(Editor’s note: The headline, lede, futures, ETFs, stocks and economic data were updated.)
U.S. stock futures were mixed on Tuesday, as the Dow Jones and S&P 500 indices gained but Nasdaq 100 slipped, following Monday’s mixed close.
June’s advance economic indicators report signaled trade relief alongside stable inventory management. The U.S. goods trade deficit narrowed by 4.2% to $101.5 billion in June as imports dropped more sharply than exports. Meanwhile, advance wholesale inventories ticked up 0.3% to $945.9 billion, while advance retail inventories held virtually flat at $831.3 billion.
President Donald Trump dismissed allegations that Russia is sharing high-level intelligence with Iran, stating on Monday that any potential aid “hasn’t had much impact.”
Meanwhile, Trump is set to host separate White House meetings on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss ending the war with Russia and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to focus on Iran and regional diplomacy. Meanwhile, Brent crude futures fell 2.66% to $83.59.
Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.61%, and the two-year bond was at 4.29%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool shows markets pricing in a 68.5% likelihood that the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates unchanged at its July meeting.
| Index | Performance (+/-) |
| Dow Jones | 0.84% |
| S&P 500 | 0.05% |
| Nasdaq 100 | -0.79% |
| Russell 2000 | 0.05% |
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, were mixed in premarket on Tuesday. The SPY was up 0.15% at $740.17, while the QQQ declined by 0.63% to $677.82.
Stocks In Focus
Universal Health Services
- Universal Health Services Inc. (NYSE: UHS ) dropped 4.25% in premarket on Tuesday despite reporting better-than-expected financial results for the second quarter, but it lowered its FY26 adjusted EPS guidance.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that UHS maintains a weak price trend in the long and medium terms but a strong trend in the short term, with a good quality score.
Cadence Design Systems
- Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS ) was 2.70% higher after reporting better-than-expected second-quarter financial results and raising its FY26 guidance above estimates.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that CDNS maintains a weak price trend in the short, long, and medium terms, with a strong growth score.
Johnson & Johnson
- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ ) rose 2.27% after it said that it would pay an estimated $5.5 billion to resolve lawsuits alleging its baby powder and other talc products cause ovarian cancer.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that JNJ maintains a strong price trend in the short, medium, and long terms, with a poor value score.
Coca-Cola
- Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO ) jumped 3.46% as it posted quarterly earnings of 97 cents per share (excluding items), beating analyst estimates of 93 cents per share, as net revenue rose 7% to $13.4 billion, topping expectations of $13.16 billion.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that KO maintains a strong price trend in the long, short, and medium terms, with a good quality score.
Boeing
- Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA ) rose 1.85% after it reported second-quarter revenue of $24.6 billion, beating analyst estimates of $24.25 billion, but posted a core loss of 76 cents per share, missing expectations for a loss of 30 cents per share.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that BA maintains a weak price trend in the long, medium, and short term, with a poor value score.
Cues From Last Session
Consumer staples, communication services and financial stocks recorded the biggest gains, while energy and utilities technology stocks bucked the trend to close lower as U.S. stocks settled mixed on Monday, with the Dow Jones index gaining more than 250 points amid dropping oil prices.
| Index | Performance (+/-) | Value |
| Dow Jones | 0.51% | 52,210.08 |
| S&P 500 | 0.016% | 7,413.18 |
| Nasdaq Composite | -0.18% | 24,932.08 |
| Russell 2000 | 0.62% | 2,948.04 |
Insights From Analysts
LPL Financial expects the U.S. stock market to navigate a “broadly healthy fundamental landscape,” though investors should prepare for temporary bouts of volatility driven by global supply chain and geopolitical headwinds.
Following a strong market rebound in the second quarter of 2026, LPL maintains a tactical overweight recommendation on equities, expressing optimism around long-term economic drivers like artificial intelligence investments.
However, their Strategic and Tactical Asset Allocation Committee (STAAC) recommends a “defensive factor tilt” due to stretched market positioning and macro uncertainty surrounding the ongoing Middle East conflict.
LPL emphasizes that the sustainability of the equity rally—particularly in mega-cap technology—depends heavily on capital allocation efficiency. They note that while cloud computing hyperscalers are deploying unprecedented capital into AI, “the incremental investment profile increasingly looks infrastructure-like.”
Ultimately, LPL cautions that the market must focus on “how much capital is being deployed, how quickly is that capital monetized, and whether the incremental dollar of AI infrastructure earns platform-like returns or infrastructure-like returns.”
Upcoming Economic Data
Here’s what investors will be keeping an eye on this Tuesday.
- U.S. Goods Trade Deficit: The international trade deficit in goods narrowed to $101.5 billion in June, down 4.2% from $105.9 billion in May as an $8.2 billion fall in imports outpaced a $3.8 billion decline in exports.
- Wholesale Inventories: Advance wholesale inventories rose 0.3% month-over-month to $945.9 billion in June, reflecting a 4.4% increase compared to June 2025.
- Retail Inventories: Advance retail inventories were essentially unchanged at $831.3 billion in June, though up 3.0% year-over-year; excluding motor vehicles and parts, retail inventories dipped 0.2%.
- May’s S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index data will be out by 9:00 a.m., and July’s Conference Board consumer confidence data will be released by 10:00 a.m. ET.
Commodities, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets
Crude Oil WTI futures were trading lower in the early New York session by 3.06% to hover around $80.08 per barrel.
Gold Spot US Dollar fell 0.78% to hover around $4,045.07 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.03% lower at the 101.5030 level.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was trading 2.62% lower at $63,431.49 per coin over the last 24 hours.
Asian markets closed mixed on Tuesday, as Australia’s ASX 200 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng indices rose. India’s Nifty 50, South Korea’s Kospi, China’s CSI 300, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 indices fell. European markets were mostly higher in early trade.
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