US Index Futures are marginally lower in Tuesday’s premarket, awaiting important economic data, which may define the trajectory of interest rates around the world.

By 6:51 AM, Dow Jones futures (DOWI:DJI) were down 7 points, or 0.02%. S&P 500 futures were down 0.01% and Nasdaq-100 futures were down 0.01%. The 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.21%.

On Tuesday’s US economic agenda, investors await, at 9:00 AM, the release of July real estate prices, while at 10:00 AM the Labor Department releases job offers for July, as measured by Jolts. At the same time, the Conference Board consumer confidence index will be released, which has a consensus of 116 points in August.

At 1 PM, the government holds yet another Treasury auction, this time with a seven-year maturity. Yesterday, the US Treasury put $46 billion in a five-year auction with a cut rate of 4,400%. At 4:30 PM, the API releases the weekly oil inventory.

The week promises to be busy with the release of significant economic indicators that could guide future monetary policy decisions, such as the Payroll jobs report, the PCE price index and a new assessment of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In Germany, the GFK consumer confidence index fell to 25.50 points in September, beating pessimistic forecasts of 24.30 points, indicating negative sentiment towards Europe’s largest economy. Despite this, European stocks are up, following a global positive momentum spurred by new stimulus measures in China.

In Asian markets, the focus is on the rising unemployment rate in Japan, which reached 2.70% in July. Chinese measures to reduce taxes on stock market transactions are also influencing optimism.

Country Garden, China’s largest private developer, is seeking to extend the term of a $535.3 million bond by an additional 40 days. In addition, major Chinese state-owned banks are considering lowering their local currency deposit rates by between 5 and 20 basis points, as reported by Bloomberg.

In commodities markets, West Texas Intermediate crude for October was up 0.76% to trade at $80.71 a barrel. Brent crude for October was up 0.75% near $85.05 a barrel. Iron ore futures traded in Dalian, China, fell 1.04% to $110.99 a tonne, in a realization move after a bull streak.

At the close of Monday, stocks had a positive day, influenced by the flattening of the yield curve in the United States. The Dow Jones rose 213.18 points or 0.62% to 3,560.08 points. The S&P 500 rose 27.57 points or 0.63% to 4,433.28 points, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 114.48 points or 0.84% ​​to 13,705.13 points.

Jerome Powell, head of the US Central Bank, confirmed in his statement the possibility of raising interest rates, depending on factors such as the performance of the job market, wage variations and inflation rates. At the same time, in Asia, the Chinese government’s decision to cut rates applied to equity transactions gave a boost to local markets.

Ahead of Tuesday’s corporate results, traders are watching reports from Nio (NYSE:NIO), Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), Pinduoduo (NASDAQ:PDD), Big Lots (NYSE:BIG), Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) , Catalent (NYSE:CTLT), among others. After closing, expect reports from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE), HP Inc (NYSE:HPQ), Box (NYSE:BOX), Ambarella (NASDAQ:AMBA), Joyy (NASDAQ:YY), and more.

Wall Street Corporate Highlights for Today

Alphabet  (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – US Judge James Donato plans to dismiss an antitrust class action lawsuit against Google, claiming the company overcharged the Google Play Store. The decision could limit the potential financial damage to Google, a unit of Alphabet. In other news, Google plans to license mapping data to renewable energy companies, a deal that could fetch as much as $100 million in the first year, according to CNBC. Potential partners include SunRun  (NASDAQ:RUN), Tesla Energy  (NASDAQ:TSLA), Zillow  (NASDAQ:ZG), Redfin  (NASDAQ:RDFN) and Marriott  (NASDAQ:MAR).

Microsoft  (NASDAQ:MSFT) – In an interview with CNBC, Brad Smith, President and Vice President of Microsoft, emphasized the need for human oversight of artificial intelligence (AI). He said that despite AI’s potential benefits, it also poses risks and could be weaponized. On monday, Microsoft shares rose 0.22%, in a positive day for the market, the second day of consecutive gains. However, the company lagged behind competitors like Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL). Trading volume was below the 50-day average.

Meta Platforms  (NASDAQ:META) – New Zealand plans to introduce a 3% tax on digital service revenues of large multinationals, effective in 2025. The tax will affect companies with global revenues above €750 million and local revenues above 3.5 million New Zealand dollars. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has expressed concerns about inadequate taxation of digital companies and said the country will not wait for an OECD multilateral agreement.

AT&T  (NYSE:T), Verizon  (NYSE:VZ) – Stocks are higher in premarket Tuesday after Citi upgraded both companies’ ratings to Buy/High risk from Neutral.

Verizon  (NYSE:VZ) –  Morgan Stanley  (NYSE:MS) predicts that Verizon will raise its dividend by about 2% in September, continuing a 16-year trend despite concerns about lead remediation costs. Analyst Simon Flannery notes that the company generates sufficient cash flow to sustain payments.

Tesla  (NASDAQ:TSLA) – Tesla is facing judgments over alleged flaws in its Autopilot feature that have led to fatal crashes. The cases represent a significant test for both the technology and CEO Elon Musk’s reputation. These trials will likely shed light on what Tesla and Musk knew about the Autopilot system’s capabilities and possible limitations. Given that autonomous technology is an important part of Tesla’s future strategy, the results of these cases are highly relevant. The company denies responsibility, saying the autopilot is safe when monitored by humans.

Vinfast  (NASDAQ:VFS) – Shares in Vinfast, the Vietnamese maker of electric vehicles, jumped on Monday, taking its market capitalization to $160 billion. With high volatility, the company recently entered Wall Street and aims to compete with Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Toyota (NYSE:TM). Its focus is now on expanding sales in the US and Europe.

Toyota  (NYSE:TM) – Toyota has halted operations at its 14 factories in Japan due to a production system issue. While the cause is still under investigation, it does not appear to be a cyber attack. These factories represent a third of the company’s global production.

Lordstown Motors  (NASDAQ:RIDE) – Lordstown Motors is seeking buyers for its business as it formulates a Chapter 11 debt repayment plan. A US judge has denied Foxconn’s  (USOTC:FXCOF) attempt to thwart the company’s bankruptcy efforts. The EV maker also faces lawsuits and SEC investigations.

Nio   (NYSE:NIO) – Analysts predict the Chinese electric car maker will post a quarterly loss of 33 cents a share on sales of $1.3 billion, according to Bloomberg data. The second quarter report comes against a backdrop of concerns about competition, demand and the Chinese economy. NIO shares in the US were up 1.6% ahead of Tuesday’s premarket report.

American Airlines  (NASDAQ:AAL) – The US Department of Transportation fined American Airlines $4.1 million for keeping passengers on the tarmac for hours in violation of delay rules. It’s the biggest penalty of its kind, with $2.05 million credited to compensate those affected. American cited “exceptional weather events” as the cause.

Micron  (NASDAQ:MU), Intel  (NASDAQ:INTC) – US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao discussed restrictions on US companies, including Intel and Micron Technology, and export controls at a recent meeting. The two countries agreed to start exchanging information on trade and export issues.

Intel   (NASDAQ:INTC) – Intel announced that its new data center chip, “Sierra Forest,” will deliver 240% better performance per watt compared to previous chips, marking a significant advance in energy efficiency. The revelation was made at a conference at Stanford University.

Cisco Systems   (NASDAQ:CSCO),  Nutanix   (NASDAQ:NTNX) – Cisco Systems and Nutanix announced a partnership to ease the transition of businesses to multicloud systems. Cisco will sell Nutanix’s cloud platform, which offers hyperconverged infrastructure, through its computing and managed infrastructure business.

Joann   (NASDAQ:JOAN) – Shares in Joann Inc. rose 7% in premarket Tuesday after an announcement of increased quarterly sales, boosted by Halloween merchandise and dorm decor. Although the company posted a loss in the second quarter, sales beat expectations, with a strong performance in July.

Best Buy  (NYSE:BBY) – Best Buy results will be revealing about consumer demand for electronics amid an uncertain economic environment. While electronics sales have suffered over the last year, some analysts believe demand may be picking up, especially with the back-to-school season. Wall Street expects a 7% drop in same-store sales, an improvement from previous quarters.

Amazon  (NASDAQ:AMZN) – Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has warned employees who fail to abide by the three-day-a-week return-to-the-office policy that they could lose their jobs. According to Bloomberg, the measure has already led to protests and low morale among employees, following recent layoffs at the company. Additionally, Amazon has increased the minimum spend for free shipping from $25 to $35 for non-Prime customers in some markets. The move is part of a broader strategy to cut costs, while the Prime program, with an annual cost of $139, remains unchanged.

Heico  (NYSE:HEI) – Heico announced fiscal third-quarter earnings and revenue that beat analyst forecasts on Monday. However, its operating margins decreased from 22.6% in the previous year to 20.7%. The company’s shares fell 5.3% in premarket trading on Tuesday.

CrowdStrike  (NASDAQ:CRWD) – Shares in CrowdStrike Holdings fell after a Morgan Stanley analyst downgraded the company from Overweight to Equal Weight, lowering the price target from $178 to $167. Citing a challenging demand environment and potential slowdown in spending by large customers, the analyst predicts a recovery only in 2025.

Vahanna Tech Edge Acquisition   (NASDAQ:VHNA) – Shares are down 11% in premarket Tuesday, a day after rising 21% after shareholders approved a business combination with insurance technology firm Roadzen .

Bank of New York Mellon  (NYSE:BK) – U.S. Judge George Daniels in Manhattan dismissed much of Commerzbank’s $1 billion lawsuit against Bank of New York Mellon related to losses on toxic mortgages before the crisis. 2008. Daniels dismissed claims on 87 of the 100 certificates purchased by Commerzbank and also dismissed allegations of malpractice against BNY Mellon.

Goldman Sachs  (NYSE:GS) – Goldman Sachs will sell part of its equity business to Creative Planning LLC as part of a restructuring focused on the super-rich segment. The deal, whose financial details were not disclosed, is expected to close in the fourth quarter. The move comes after significant losses elsewhere and an internal reorganization under CEO David Solomon.

Hedge Funds – Data from Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) says hedge funds have record exposure to the top seven tech stocks, which now make up about 20% of the market cap held by these funds. This includes companies such as Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), which recently beat revenue expectations.

UBS  (NYSE:UBS) – The Swiss Competition Commission is investigating the merger of Credit Suisse and UBS. The acquisition had already received swift approval from the government and regulators. The results of the investigation will be sent to FINMA by the end of September.

Robinhood Markets  (NASDAQ:HOOD) – With a portfolio containing around $3.1 billion worth of Bitcoin, Robinhood Markets is now a significant player in cryptocurrency trading in the US. The company is gaining market share even against a backdrop of lower interest in cryptocurrencies due to its competitive trading costs.

Catalent  (NYSE:CTLT) – Catalent is close to an agreement with Elliott Investment Management that could include the addition of four new directors and a review of strategies, including the sale of the company. The deal would affect Catalent’s relationship with Novo Nordisk  (NYSE:NVO) and the drug Wegovy. Elliott’s move could also weigh on Catalent’s already volatile financial situation.

Mallinckrodt  (AMEX:MNK) – Irish drugmaker Mallinckrodt has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in the US, aiming to cut $1 billion in debt related to the opioid crisis. The restructuring plan would hand the company over to creditors and eliminate existing equity stakes. The NYSE suspended its shares.

Boston Scientific  (NYSE:BSX) – Boston Scientific, a medical device company, on Sunday reported promising results for its treatment of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm condition.

Akero Therapeutics  (NASDAQ:AKRO) – UBS has begun tracking Akero Therapeutics with a ‘Buy’ rating, arguing that its non-alcoholic steatohepatitis treatment has market potential that is being undervalued.

Walmart  (NYSE:WMT), Walgreens  (NASDAQ:WBA), CVS  (NYSE:CVS) – Walmart, Walgreens and CVS are expanding their healthcare services, including testing and treatment for various diseases, previously restricted to doctors’ offices. This movement seeks to capitalize on legislative changes that allow pharmacists to treat simpler conditions, reducing the need for costly doctor visits. Prices vary and are not yet covered by Medicare or insurance.

Standard Chartered  (USOTC:SCBFF) – Standard Chartered is selling its aviation leasing business to AviLease of Saudi Arabia for $3.6 billion to focus on areas where it has a competitive advantage. The deal includes an initial payment of US$700 million and additional financing of US$2.9 billion.

Disney  (NYSE:DIS) – To combat the loss of subscribers in India, Disney is offering free cricket streams on smartphones. The strategy aims to increase advertising revenue and recover users after a loss of US$ 41.5 million in the year ended in March 2022.

3M  (NYSE:MMM) – 3M has reached a final $6 billion settlement to settle allegations over the sale of defective earplugs to the US military. The value of the deal is significantly lower than analysts’ initial forecasts, which estimated a cost of between $10 billion and $15 billion, bringing relief to investors. As a result, 3M shares saw a lift, rising 0.4% in premarket trade after a 5.2% jump on Monday.

Hawaiian Electric Industries  (NYSE:HE) – After denying allegations that its power lines caused a deadly fire in Maui, Hawaiian Electric Industries shares are up 5.15% in premarket Tuesday after rising 45% on Monday, marking its biggest percentage increase on record. The company faces lawsuits and has suspended its dividend to shore up its cash position.

UGI Corp  (NYSE:UGI) – Wells Fargo analyst Sarah Akers upgraded the company’s rating to “Overweight” from “Equal Weight”. While the company lowered its price target for UGI due to structural challenges, it said the decline in the stock now presents a “sufficiently attractive” valuation.

RPT Realty  (NYSE:RPT) – RPT Realty announced that Kimco Realty plans to acquire it in an all-equity transaction valued at approximately $2 billion. Conor Flynn, CEO of Kimco, highlighted that around 70% of RPT’s portfolio aligns with its target markets. Completion of the agreement is expected in early 2024.

Mister Car Wash  (NYSE:MCW) – Piper Sandler raised the company rating from “Neutral” to “Overweight”. According to the firm, the company’s growth potential is being underestimated by investors.