US Stock Market Outlook: Oil Rises, Gold Pressured, Tech Stocks Decline Ahead of Talks.

US Stock Futures Decline Ahead of Trading Resumption

As of Tuesday morning, US stock futures are down, with the Dow futures falling by 0.26%, Nasdaq futures down by 0.87%, and S&P 500 futures decreasing by 0.45%. Following the holiday break, traders are returning to the market, leading to a decline in major tech stocks.

Tech Giants Experience Pre-Market Drop

The seven major tech companies saw a decline in pre-market trading:

• Apple (AAPL) down 0.3%
• Microsoft (MSFT) down 0.62%
• Meta Platforms (META) down 0.58%
• Amazon (AMZN) down 0.33%
• Tesla (TSLA) down 1.23%
• Nvidia down 0.95%
• Google (GOOG) down 1.71%

Investors are concerned about high capital expenditures from large cloud service providers and are questioning when returns will materialize. They are closely monitoring the disruptive impact of AI across various industries.

Chinese Stocks Show Mixed Performance

In contrast, many popular Chinese stocks rose in pre-market trading:

• Hesai (HSAI) up over 5%
• Baidu (BIDU) up over 1%
• Alibaba (BABA) up nearly 1%

Oil and Gold Market Reactions

Oil prices increased due to military exercises in Iran, boosting US oil stocks in pre-market trading:

• Murphy Oil (MUR), EOG Resources (EOG), and Occidental Petroleum (OXY) all up over 1%.

Conversely, gold stocks fell, with Harmony Gold (HMY) down over 4%, Coeur Mining (CDE) down over 3%, and Newmont Mining (NEM) down nearly 3%.

Apple Announces Offline Experience Events

Apple (AAPL) has announced offline experience events in three cities on March 4, 2026. The events will take place simultaneously in Shanghai, New York, and London, featuring hardware experiences and pre-recorded release videos.

Alibaba Launches New AI Model

Alibaba (BABA) has released its new AI model, Qwen 3.5-Plus, which rivals Gemini 3 Pro. The model features advanced capabilities and a competitive pricing structure.

General Mills Lowers Sales and Profit Forecast

General Mills (GIS) fell over 3% in pre-market trading after lowering its annual sales and profit forecasts due to weak consumer sentiment.

Danaher Nears Acquisition of Masimo

Danaher (DHR) is close to acquiring Masimo (MASI) for approximately $10 billion, which would be its largest deal in over five years.

BHP Reports Strong Financial Growth

BHP (BHP) reported a 28% increase in net profit, driven by rising copper prices and record output from core mines.

Medtronic's Guidance Falls Short

Medtronic (MDT) fell nearly 3% in pre-market trading as its annual guidance did not meet market expectations.

Market Sentiment and Trends

Market analysts are observing a cautious sentiment due to multiple holidays and a lack of new catalysts. The focus remains on developments between the US and Iran, as well as the ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Hedge Funds Buy into Asian Markets

Goldman Sachs reports that hedge funds are buying into Asian markets at the fastest pace in a decade, driven by optimism surrounding AI infrastructure companies.