Stock index futures were higher on Tuesday as investors looked to build on recent gains. Here are the four stocks to watch on the day:
Merck (MRK) shares fell ~0.7% in premarket trading after the drugmaker issued a full-year 2026 outlook that came in below Wall Street expectations. The Rahway, New Jersey-based company forecasts adjusted EPS of $5.00 to $5.15 on revenue of $65.5 billion to $67 billion for 2026.
HP (HPQ) shares dropped 2.6% in early action after the company announced that Enrique Lores has stepped down as CEO and a member of its board of directors, effective immediately. Board member Bruce Broussard will serve as interim CEO. Separately, PayPal announced Lores would take the top job at the payments giant, replacing Alex Chriss.
Pfizer (PFE) shares fell 4.6% in premarket trading after the company reaffirmed its full-year outlook, indicating a revenue contraction for 2026 amid a nearly $1.5 billion impact attributed to some of its products facing loss of market exclusivity. However, the New York-based pharma giant beat expectations with its Q4 2025 results.
PayPal (PYPL) stock tumbled 16.9% before the opening bell after the fintech issued disappointing guidance, delivered weaker-than-expected Q4 earnings and revenue, and replaced its CEO. The board replaced Alex Chriss, who led PayPal for two and a half years.