Stock Futures Tread Water as Markets Digest Venezuela Windfall
Stock futures are mixed and nearly flat early Tuesday. The early price action suggests interest may shift back to technology after the three major averages posted solid gains the previous session following the arrest and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend. The energy sector led the markets higher on Monday after President Trump called for American oil companies to invest in the oil-rich country.
At 09:33 GMT, Dow Futures are trading 49144.00, down 84.00 or -0.17%. S&P 500 Index Futures are at 6938.25, down 5.50 or -0.08% and Nasdaq-100 Index futures are trading 25568.75, down 9.00 or -0.04%.
Blue Chips and Energy Giants Lead Monday’s Surge
The big winner on Monday was the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average. It gained over 700 points during the session before settling 594.69 points higher. Gains were led by its financial stock components with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase posting gains of 3.73% and 2.17%, respectively. Chevron was the biggest winner, gaining 5.10%. Given that it is the only major U.S. oil company with current operations in Venezuela, it could hit the ground running ahead of other energy giants like Exxon Mobil.
Broad-Based Gains Across Key Sectors
The benchmark S&P 500 Index also posted a gain, advancing 0.64% for the session. The key sectors contributing to the gains were Energy (+2.67%), Financials (+2.15%), and Consumer Discretionary (+1.93%). Top gainers included Valero Energy (+9.23%), SLB (+8.96%), and Halliburton (+7.38%), all oil-related issues.
Nasdaq Composite gained 0.69%, underpinned by growth shares Tesla (+3.1%) and Amazon (+2.9%).
Nvidia’s Rubin Chip Unveiling Could Catalyze Tech Rebound
Tuesday’s focus may shift to the technology sector with eyes on Nvidia after its Chief Executive Jensen Huang announced a new artificial intelligence chip, called Rubin, at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Shares of the AI giant rose modestly in extended trading after the company launched its next-generation AI data center processor, which boasts significant performance improvements over its current-generation Blackwell chip, MarketWatch reported.
S&P 500 Price Forecast
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See all S&P 500 forecastsCritical Technical Levels to Watch: AMD, Nvidia
Technical traders will be eyeing Nvidia’s reaction to the 50-day moving average at $186.67, which could determine how investors respond to the chip news. The market is currently trading on the strong side of this indicator.
Nvidia competitor AMD will be looking to overcome its 50-day moving average at $227.44 in the hopes of launching a new breakout rally. Yesterday’s attempt failed and the stock retreated below it. Currently, it is trading on the weak side of the technical indicator at $222.02. Its CEO Lisa Su also gave a keynote speech at CES 2026 Monday evening.
S&P 500 Futures Hold Key Support as Bulls Eye Resistance Zone
Technically, March E-mini S&P 500 Index futures are lower, but holding support above a minor pivot at 6927.50. The major support is formed by a combination of a trendline at 6886.75 and the 50-day moving average at 6882.90. The index is in a position to challenge the resistance zone at 6988.00 to 7014.00, but it needs strong upside momentum to get there today, which could come from strong performances in Nvidia and AMD.
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