Stock index futures advanced strongly on Thursday, as traders assessed the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut in 2025. Here are four stocks to watch on the day:
Palantir (PLTR) stock was up 1.4% in premarket trade as the United Kingdom and the firm entered a partnership that would see an investment of up to £1.5B in the U.K. to deliver new jobs, growth and national security. U.S.-based Palantir plans to make the U.K. its European headquarters for defense and create up to 350 new high-skilled jobs. London will become the base for Palantir’s European defense business. In addition, Palantir and the U.K. military will develop AI-powered capabilities.
Novo Nordisk (NVO) shares gained 7.6% in extended trading, making it their biggest gain in a month, after a real-world study showed its diabetes drug Ozempic outperformed Eli Lilly’s (LLY) older drug Trulicity (dulaglutide) in certain diabetic and heart disease patients.
Darden Restaurants (DRI) fell 6.6% in premarket trade as investors were left unimpressed by its full-year comparable sales growth, which the firm expects to come in between +2.5% and +3.5%. The midpoint of the range is slightly below the consensus expectation of +3.1%. For the quarter ended on August, reported sales increased by 10.4% to $3 billion.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) shares fell 4.2% before the opening bell after Nvidia (NVDA) and Intel (INTC) announced a blockbuster deal on Thursday to co-develop PC and data center chips. Simultaneously, Nvidia said it would take a $5B stake in Intel.