5 Things You Absolutely Need to Know Before the Stock Market Opens Today

Markets brace for another volatile session as traditional finance plays catch-up with digital asset momentum.

Fed Watch: Powell's Silence Speaks Volumes

Jerome Powell's conspicuous absence from recent speaking engagements has traders parsing every Fed whisper—while Bitcoin barely flinches at the uncertainty.

Institutional Floodgates: Too Little, Too Late?

Wall Street's belated crypto embrace looks increasingly like desperate FOMO rather than strategic positioning—the smart money already moved years ago.

Technical Breakdown: Legacy Systems Creaking

Settlement times measured in days, fractional share restrictions, and archaic clearing processes—meanwhile, DeFi protocols settle in seconds 24/7.

Earnings Illusion: Accounting Tricks Meet Reality

Companies still playing EBITDA games while blockchain transactions provide immutable, real-time financial transparency—the gap between reported and real performance has never been more obvious.

Regulatory Theater: Rearranging Deck Chairs

The SEC's latest compliance circus focuses on yesterday's problems while algorithmic stablecoins and cross-chain protocols rewrite the rulebook entirely. Traditional markets aren't just opening—they're playing catch-up in a game they no longer control.

1. US Stock Futures Mostly Edge Lower

U.S. stock futures are mostly pointing slightly lower after indexes ended little changed Monday. Nasdaq futures are down 0.1% after the tech-focused index ticked higher in the prior session. S&P 500 futures also are edging lower after ending modestly lower yesterday. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are marginally higher. Bitcoin (BTCUSD) is lower, trading at about $115,600. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note is little changed. Oil futures are lower by more than 1%. Gold futures are slightly higher.

2. Home Depot Maintains Outlook Even as Profit, Comparable Sales Come Up Short

Home Depot (HD) affirmed its fiscal 2025 guidance as it reported second-quarter comparable store sales and adjusted earnings per share that slightly missed analysts' estimates. The company posted adjusted EPS of $4.68 and comparable store sales growth of 1.0%, both a tick less than consensus expectations of analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha. Revenue increased 4.9% year-over-year to $45.28 billion, matching projections. The home-improvement giant maintained its May outlook as it adjusts to tariff-related price pressures. Shares of Home Depot are edging higher in premarket trading after initially falling when the results were released.

3. Intel Stock Jumps on $2B SoftBank Investment

Intel (INTC) shares are surging 5% in premarket trading on news the struggling chipmaker will be receiving a $2 billion investment from Japan's SoftBank Group. SoftBank will buy Intel stock at $23 a share, slightly below Monday's closing price. The move comes as the U.S. government reportedly is considering taking a stake in Intel, whose CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, recently met with President Donald TRUMP after he criticized the executive’s ties to China and called for his resignation.

4. Palo Alto Networks Stock Surges on Strong Results, Rosy Outlook

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) shares are more than 6% higher in premarket trading after the cybersecurity company reported better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results and issued an optimistic outlook. The firm posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.95 on revenue that surged 16% year-over-year to $2.54 billion, both topping estimates of analysts compiled by Visible Alpha. Palo Alto Networks' current-quarter and fiscal 2026 profit and revenue projections also were higher than expectations. Meanwhile, the company announced founder and Chief Technology Officer Nir Zuk has retired.

5. Apple to Expand iPhone Production in India, Report Says

Apple (AAPL) is expanding iPhone production at five factories in India as the company tries to reduce its reliance on Chinese-made devices, according to a Bloomberg report. The company is producing all four of its new iPhone 17 models in India, the report said, to lessen the impact of U.S. tariffs on products exported from China. Earlier this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced at the WHITE House that the tech giant would invest an additional $100 billion in U.S. manufacturing facilities. Shares of Apple are edging lower in premarket trading.