The U.S. stock market is showing continued upward momentum on Friday, July 25, 2025, with premarket trading indicating a positive start to the day. This follows a mixed close on Thursday, where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite reached new record highs, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a slight dip. Investors are closely watching corporate earnings, ongoing trade developments, and anticipating next week's Federal Reserve meeting.
Premarket Activity and Futures Movements
As of early Friday, U.S. stock futures are largely steady to slightly higher. S&P 500 futures are up 0.07% to 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures are showing a modest decline of 0.03% to 0.04%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures have gained between 0.09% and 0.2%, indicating a potential rebound for the blue-chip index after its Thursday slip. This premarket strength is largely attributed to strong corporate earnings reports and optimism surrounding international trade agreements.
Major Market Indexes: A Look at Current Performance
The major U.S. market indexes have demonstrated a robust performance recently. The S&P 500 (SPX) rose to 6371 points on July 25, 2025, gaining 0.13% from the previous session and setting a fresh record high. Over the past month, the S&P 500 has climbed 3.75% and is up 16.71% compared to the same time last year. The Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) also continues its impressive run, having closed at a record high on Thursday, marking its 12th record of July. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), despite a 0.7% slip on Thursday, remains higher for the week overall. The S&P 500 has now recorded thirteen record closes in 2025, with four occurring this week alone. This sustained upward trend in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq has been bolstered by a strong earnings season and positive trade developments.
Upcoming Market Events
The financial calendar for the upcoming week is highlighted by the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, scheduled from July 29 to July 30. While the FOMC is not expected to cut interest rates at this meeting, with rates widely anticipated to remain in the 4.25%-4.50% range, investors will be keenly awaiting comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Powell's remarks will be scrutinized for insights into the impact of tariffs on inflation and the central bank's potential monetary policy actions for the remainder of the year. The annualized inflation rate, at 2.7% in June, remains above the Fed's long-term goal of 2%.
On the economic data front, traders will be watching for the release of June's Durable Goods Orders data today. This report could provide further clues about the health of the manufacturing sector and overall economic activity. Other economic indicators scheduled for release in July include the St. Louis Fed Economic News Index.
Major Stock News and Company Highlights
Several major public companies are making headlines with their latest news and earnings reports:
Alphabet (GOOGL): The Google parent company saw its shares rise in premarket trading after surpassing second-quarter expectations and raising its 2025 capital spending guidance by $10 billion, reinforcing investor confidence in its AI strategy. Alphabet's revenue grew 14% year-over-year, driven by rising cloud and search sales.
Tesla (TSLA): Shares of the electric vehicle maker plunged almost 8% on Thursday after reporting poor earnings and rough guidance for the second quarter. Tesla's revenue fell for the second consecutive quarter, and CEO Elon Musk indicated the company could face "a few rough quarters" ahead.
Intel (INTC): Intel's shares were down 5% in premarket trade after the company's second-quarter bottom line missed Wall Street estimates, and its Q3 outlook failed to impress investors. The company also announced a 15% workforce reduction.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG): Chipotle's shares are falling significantly in premarket trading after the company projected flat same-store sales growth for the year and reported a comparable-restaurant sales decline of 4%.
T-Mobile US (TMUS): Shares of T-Mobile climbed 5.8% after the company posted second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of $2.84 per share, outpacing the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS): The company's shares surged 4.3% after reporting second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of $0.79 per share, surpassing analyst expectations.
Waste Connections Inc. (WCN): Waste Connections saw its shares gain 2.1% after reporting second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of $1.29 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Aon plc (AON): Aon reported strong second-quarter 2025 results, with 11% total revenue growth and 6% organic revenue growth, and reaffirmed its full-year 2025 financial guidance.
Other companies expected to report earnings today include Phillips 66 (PSX) and Booz Allen (BAH). Bajaj Finserv, Cipla, Bank of Baroda, Shriram Finance, Schaeffler India, SBI Cards and Payment, Tata Chemicals, SAIL, Poonawalla Fincorp, and ACME Solar Holdings are also among the top companies scheduled to announce their Q1 FY26 results today.
The market remains influenced by ongoing trade negotiations, particularly between the U.S. and the European Union, with hopes of a tariff deal keeping sentiment upbeat. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump confirmed a trade agreement with Japan, which reduced the baseline and automobile tariff rate to 15%.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.