US Stock Market Outlook: Indices Rise, March Core PCE Data, Google Surprises, Apple Focuses on New CEO.

Market Overview

On Thursday morning, all three major U.S. index futures rose. As of the time of writing, Dow futures were up 0.57%, Nasdaq futures increased by 0.45%, and S&P futures rose by 0.33%.

Tech Stocks Performance

Star tech stocks showed mixed results in pre-market trading. META fell over 9%, while Google rose nearly 8%. Amazon and Intel both gained over 2%.

Chinese Stocks

Popular Chinese stocks also saw a general increase, with Baidu up over 1%, TSMC rising 0.56%, and UMC down nearly 2%.

Apple Earnings Focus

Apple (AAPL) is set to release its Q2 FY2026 earnings after the market closes on Thursday. Investors are shifting their focus from iPhone sales to the strategic vision of new CEO John Ternus during the earnings call.

Tesla's Semi Production

Tesla (TSLA) announced the production of its first Semi electric truck at its Nevada Gigafactory, with deliveries expected to start this year. The dedicated production line has a capacity of 50,000 units annually, with a projected delivery of 5,000 to 15,000 trucks by 2026.

Unilever's Q1 Performance

Unilever (UL) reported a strong Q1, driven by demand in emerging markets, which helped offset weak demand in North America. The company’s sales grew by 3.8% year-over-year, surpassing analyst expectations.

CoreWeave's Expansion

Oppenheimer analysts noted that CoreWeave (CRWV) is expanding its data center capacity faster than expected, potentially leading to significant revenue growth this year. The company is expected to raise its 2026 revenue target to between $12 billion and $13 billion.

Meta's Capital Expenditure

Meta Platforms (META) raised its capital expenditure forecast to $145 billion, the highest in its history. Despite a decline in daily active users, the company aims to leverage AI for its advertising business.

Amazon's Q1 Results

Amazon (AMZN) reported impressive Q1 results, with total revenue reaching $181.5 billion, a 17% year-over-year increase. The company’s operating profit hit a record $23.9 billion, with significant investments planned for the future.

Alphabet's Strong Q1

Alphabet (GOOGL) reported a 22% increase in revenue for Q1, reaching $109.9 billion. Google Cloud saw explosive growth, with revenue up 63% year-over-year.

Eli Lilly's Earnings

Eli Lilly (LLY) shares rose over 7% in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 revenue of $19.8 billion, a 56% increase year-over-year.

UK Central Bank's Rate Decision

The Bank of England held interest rates steady at 3.75%, but indicated that further rate hikes may be necessary due to inflation concerns influenced by Middle Eastern conflicts.

Japanese Yen Intervention

The Japanese yen continues to weaken, prompting speculation of government intervention as the finance minister hinted at "bold actions" to stabilize the currency.

Global Economic Concerns

Morgan Stanley warned that a potential oil supply crisis could lead to Brent crude prices soaring to $150, with a significant risk of recession looming.

U.S. Military Plans

The U.S. Central Command is seeking approval to deploy hypersonic missiles in the Middle East, which could be used against Iranian missile launch sites.