U.S. stock futures are pointing lower after a holiday-shortened trading week; China warns against efforts to isolate the country amid continued trade disputes; Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee says economic activity could take a hit this summer because of tariffs; UnitedHealth Group (UNH) stock is in focus after its worst trading day since 1998; and Netflix (NFLX) stock is rising in premarket trading as analysts raise their price targets after the streaming giant’s first-quarter results beat expectations. Here’s what investors need to know today.
1. US Stock Futures Point Lower After Holiday-Shortened Week
U.S. stock futures are pointing lower after a holiday-shortened trading week saw major indexes finish in the red amid continued tariff uncertainty. Meanwhile, investors are preparing for earnings from Tesla (TSLA), Alphabet (GOOG), and others this week. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are 1.1% lower after the blue-chip index shed 2.7% last week, while Nasdaq and S&P 500 futures are down 1.6% and 1.3%, respectively. Bitcoin (BTCUSD) is up 2% to trade around $87,000. Yields on the 10-year Treasury note are rising to around 4.4%. Gold futures are surging above $3,400 an ounce while oil futures are falling 2%.
2. International Stocks Fall as China Vows Trade War Retaliation
Global stocks moved lower on Monday as Beijing vowed to retaliate against countries that cooperate with the U.S. in trade deals that hurt China’s interests. That follows a post by President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform Sunday outlining a list of eight so-called “non-tariff cheating” measures, including currency manipulation and value-added taxes. Japan’s Nikkei ended down 1.3%. The Stoxx Europe 600 index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index are closed for Easter Monday.
3. Fed’s Goolsbee Warns Economic Activity May Drop This Summer Over Tariffs
U.S. economic activity may appear “artificially high” before dropping off in the summer as consumers and businesses rush to stock up before President Donald Trump’s tariffs take effect, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee told CBS News on Sunday. “We heard a lot about preemptive building up of inventories that could last 60 days, 90 days,” said Goolsbee, who also noted that business leaders are concerned about the size of tariffs. “We just don’t know how big they’re gonna be,” he added. Goolsbee also said that he hoped there wouldn’t be a situation where “monetary independence is questioned” after Trump called for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s firing.
4. UnitedHealth Stock in Focus After Worst Day Since 1998
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares are ticking lower in premarket trading after the health insurer posted its worst performance in more than a quarter century last Thursday, plummeting 22% as the firm cut its full-year profit forecast on higher-than-expected medical costs. The downbeat outlook likely caught market watchers off-guard after the stock had rallied earlier this month on news the government would pay a higher rate to Medicare insurers than previously estimated.
5. Netflix Stock Rises on Strong Earnings, Analyst Optimism
Netflix (NFLX) shares are rising 2% in premarket trading as analysts raised their price targets on the stock after the streaming giant posted better-than-expected first-quarter results after the bell Thursday. Netflix reported a 12% year-over-year revenue rise to $10.54 billion, while earnings per share (EPS) of $6.61 also beat Visible Alpha estimates. Analysts from Morgan Stanley and Wedbush each lifted their price target on the stock to $1,200, while JPMorgan analysts raised theirs to $1,150 from $1,025. Shares closed at just over $973 before the earnings report Thursday.
