Stock Market Today: Dow Jones Futures Gain, Nasdaq 100 Falls as Investors Await SK Hynix Debut and US Reportedly Mulls ‘Technical Talks’ With Iran— PMGC Holdings, WD-40, Netflix In Focus

U.S. stock futures were mixed on Friday, as the Dow Jones index advanced, while the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 indices fell, following Thursday’s higher close.

As the tensions in the Middle East re-escalated this week, MS Now reported that the U.S. will engage in “technical talks” with Iran and remains committed to resolving the conflict. This followed fresh reports from the Wall Street Journal on Thursday that said Iran has developed a fresh plan to kill President Donald Trump, marking what could be a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Market attention is centered on the AI sector ahead of SK Hynix Inc.’s (NASDAQ:SKHY) highly anticipated Nasdaq debut. This IPO arrives as investors evaluate a recent semiconductor sell-off that has tested confidence in the AI boom.

Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.54%, and the two-year bond was at 4.17%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 79.1% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged during July’s meeting.

Index	Performance (+/-)
Dow Jones	0.13%
S&P 500	-0.14%
Nasdaq 100	-0.54%
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 lower in premarket on Friday. The SPY was down 0.085% at $751.07, while the QQQ declined by 0.42% to $720.17.

Stocks In Focus

PMGC Holdings

• PMGC Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ELAB) surged 17.94% in premarket on Friday after the biopharmaceutical company disclosed a merger between two wholly owned subsidiaries, namely, AGA Precision Systems LLC and A&B Aerospace Inc.

• Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that ELAB maintains a weak price trend in the short, long, and medium terms.

WD-40

• (NASDAQ:WDFC) was 14.86% higher after it reported better-than-expected third-quarter financial results.

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

Simulations Plus

• Simulations Plus Inc. (NASDAQ:SLP) slipped 0.65% despite reporting upbeat earnings for its third quarter, after the closing bell on Thursday.

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

Equipmentshare.Com

• Equipmentshare.Com Inc. (NASDAQ:EQPT) was 17.75% higher after it raised its 2026 financial guidance and announced a $500 million share repurchase program amid strong demand.

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

Netflix

• Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) stock was 0.54% higher as the streaming giant reportedly said that it is rethinking its strategies to keep up with competitors.

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

Cues From Last Session

Information technology, consumer discretionary, and financial stocks recorded the biggest gains on Thursday, while consumer staples and energy shares bucked the trend to close lower, lifting most S&P 500 sectors and helping U.S. stocks settle higher as the Nasdaq Composite added over 300 points amid a semiconductor surge.

Index	Performance (+/-)	Value
Dow Jones	0.27%	52,348.39
S&P 500	0.81%	7,543.64
Nasdaq Composite	1.30%	26,206.89
Russell 2000	1.22%	2,992.54

Insights From Analysts

Mason Mendez, Global Real Assets Analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, maintains a positive yet cautious outlook on the U.S. stock market and economy.

As geopolitical oil risks subside, Mendez notes that investors are refocusing on corporate earnings and Federal Reserve policy. “The outlook for equities remains positive,” Mendez states, supported by an S&P 500 Index year-end target of 7,800–8,000 for 2026.

However, near-term headwinds persist. Sticky inflation could prompt the Fed to keep interest rates higher for longer, pressure growth stocks, and heighten market sensitivity.

Tech corporate earnings face intense scrutiny, as a recent market rotation suggests “expectations may have moved ahead of near-term earnings reality” regarding artificial intelligence profits. While Mendez believes the long-term AI narrative is intact, high expectations create room for volatility, a risk further complicated by rising investor leverage.

To navigate these conditions, Mendez advises staying invested through the volatility while avoiding overconcentration. He suggests maintaining a selective approach to information technology and balancing portfolios with attractive valuations in financials, industrials, utilities, and materials.

Upcoming Economic Data

Here’s what investors will be keeping an eye on Friday.

• No data is scheduled to be released on Friday.

Commodities, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets

Crude oil futures were trading lower in the early New York session by 0.32% to hover around $71.85 per barrel.

Gold Spot US Dollar fell 0.62% to hover around $4,098.11 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.04% lower at the 100.8670 level.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was trading 2.21% higher at $64,172.40 per coin over the last 24 hours.

Asian markets were mostly higher on Friday, except for China’s CSI 300 index. Australia’s ASX 200, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, India’s Nifty 50, South Korea’s Kospi, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose. European markets were also mixed in early trade.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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