U.S. stock index futures inched higher on Monday, boosted by megacap companies, while hundreds of Omicron-driven flight cancellations kept investors on edge at the start of this year's final trading week.
Travel-related stocks, typically sensitive to news around the coronavirus, slid after U.S. airlines called off many flights for a third day on Sunday as surging COVID-19 cases forced Christmas weekend travelers to change plans.
The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Thursday, as upbeat news related to the Omicron coronavirus variant calmed investor nerves over the highly infection strain's economic impact after it upended markets earlier this month.
Wall Street's three main indexes are eyeing a third straight yearly gain, with the benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) on track to close out the year 25.8% higher. The Dow is set to rise 17.5%, while the Nasdaq is looking at a 21.4% climb.
At 8:00 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were up 72 points, or 0.20% and S&P 500 e-minis were up 15.50 points, or 0.33%.
Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 70.00 points, or 0.43% as megacap companies Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Meta Platform (FB.O) firmed between 0.5% and 1%.Airline stocks – The major carriers saw their shares fall in the premarket after a surge in weekend cancellations due to staffing issues. United Airlines (UAL) slid 1.8%, American Airlines (AAL) fell 1.4%, Delta Air Lines (DAL) was down 1% and Southwest (LUV) declined 1.5%.
Stocks making the biggest moves premarket
Cruise line stocks – Stocks of major cruise lines declined in premarket trading following three Covid-19 outbreaks in the past week on ships operated by Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean (RCL). Carnival slid 2.2% in the premarket, while Royal Caribbean lost 1.9% and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) slid 1.6%.
Grab（GRAB）– Grab stock climbed more than 7% in premarket trading as Wall Street saw massive upside for Asian tech giant Grab, after disappointing debut.
GoDaddy (GDDY) – GoDaddy jumped 3.9% in premarket action after the Wall Street Journal reported that activist investor Starboard Value had taken a 6.5% stake in the internet domain name registration company.
Apple (AAPL) – Apple was cited by the top competition regulator in the Netherlands, which said the company broke competition laws, and ordered changes to Apple’s App Store payment policies. Apple said it would appeal the ruling.
Cigna (CI) – The insurer will reaffirm its 2021 and 2022 earnings guidance at its upcoming investor meetings, according to an SEC filing. Cigna expected 2021 adjusted earnings of at least $20.35 per share and sees projected growth of at least 10% for 2022.
Moderna (MRNA) – The drugmaker is fighting a shareholder proposal that the company open up its vaccine technology to poorer countries, according to a report in the Financial Times. The proposal calls on Moderna to explain why its prices are so high in light of the amount of government financial support it has received. Moderna fell 2% in the premarket.
Avis Budget (CAR) – The car rental firm’s shares jumped 2.6% in premarket trading, following a 3.2% gain Thursday. Average daily rental rates are at $81 per day, according to travel firm Kayak. That’s up 31% from a year ago.
Didi Global (DIDI) – Didi fell 1.3% in the premarket after the Financial Times reported that the China-based ride-hailing company is blocking employees from selling the shares for an indefinite period. That follows the company’s move to delist in the United States.