Exchange-Traded Funds Edge Higher, Equity Futures Mixed Pre-Bell Tuesday as Traders Tread Cautiously Ahead of Shortened Trading Day

Tivic Health Systems shares surged 76% in recent Tuesday premarket activity, a day after its Chief Executive Jennifer Ernst said in a letter to shareholders that the company is mulling new opportunities to raise cash flow in 2025 and planning disease-specific clinical trials for obtaining regulatory nods.

NeueHealth stock soared 62%, a day after it said it agreed to be acquired and taken private by an affiliate of New Enterprise Associates for an enterprise value of about $1.3 billion.

SEALSQ shares rose 28% after saying overnight it unveiled its QUASARS project in the field of post-quantum cryptography.

SES AI stock was up 19%, extending Monday's rally.

US equity futures were mostly pointing higher on Tuesday as investors prepare for a shortened trading session ahead of Christmas.

Standard & Poor's 500 and the Nasdaq edged up 0.1% each in premarket activity while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off 0.1%. Asian exchanges were mixed while European bourses were mostly trending higher midday on the continent.

US markets will close early on Tuesday and remain shuttered on Wednesday for the Christmas holiday, reopening on Thursday.

Shares of NeueHealth surged 61% pre-bell as the healthcare company agreed to be acquired and taken private by an affiliate of New Enterprise Associates in a deal worth roughly $1.3 billion. Rumble declined 3.5% after closing Monday's session up 81%. Tilray Brands spiked 11%.

Tuesday's thin economic calendar has the Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index for December at 10 am ET.

Before the opening bell, bitcoin inclined 1.4% to $94,242, West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained 0.9% to $69.89 a barrel, yields on 10-year Treasuries inched up 0.2 basis points to 4.6% and gold moved less than 0.1% higher to $2,629 an ounce.

GDS Holdings is exploring an initial public offering for a real estate investment trust consisting of its data center assets in China, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

The potential IPO could raise around 1 billion yuan ($140 million), with a listing possible as early as next year, the sources said.

Discussions are ongoing, and no final decision has been made, according to the report.

GDS did not immediately respond to requests for comment from MT Newswires.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Golar LNG said Tuesday it acquired all outstanding minority interests in the FLNG Hilli from Seatrium and Black & Veatch for a total of $90.2 million, taking full ownership of the liquefied natural gas vessel.

The total consideration comprises $59.9 million in equity and $30.3 million of a pro-rata share in the existing FLNG Hilli debt facility, Golar said.

Golar said it acquired 5.45% common units, 10.9% series A shares and 10.9% series B shares. The increased ownership will be effective from Jan. 1, the company added.

Additionally, Golar said it paid Seatrium $7 million for a Hilli Train 3 utilization bonus and settlement of historical work related to the Golar Gandria, a former Golar-owned LNG carrier. There are no outstanding contractual arrangements on existing assets between the two companies after the settlement.

Golar's stock was down 3.2% in recent Tuesday premarket activity.

March S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESH25) are up +0.14%, and March Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQH25) are up +0.18% this morning ahead of a holiday-shortened pre-Christmas trading session.

The U.S. stock markets will close early at 1 p.m. Eastern Time today and remain closed on Wednesday in observance of the Christmas holiday.

In yesterday’s trading session, Wall Street’s main stock indexes ended higher. Qualcomm rose over +3% after a U.S. federal jury ruled that the company’s central processors are properly licensed under its agreement with Arm Holdings. Also, chip stocks advanced, with GlobalFoundries and Broadcom climbing more than +5%. In addition, Eli Lilly gained over +3% after the FDA approved the company’s weight-loss drug Zepbound for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. On the bearish side, Walmart dropped more than -2% and was the top percentage loser on the Dow after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against the retail giant and financial technology firm Branch for allegedly “taking advantage” of over one million delivery drivers.

Economic data released on Monday showed that the U.S. Conference Board’s consumer confidence index unexpectedly fell to 104.7 in December, weaker than expectations of 112.9. Also, U.S. November durable goods orders slipped -1.1% m/m, weaker than expectations of -0.3% m/m, while core durable goods orders, which exclude transportation, fell -0.1% m/m, weaker than expectations of +0.3% m/m. In addition, U.S. new home sales rose +5.9% m/m to 664K in November, just below the consensus estimate of 666K.

“The economic outlook is deteriorating,” said Neil Dutta at Renaissance Macro Research. “This was true before the Fed’s December confab and remains true after. The risk of the Fed flip-flopping is quite high.”

Meanwhile, U.S. rate futures have priced in a 91.4% chance of no rate change and an 8.6% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut at the conclusion of the Fed’s January meeting.

Today, investors will focus on the U.S. Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, which is set to be released in a couple of hours. Economists estimate this figure to come in at -10 in December, compared to last month’s value of -14.

In the bond market, the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note is at 4.594%, down -0.11%.

Europe’s Stoxx 50 index is up +0.28% this morning in quiet pre-holiday trading, with major markets like Germany shut and others, including London and Paris, set for early closures. Technology stocks led the gains on Tuesday, supported by the strong performance of their U.S. counterparts overnight. Meanwhile, investors continue to focus on the monetary policy outlooks of the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve, along with the effects of U.S. tariffs on European manufacturing demand. ECB President Christine Lagarde said in an FT podcast released Monday, “We’re getting very close to that stage when we can declare that we have sustainably brought inflation to our medium-term 2%.” In other news, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou stated that he intends to reach an agreement with parliament on a 2025 budget to bring the country’s deficit down to nearly 5%. In corporate news, Vistry Group Plc (VTY.LN) tumbled over -17% after the British homebuilder issued a profit warning for the third time this year.

The European economic data slate is empty on Tuesday.

Asian stock markets today closed mixed. China’s Shanghai Composite Index (SHCOMP) closed up +1.26%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Index (NIK) closed down -0.32%.

China’s Shanghai Composite Index closed higher today as sentiment was boosted by a report of Beijing’s planned record issuance of special treasury bonds for next year. Semiconductor stocks led the gains on Tuesday. The rally came even after the Biden administration announced a last-minute trade investigation into older China-made “legacy” semiconductors, which could result in additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese chips. Bank stocks also advanced as falling bond yields led investors to continue seeking shelter in assets with high dividend yields. Meanwhile, China’s finance ministry reiterated on Tuesday that the government will enhance fiscal support for the economy in 2025. The ministry reaffirmed plans to increase government spending to stimulate consumption and demand in the world’s second-largest economy, according to a statement. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Chinese policymakers agreed to issue 3 trillion yuan ($411 billion) in special treasury bonds in 2025, which would be the highest on record. In other news, Chinese state media reported that foreign institutions remain optimistic about China’s capital market for 2025, expecting a gradual stabilization of the economy. In corporate news, GCL Energy Technology gained more than +5% after reports emerged that the electric services provider would collaborate with Ant Group’s AntChain blockchain technology unit on a real-world asset tokens project. Investors are now awaiting the People’s Bank of China’s decision on the one-year Medium-Term Lending Facility rate later this week.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Index closed lower today in thin pre-holiday trading. Technology and electronics stocks weighed on the index on Tuesday. The minutes of the Bank of Japan’s October 30-31 meeting, released Tuesday, revealed that policymakers agreed to continue to raise interest rates if the economy progresses in line with their forecast, though some emphasized the need for caution amid uncertainty regarding U.S. economic policy. “Many members said the BOJ must continue to scrutinize developments in overseas economies, including that of the United States, and markets,” the minutes showed. Meanwhile, the yen wavered amid thin trading volumes as Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato cautioned against excessive foreign exchange movements. In corporate news, Honda Motor surged more than +12% after announcing plans to repurchase up to 1.1 trillion yen ($7 billion) worth of its shares and merge with Nissan Motor in 2026. Investor attention is now on BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda’s speech on Wednesday and the BOJ’s Summary of Opinions set for release on Friday. The Nikkei Volatility, which takes into account the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, closed down -16.16% to 18.31.

Pre-Market U.S. Stock Movers

NeueHealth jumped about +61% in pre-market trading after the company announced that it had agreed to be taken private by New Enterprise Associates at an enterprise value of about $1.3 billion.

International Seaways climbed more than +8% in pre-market trading after S&P Dow Jones Indices announced that the stock would be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 index next week.

Today’s U.S. Earnings Spotlight: Tuesday - December 24th

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On the date of publication, Oleksandr Pylypenko did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policyhere.

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