S&P 500 INDEX FUTURES GAIN 0.2%, NASDAQ 100 FUTURES UP 0.5%

(Editor’s note: The headline and lede were updated; ETFs and futures data were updated to their latest moves and economic data was added.) U.S. stock futures pared losses to advance on Tuesday, as the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices rose, following Monday’s lower close. Small business sentiment provided a bright spot for the economy as the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 2.4 points in July to 99.8, surpassing its 52-year historical average of 98.0 to hit its highest level since August 2025. The gain was largely propelled by a surge in hiring plans—which jumped 9 points to a net 20%—alongside improved capital expenditure expectations, signaling that small firms are seeing potential spillover opportunities from broader economic growth despite ongoing inflation and geopolitical uncertainties. Brent Crude Oil futures climbed 2.52% to $89.93, as President Donald Trump demanded that Iran pay compensation for historical damages and deaths, dimming hopes for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, The new demands complicate peace efforts following Tehran’s insistence on an end to sanctions before reopening the vital shipping lane. Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.73%, and the two-year bond was at 4.03%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool’s projections show markets pricing a 51.9% likelihood of the Federal Reserve hiking the current interest rates during its September meeting. Index Performance (+/-) Dow Jones 0.10% S&P 500 0.15% Nasdaq 100 0.30% Russell 2000 0.23% The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE: SPY ) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ: QQQ ), which track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, were higher in premarket on Tuesday. The SPY was up 0.19% at $774.48, while the QQQ advanced by 0.39% to $723.71. Read Also: Stock Market: Will S&P 500 Open Up or Down Today? Stocks In Focus Rocket Lab Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ: RKLB ) dropped 8.95% in premarket on Tuesday despite record revenue, $2.36 billion order backlog, and strong third-quarter guidance, as a wider-than-expected loss per share of $0.08 and uncertainty regarding the Neutron rocket’s maiden launch timeline loomed. ’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that RKLB maintains a weak price trend in the short and medium terms but a strong trend in the long term. Plug Power Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG ) gained 10.94% as it reported second-quarter revenue of $178.3 million, beating analyst estimates, while its adjusted loss of 7 cents per share also topped expectations. Gross margin improved to breakeven from negative 13% in the first quarter, while service revenue jumped 82% year over year to about $30 million. ’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that PLUG maintains a weak price trend in the long, short, and medium terms. AST SpaceMobile AST SpaceMobile Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS ) slipped 3.26% as it reported second-quarter revenue of $31.5 million, missing analyst estimates, while its loss of 77 cents per share also fell short of expectations. The company’s revenue b