Simply Wall St
3 min read
Find winning stocks in any market cycle. Join 7 million investors using Simply Wall St’s investing ideas for FREE.
The Morning Bull – US Market Morning Update Friday, May, 8 2026
US stock futures are pointing higher this morning, with E-mini S&P 500 contracts up about 0.4% and Nasdaq-100 futures up roughly 0.6%, as investors focus on a key mix of jobs and inflation signals. The April non-farm payrolls report is expected to show 62,000 new jobs, unemployment at 4.3% and paychecks rising 0.3% month on month, which hints at an economy that is cooling but still holding up. At the same time, global food prices are 1.6% higher on the year’s FAO Food Price Index and Brent crude is above US$100, raising questions about whether everyday costs will stay under pressure. The dilemma for investors now is whether a still firm job market plus higher food and energy costs keep interest rates elevated for longer, which would keep rate sensitive areas such as real estate and utilities under strain, while putting fresh attention on growth sectors that can absorb higher costs and still grow earnings.
If you are worried that sticky food and energy costs keep rates higher for longer, focus on 72 resilient stocks with low risk scores.
Top Movers
-
Datadog (DDOG) jumped 31.33% after very strong Q1 earnings and multiple analyst upgrades.
-
Fortinet (FTNT) climbed 20.03% as Q1 results and a wave of price target hikes drew attention.
-
MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings (MTSI) gained 11.19% following Q2 results and higher analyst price targets.
Is Datadog still a smart investment or just hype? Read our most popular narrative and get all the answers you need.
Top Losers
-
Insmed (INSM) dropped 23.55% after Q1 results showed another quarterly loss and analysts flagged the pullback.
-
Zoetis (ZTS) fell 21.50% after Q1 earnings and commentary that the quarter was worse than it seems.
-
Futu Holdings (FUTU) declined 13.76%.
Look past the noise – uncover the top narrative that explains what truly matters for Futu Holdings’ long-term success.
On The Radar
Global inflation signals and US housing data will share the spotlight with a few targeted stock specific catalysts.
-
US Housing: April Existing Home Sales on Monday will help you gauge how mortgage rates meet buyer demand.
-
China Prices: Monday’s April China CPI and PPI readings frame input costs and demand in a key US trading partner.
-
Central Banks: The ECB Cipollone speech on Sunday may offer insight into how Europe is approaching persistent inflation.
-
Bank of Canada: Monday’s BoC Market Participants Survey provides a snapshot of rate expectations in another major economy.
-
Utilities Earnings: Friday’s Q1 update from PPL (PPL) outlines how a regulated utility is handling costs and cash flows.
