u.s. stock futures steady amid trade deal hopes

#WATCH | "Any day when the President isn't commenting on tariffs is a good day for markets," says Ed Yardeni, analyzing US stock market moves amid trade war uncertainty.

Watch the full interview: https://t.co/4og4VSUhIy @yardeni @_sherylld @nikunjdalmia pic.twitter.com/TQ8nOqmMYj

— ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) April 28, 2025

U.S. stock futures remained steady on Monday as investors prepared for a week filled with earnings reports from major technology companies and economic data releases. Traders are also closely monitoring progress on various trade deals. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent provided limited information about a potential trade agreement with China.

Stocks To Watch | 📊Ready, set, trade! Keep an eye on these stocks as they set the market abuzz #StockMarket #Q4FY25 #Q4FY25Results pic.twitter.com/FBNX5zl7qd

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He emphasized that China needs to take steps to reduce tensions since they sell significantly more to the U.S. than the U.S. sells to them. Bessent did indicate some progress on trade discussions with India. President Donald Trump recently suggested that U.S.-China trade tensions might be easing.

Re Crimea, amazing Trump blames everyone except Putin for illegally annexing it.

Now he’s proposing recognizing this theft—overturning his own first term policy when Pompeo issued a formal declaration the US would never, ever recognize Russia’s seizure.https://t.co/Z5lzhs7GxJ

— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) April 26, 2025

However, Barclays economist Jonathan Millar noted that while recent talks have shown some progress, they may not be enough to prevent a recession in the U.S. This week, over 180 companies in the S&P 500 are scheduled to report their quarterly earnings. Four of the largest tech firms, known as the “Magnificent Seven,” will release their results. So far, 73% of companies that have reported have exceeded analysts’ expectations, which is slightly below the five-year average of 77%.

Steady futures amid earnings week

April has been a volatile month for the stock market due to changes in tariff policies announced by President Trump. The S&P 500 is currently down 1.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is on track to lose 4.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 0.5%. Investors will also be focusing on important economic reports this week, including the nonfarm payrolls release on Friday and the first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure will also be closely watched. In premarket trading, Boeing shares rose nearly 2% after Bernstein upgraded the stock, citing a stronger recovery outlook. Progressive’s stock climbed more than 1% following an upgrade from Bank of America. However, Domino’s Pizza shares declined almost 3% after reporting mixed first-quarter results. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Monday as investors assessed China’s promises to support domestic businesses and ongoing trade discussions with the U.S. Mainland China’s index fell 0.14%, while India’s benchmark rose 1.23%. As of Sunday evening, futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 all indicated slight declines. Investors will be closely monitoring developments throughout the trading week.