01 Stock Market

As of Apr 30, U.S. stock index futures performed as follows: Dow futures were higher by about 0.52%, S&P 500 futures advanced 0.35%, and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.44%, signaling a cautiously firmer open as investors digested a heavy slate of corporate results released before the bell.

Notable Stock Movers: META fell 9.13% at $608 after outlining heavier spending plans, while GOOG rose 7.53% at $373.46 on record cloud growth. AMZN advanced 2.98% at $270.88 as AWS revenues re-accelerated. QCOM jumped 10.51% at $172.40 on smartphone and data-center optimism. LLY climbed 6.47% at $906.30 following a blockbuster quarter. INTC added 2.29% at $96.92 amid ongoing foundry enthusiasm, and NVDA edged 0.70% higher at $210.72.

Pre-market flows remain concentrated in mega-cap technology, healthcare and select industrial names, with earnings beats prompting brisk trade, while a handful of profit warnings and spending surprises temper broader risk appetite ahead of the opening bell.

02 Other Markets

• 10-year U.S. Treasury yield fell 0.41%, to 4.40%.

• U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.55% to 98.40.

• WTI crude oil futures fell 1.90% to 104.85 USD/barrel; COMEX gold futures rose 1.84% to 4645.50 USD/ounce.

03 Key News

1. Merck narrowed its quarterly loss and its shares rose in pre-market trading. The drugmaker’s acquisition-related charge was offset by a 5% rise in product sales, and revenue of $16.3 billion topped consensus. Management reaffirmed full-year profit guidance, calming concerns over near-term earnings pressure.

2. Amazon reported a 28% jump in AWS revenue, beating estimates and lifting the stock before the bell. Management cited robust enterprise demand for artificial-intelligence workloads and unveiled deeper collaborations with OpenAI and Anthropic, while projecting stronger operating income for the current quarter.

3. Eli Lilly’s first-quarter net income surged 168%, prompting an upgrade to full-year sales guidance. Blockbuster obesity drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound powered a 56% revenue leap to $19.8 billion. The company highlighted fresh FDA clearance for a once-daily oral GLP-1 pill, supporting sustained growth expectations.

4. Caterpillar posted a 22% sales jump and record backlog, sending shares higher. Strength in construction equipment and power-generation systems tied to AI-driven data-center projects lifted adjusted earnings to $5.54 per share, well ahead of forecasts. Management pointed to resilient demand across core markets.

5. Qualcomm signaled a smartphone bottom and previewed new data-center chips, boosting the stock. Despite guiding third-quarter revenue below consensus, executives highlighted recovery in handset demand and active projects for CPUs, AI accelerators and custom ASICs slated for late-year shipment.

6. Meta increased 2026 capital-expenditure plans to as much as $145 billion and warned of heightened legal risks. The social-media giant will pour additional billions into AI infrastructure while acknowledging mounting scrutiny over youth safety and potential regulatory costs.

7. Alphabet exceeded forecasts with 22% revenue growth and tripled cloud profits. Google Cloud’s 63% sales surge marked its strongest pace since standalone reporting began, prompting a fresh capital-expenditure outlook of up to $190 billion to meet AI demand.

8. Stellantis almost tripled first-quarter operating income to €960 million, outperforming expectations. Broad-based regional strength and favorable pricing lifted results; management reaffirmed 2026 targets despite recent electric-vehicle restructuring charges.

9. The Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged amid its most divided vote in decades, signaling patience on cuts. Three regional presidents opposed language favoring future easing, while Chair Jerome Powell’s decision to remain on the Board adds complexity for incoming leadership as inflation pressures persist.

10. Visa expanded its stablecoin settlement pilot to five additional blockchains, boosting multi-chain capabilities. The payments network now supports nine chains and has reached a $7 billion annualized settlement run rate, underscoring growing institutional adoption of digital-asset infrastructure.

Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data

Disclaimer: For informational purposes only; not investment advice.