US PREMARKET ACTIONS: August 19, 2025
Futures Indices
Dow Futures: -0.10%
S&P 500 Futures: 0.00%
Nasdaq 100 Futures: 0.00%
US 10-year Yield: 4.35%
Market Environment
US indices are moving without clear direction this Tuesday, with investors remaining cautious ahead of major retail earnings releases and the much-anticipated speech from Jerome Powell at the Jackson Hole Symposium later this week.
Home Depot opens the round of retail earnings today before the bell. Traders hope to glean insights on the health of the US consumer.
The market is also sensitive to geopolitical tensions, as Ukraine just committed to buying $90 billion in US arms as part of a security agreement with Washington. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has started moves to organize a meeting between Zelensky and Putin, according to his statements on Truth Social. "Zelensky reportedly agreed to participate, but the Kremlin has yet to confirm," notes Henry Allen from Deutsche Bank. The overall tone of the meetings has nonetheless remained "constructive," according to European officials.
On the macro side, July housing starts and building permits figures are expected before the open, in a general climate of wait-and-see. "Speculation over monetary policy will remain the main market driver in the short term," says Paul Donovan of UBS. He also highlights the imminent release of the Fed minutes and the Jackson Hole Symposium.
Stocks to Watch
PLYM +36.82%
Plymouth Industrial REIT soars after receiving a buyout offer from Sixth Street Partners.
FLXS +25.03%
Flexsteel surges following better-than-expected results despite a challenging environment marked by tariffs.
AREC +22.05%
American Resources jumps after finalizing a rare earth oxides supply deal with Vulcan Elements.
IOVA +14.40%
Iovance Therapeutics benefits from a conditional approval by Health Canada for its Amtagvi treatment.
PANW +6.15%
Palo Alto Networks continues its rally after strong results last week.
TGNA +3.96%
Tegna climbs following its acquisition by Nexstar for $6.2 billion in cash.
OPRA +3% (pre-market)
Opera rises after a strong Q2 and an upward revision of its 2025 guidance, driven by AI-powered advertising growth.
FN -8.31%
Fabrinet drops despite a better-than-expected Q4, with Q1 margins potentially under pressure due to component shortages.
EAF -0.81%
GrafTech slips slightly after announcing a 1-for-10 reverse stock split.
Rating Changes
Upgrades
Caterpillar Inc. ($CAT) → Evercore ISI upgrades to "Outperform" (vs. In-Line), target raised to $476 (vs. $373).
Gilead Sciences, Inc. ($GILD) → Daiwa upgrades to "Outperform" (vs. Neutral), target raised to $128 (vs. $104).
Prologis, Inc. ($PLD) → Mizuho upgrades to "Outperform" (vs. Neutral), target at $118 (vs. $109).
Neutral
Affirm Holdings, Inc. ($AFRM) → JP Morgan remains "Overweight", target raised to $84 (vs. $69).
Broadcom Inc. ($AVGO) → TD Cowen remains at Buy, target raised to $355 (vs. $290).
Credo Technology ($CRDO) → TD Cowen remains at Buy, target raised to $140 (vs. $95).
Dollar Tree, Inc. ($DLTR) → Piper Sandler remains Neutral, target raised to $112 (vs. $93).
Marvell Technology ($MRVL) → TD Cowen remains at Buy, target at $90 (vs. $70).
Nvidia Corporation ($NVDA) → TD Cowen remains at Buy, target raised to $235 (vs. $175).
Palantir Technologies ($PLTR) → Freedom Broker keeps its Sell rating but raises the target to $125 (vs. $80).
Robinhood Markets ($HOOD) → Bernstein remains "Outperform", target at $160 (vs. $105).
Downgrades
Arista Networks Inc. ($ANET) → Baptista Research downgrades to "Hold" (vs. Outperform) despite raising the target to $148.50 (vs. $107.40).
Pfizer, Inc. ($PFE) → Baptista Research downgrades to "Hold" (vs. Outperform), target at $27.70.
Have a great session everyone
Sylvain Mouilhaud: Stock Coach