Stock Market Today: S&P 500, Dow Futures Decline As US And Iran Exchange Strikes— Snowfalke, Salesforce,

U.S. stock futures fell on Thursday, after a higher close on Wednesday, as all indices ended marginally higher, but the small-cap index, the Russell 200 declined.

A U.S. official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was allegedly preparing to launch attack drones.

The official also said U.S. forces shot down four one-way drones that posed a threat near the Strait of Hormuz. “These actions were measured, ‌purely ⁠defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” the official said

Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.50%, and the two-year bond was at 4.05%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 99.1% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged during June’s meeting.

Stocks In Focus

Snowflake

• Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that SNOW maintains a weak price trend in the long term but strong trends in the short and medium terms, with a poor growth rank.

Salesforce

• Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) was 1.86% lower as soft guidance and legacy weakness overshadowed a massive first-quarter earnings beat.

• Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that CRM maintains a weak price trend in the short, long, and medium terms, with a poor quality score.

Marvell Technology

• Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that MRVL maintains a strong price trend in the long, short, and medium terms, with a good growth score.

Costco Wholesale

• Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ:COST) was up 0.35% as it is scheduled to post quarter earnings after the closing bell. Analysts expect earnings of $4.93 per share on revenue of $69.73 billion.

• Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that COST maintains a strong price trend in the long and medium terms but a weak trend in the short term, with a moderate value rank.

HP

• HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) was 1.65% lower despite beating Street estimates on the top and bottom lines..

• Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that HPQ maintains a strong price trend in the short, long, and medium terms, with a moderate quality score.

Cues From Last Session

Sectors that gained and lost on Wednesday included consumer staples and consumer discretionary stocks, closing the session higher, while energy, financial and utilities stocks recorded the biggest losses as most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a negative note.

Insights From Analysts

Professor Jeremy Siegel maintains a bullish yet cautious outlook on the U.S. stock market and economy, driven by resilient growth and abundant liquidity.

He notes that the market is eyeing a potential Iran settlement, suggesting that if the Strait of Hormuz opens, investors should “expect the market to continue its march upward, as the momentum trade gathers strength.”

Siegel emphasizes that the broader economy is expanding solidly, supported by strong consumer spending and rising GDP estimates. However, this economic resilience, paired with a surge in liquidity, shifts the monetary policy landscape.

Siegel warns that “the evidence points toward policy needing to remain restrictive for longer,” especially as excess deposit growth implies that the financial system is accommodating inflationary pressures.

Regarding market valuations, Siegel pushes back against fears of a bubble. While chip and AI-related equities price in steep growth assumptions, he continues “to resist broad claims that the Magnificent 7 are universally overvalued,” citing their unprecedented cash generation.

Ultimately, Siegel believes the macroeconomic backdrop remains favorable for equities, concluding that “the bigger macro story remains that liquidity is still abundant, and economic growth remains surprisingly firm.”

Upcoming Economic Data

Here’s what investors will be keeping an eye on Thursday

Commodities, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets

Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 1.85% to hover around $90.32 per barrel.

Gold Spot US Dollar fell 1.51% to hover around $4,389.21 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $5,595.46 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.13% higher at the 99.3310 level.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was trading 3.32% lower at $73,158.93 per coin, as per the last 24 hours.

Asian markets closed lower on Thursday, except China’s CSI 300. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, India’s Nifty 50, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225, and Australia’s ASX 200 indices fell. European markets were also lower in early trade.

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