased by six basis points to 4.70%, while the 10-year note yield remained unchanged at 3.74%.
In summary, the day saw a rather tepid but positive market, driven by Adobe’s strong earnings and the buzz around AI. Key corporate developments, including strategic expansions, management shifts, and ambitious plans for space tourism also marked the day. This balance kept the market poised, indicating cautious optimism among traders. As investors await the preliminary University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey for June, it remains to be seen how the rest of the quarter will pan out.
