U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher; Crude Oil Drops

Pre-open movers

U.S. stock futures traded slightly higher in early pre-market trade on Tuesday after closing mixed in the previous session. Investors are awaiting earnings results from Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR), Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY) and Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN).

The NFIB small business optimism index for July is scheduled for release at 6:00 a.m. ET, while data on nonfarm productivity and labor costs for the second quarter will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Check out this: Fear & Greed Index Remains In 'Neutral' Zone As Investors Await Wednesday's Inflation Report

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 30 points to 32,822.00 while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose 3.75 points to 4,145.50. Futures for the Nasdaq index gained 8.50 points to 13,191.75.

Oil prices traded lower as Brent crude futures fell 0.9% to trade at $95.79 per barrel, while US WTI crude futures fell 1% to trade at $89.87 a barrel.

The U.S. has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world, with total infections in the country exceeding 94,024,920 with around 1,059,210 deaths. India reported a total of at least 44,174,650 confirmed cases, while France confirmed over 34,079,650 cases.

A Peek Into Global Markets

European markets were mixed today. The STOXX Europe 600 Index fell 0.2%, London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.1% while Spain’s IBEX 35 Index climbed 0.3%. The French CAC 40 Index climbed 0.1%, while German DAX fell 0.3%.

Retail sales in the UK climbed by 1.6% on a like-for-like basis for July from a year earlier, growing for the first time in five months.

Asian markets traded mixed today. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.88%, while China’s Shanghai Composite climbed 0.32% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.21%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.1%.

The NAB business confidence index for Australia rose 5 points to 7 in July, while Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment declined 3.0% month-over-month during August.

Broker Recommendation

Truist Securities downgraded Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMTX) from Buy to Hold and announced a $12 price target.

Aemetis shares fell 1.9% to $10.91 in pre-market trading.

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Breaking News

• Snap, Inc. (NYSE:SNAP), the parent of Snapchat, is in the early stages of planning job cuts, the Verge reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The number of employees to be eliminated isn’t yet clear, as managers across the company are still discussing the scope of cuts for their respective teams, it added.
• 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) reported a loss for its second quarter and lowered its FY22 sales guidance.
• Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) reported second-quarter revenue decline of 37.6% year-over-year to $185.9 million. The company also lowered its sales forecast for the year.
• Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is in talks to acquire over 51% stake in logistics firm Ecom Express Ltd for $500 million-$600 million, India's Mint newspaper reported, citing sources.

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