Tuesday morning brought a wave of selling pressure before the opening bell, with U.S. stock futures pointing sharply lower. The Dow futures were down around 200 points as investors digested a fresh batch of corporate earnings and capital-raising announcements.
Helmerich and Payne Takes the Biggest Hit
Leading the decliners was Helmerich and Payne Inc (HP), which saw its shares tumble following the release of fourth-quarter financial results. The drilling services company reported a loss of 1 cent per share for the quarter, though it managed to exceed revenue expectations with quarterly sales of $1.012 billion, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $973.678 million.
Despite the revenue beat, investors weren't impressed. Helmerich and Payne (HP) shares fell 7% to $25.69 in pre-market trading, suggesting the market was more focused on the bottom-line miss than the top-line strength.
Other Notable Pre-Market Decliners
Helmerich and Payne wasn't alone in the red. Several other stocks were posting significant losses before the market opened.
Alpha Technology Group Ltd (ATGL) gave back some of Monday's spectacular gains, dropping 19% to $17.50 in pre-market trading. This came after the stock had surged 132% the previous session, making the pullback look like a classic case of profit-taking after a massive rally.
Invivyd Inc (IVVD) fell 13.4% to $2.46 after announcing pricing of a $125 million public offering of common stock and pre-funded warrants. Dilution concerns typically weigh on stocks when companies announce new share issuances, and this morning was no exception.
Nice Ltd (NICE) extended Monday's losses, falling another 7.3% to $112.00 in pre-market trading after already declining 9% the previous day. That's a painful two-day stretch for shareholders.
H World Group Ltd (HTHT) dropped 6.7% to $41.95 despite recently reporting better-than-expected third-quarter financial results. Sometimes good news just isn't enough to overcome broader market sentiment.
Fulcrum Therapeutics Inc (FULC) fell 6.6% to $9.01, reversing course after gaining 12% on Monday. Rocket Pharmaceuticals Inc (RCKT) declined 6% to $2.86, while OBOOK Holdings Inc (OWLS) slipped 5.6% to $7.53 and Iperionx Ltd (IPX) fell 5% to $33.00 in early trading.
Home Depot Weighs on Retail Sector
Home Depot Inc (HD) added to the morning's negative sentiment, slipping 2% to $351.01 in pre-market trading. The home improvement giant reported worse-than-expected third-quarter adjusted earnings per share and lowered its full-year 2025 adjusted EPS outlook, raising fresh concerns about consumer spending in the housing and home improvement sector.
The Home Depot results suggest that even major retailers are feeling pressure from cautious consumer behavior, which doesn't bode well for the broader retail landscape heading into the holiday season.