U.S. stock futures fluctuated on Tuesday following Friday’s mixed close. Futures of major benchmark indices were mixed at the beginning of the holiday-shortened week as the markets were closed on Monday for Presidents’ Day.
Weekly losses hit all major indices last week, with the S&P 500 dropping 1.4% and the Dow slipping 1.2%. The Nasdaq recorded a 2.1% weekly decline.
Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats and the administration of President Donald Trump failed to agree on a funding deal through September, triggering a partial government shutdown that commenced Saturday.
The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.02%, and the two-year bond was at 3.39%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 90.2% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged in March.
| Index | Performance (+/-) |
| Dow Jones | 0.02% |
| S&P 500 | -0.14% |
| Nasdaq 100 | -0.47% |
| Russell 2000 | -0.21% |
Stocks In Focus
Ocular Therapeutix
- Ocular Therapeutix Inc. (NASDAQ:OCUL) soared 33.56% as it is set to announce topline data for SOL-1 Phase 3 superiority trial in wet AMD on Tuesday.
- OCUL maintains a stronger price trend over the long term but a weak trend in the short and medium terms, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Sonoco Products
- SON maintains a stronger price trend over the short, medium, and long terms, with a poor growth ranking, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Masimo
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that MASI maintains a weaker price trend over the short, medium, and long terms, with a poor quality ranking.
Toll Brothers
- Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE:TOL) was 0.07% lower as analysts expected it to report earnings of $2.11 per share on revenue of $1.85 billion after the closing bell.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that TOL maintains a strong price trend over the long, medium, and short terms, with a strong value ranking.
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services
- ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM) surged 34.46% after the company agreed to be acquired by Hapag-Lloyd for $35.00 per share in cash at an aggregate cash consideration of approximately $4.2 billion.
- ZIM maintains a stronger price trend over the long, short, and medium terms, with a solid quality ranking, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Cues From Last Session
Utilities, real estate, and materials led the S&P 500’s gainers on Friday, while communication services and tech bucked the trend to close lower as U.S. stocks settled mixed.
Insights From Analysts
Renowned economist Mohamed El-Erian views the 2026 U.S. economy as a “tense tug-of-war” between three distinct futures: a stable “Goldilocks-lite” baseline, a productivity-fueled boom, and a volatile downside.
He warns that the broad AI enthusiasm that propelled markets in 2025 is shifting toward a more skeptical “Anti-AI” sentiment. Investors are increasingly focused on “creative destruction,” fretting over which sectors will be disrupted before they can successfully adapt.
El-Erian highlights an “unsettling” structural shift: the decoupling of GDP growth from job creation. He notes that while the economy remains macro-resilient, “growth in 2026 may be accompanied by a relatively stagnant labor market,” potentially exacerbating economic inequality.
Furthermore, he cautions that the Federal Reserve faces a “tricky” path as sticky inflation persists.
For the stock market, El-Erian expects a move away from the “limitless potential” narrative toward a tactical, bottom-up environment. He emphasizes that the “standard playbook” of riding broad waves is over, stating that “2026 will not bring more of the same; it should be a year of recalibration.”
Success will now depend on identifying companies that effectively integrate AI rather than those just building its infrastructure.
Upcoming Economic Data
Here’s what investors will be keeping an eye on this week.
Commodities, Gold, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets
Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.62% to hover around $63.14 per barrel.
Gold Spot US Dollar rose 1.29% to hover around $4,926.51 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $5,595.46 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.20% higher at the 97.1060 level.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was trading 1.26% lower at $68,103.54 per coin.
Asian markets closed mixed on Tuesday, as China’s CSI 300, Japan’s Nikkei 225, and South Korea’s Kospi indices fell. On the other hand, India’s Nifty 50, Australia’s ASX 200, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng indices closed higher. European markets were higher in early trade.
Photo courtesy: godongphoto / Shutterstock.com
