Why Are Nasdaq, S&P 500 Futures Subdued Premarket? NVDA, AAPL, INTC, CRWD, RKLB, SLS Stocks In Focus

• Renewed U.S.-Iran strikes pushed Brent crude above $90, while investors weighed a major Venezuela oil agreement. 
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also signaled that the administration could roll out new secondary sanctions on Iran.
• Markets head into the final session of August with major indexes still positioned for a strong month. 

U.S. stock futures were subdued following fresh U.S. strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, sending Brent crude past $89/bbl. President Donald Trump separately also announced what he described as a historic agreement giving the U.S. majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan oil reserves. 

Over the weekend, U.S. forces struck Iranian targets on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran subsequently claiming retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly said that the U.S. plans to unveil new secondary sanctions on Iran weekly, starting with banks tied to the regime. Keep an eye on oil stocks such as Chevron (CVX), Exxon Mobil (XOM), ConocoPhillips (COP), Shell (SHEL) and BP (BP) today. 

August Rally Faces A Fresh Test 

Despite escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, major indexes remain positioned to wrap up August with a win, with the Dow up about 2.1% for the month and on track for its fifth straight monthly gain. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are up roughly 3% and 4%, respectively.

As of 4:00 a.m. ET, Nasdaq and Russell 2000 futures were flat, while S&P 500 and Dow futures declined 0.1%. 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), an exchange-traded fund that tracks the S&P 500 Index, has remained ‘bullish’, and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ), which tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index, has remained ‘neutral’.

Tech Stocks To Watch 

Nvidia (NVDA) is pacing for an 8%+ gain for August after a stellar earnings report last week. Over the weekend, CEO Jensen Huang stated that the AI boom is bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. after decades of offshoring.

Apple (AAPL): On retail watch as it heads into a historic leadership transition. John Ternus officially steps into the CEO role following Tim Cook’s departure today.

Micron Technology (MU), SanDisk (SNDK) and SK Hynix (SKHY): Memory players remain on retail radar. Micron has already been one of August’s standout performers, with its shares up roughly 13% for the month. SanDisk and SK Hynix are also drawing attention.

Intel (INTC) is getting an additional boost from a report that SK Hynix is considering using Intel Foundry for HBM base die production.

CrowdStrike (CRWD): Riding a post-earnings surge of 20% last week, the stock remains in focus as its sold-out annual flagship Fal.Con 2026 conference kicks off today.

Trending Stocks

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS): US Mobile’s CEO shared plans to roll out AST SpaceMobile-powered direct-to-cell coverage on its Verizon-based network during Q4.

Rocket Lab (RKLB): Shares were under mild pressure following news that strong winds delayed its latest Electron rocket launch and recent SEC filings showed insider share sales totaling $2.8 million.

Sellas Life Sciences (SLS): Shares rose 2% in early premarket trade following executive commentary on LinkedIn highlighting strong clinical expectations for its AML drug candidate ahead of final Phase 3 trial triggers.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (BBW): Shares were under pressure last week after cutting its full-year outlook for the second time this year. However, Michael Burry noted in a weekend update that he is retaining his long position despite management’s strategy missteps.

Aon (AON) & KKR (KKR): Aon is reportedly close to acquiring USI Insurance from private-equity firm KKR in a deal valued at roughly $17 billion, including debt.

Other tickers trending on Stocktwits at the time of writing included Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCLH), Hecla Mining (HL), Affirm Holdings (AFRM), and UiPath (PATH).

What Else To Watch Monday

On the economic front, investors will watch U.S. Chicago PMI (August) and Dallas Fed Manufacturing Business Index (August) data. The biggest macro clue this week would be the jobs data, due Friday. This will be particularly important after Fed chief Kevin Warsh’s hawkish comments last week pushed rate-hike expectations higher. 

On the earnings front, BioLineRx (BLRX) and Science Applications International (SAIC) are scheduled to report before the bell, while Cango (CANG) is due after the close. 

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