U.S. stock futures are pointing lower as President Donald Trump left the G7 summit amid the Israel-Iran conflict; Amazon (AMZN) will extend its Prime Day event next month to four days; Meta Platforms (META) will introduce advertising to WhatsApp; Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares continue to rise after closing at a record high for a second straight session yesterday; and Oracle (ORCL) is introducing a program to help smaller firms sell tech to the Defense Department. Here’s what investors need to know today.
1. US Stock Futures Point Lower as Trump Leaves G7 Summit Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
U.S. stock futures are pointing lower after President Donald Trump left the Group of Seven meeting in Canada early to address the Israel-Iran conflict. Nasdaq futures are down 0.5% after the tech-focused index rose by 1.5% in the prior session as investors shook off worries over the conflict. Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures are also lower by around 0.5% after the indexes posted gains yesterday. Oil futures are nearly 2% higher. Gold futures are little changed. Bitcoin (BTCUSD) is trading down nearly 3% at below $106,000. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note is lower.
2. Amazon Extends Prime Day Event to Four Days
Amazon (AMZN) announced it will extend its Prime Day discount event to four days after the promotional event for its Prime subscription service last year produced record-setting sales. Amazon’s Prime Day will begin at 12:01 a.m. PT on July 8 and continue through July 11, adding two more days to the event that last year produced records for sales and items sold, the retailer said. Amazon shares, which entered Tuesday slightly lower for the year, are down about 1% in premarket trading.
3. Meta Platforms to Introduce Ads on WhatsApp
Meta Platforms (META)Â on Monday announced plans to introduce paid advertising to WhatsApp, a move that expands the social media giant’s revenue-generating opportunities. In a reversal of WhatsApp’s longtime “no ads” policy, Meta said it’s bringing channel subscriptions, promoted channels, and ads to its WhatsApp Updates tab, which the company said attracts about 1.5 billion users daily. The new features are expected to be rolled out globally over the next few months in an attempt to boost Meta’s ad revenue. After jumping nearly 3% yesterday, Meta shares are edging lower in premarket trading.
4. Palantir Stock Rises Further After Hitting Latest All-Time High
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares are rising slightly in premarket trading after the AI-powered analytics firm closed at a record high for a second straight session Monday amid optimism over its government contracts. Shares of Palantir have rocketed 87% higher this year, thanks in part to the company’s expanding role with the U.S. government under the Trump administration, with reports showing that at least four agencies have deployed a Palantir software platform called Foundry.
5. Oracle Launches Program to Help Vendors Sell Tech to Defense Department
Oracle (ORCL) introduced a program to help vendors more easily sell technology to the Defense Department. The Oracle Defense Ecosystem will allow smaller tech firms to navigate the “complex procurement processes, strict qualification standards, and the relationship networks required to gain admission into the Defense Industrial Base,” Oracle said. The news comes days after the enterprise software giant reported fourth-quarter results that topped expectations. Oracle shares, which have gained more than 25% this year, are down about 0.5% in premarket trading.
