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U.S. stock futures were mixed early Tuesday as markets braced for a high-stakes earnings deluge. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 0.3%, while the S&P 500 was flat. Nasdaq futures ticked down slightly.
Here are the stocks likely to dominate the headlines:
GM stops buybacks, stock slip
General Motors (GM-1.63%) beat Q1 expectations with adjusted EPS of $2.78 on $44.02 billion in revenue — but shares slipped 2% premarket after the company suspended 2025 guidance and halted its share buyback program, citing trade uncertainty. The stock fell around 1% before market open.
President Donald Trump is now scrambling to contain the fallout from his 25% auto tariff, offering automakers reimbursement for foreign parts and pledging not to stack duties atop steel and aluminum levies. Detroit welcomed the relief, but analysts warn the shifting policy could still drive up prices and snarl supply chains.
UPS delivers mixed bag, plans to cut 20,000 jobs
UPS (UPS-0.88%), the world’s largest courier company, reported $21.5 billion in first-quarter revenue — down slightly from last year — but managed to grow operating profit 3.3% to $1.7 billion. On an adjusted basis, operating margin rose to 8.2%, and adjusted EPS climbed 4.2% year-over-year to $1.49. Net income came in at $1.19 billion.
Despite a drop in overall volume, U.S. domestic revenue rose 1.4% thanks to a 4.5% increase in revenue per piece and continued strength in air cargo demand. International volume surged 7.1%, lifting that segment’s revenue 2.7%, though margin pressures overseas and in supply chain solutions remained a big drag.
UPS also announced a sweeping cost-cutting initiative, including plans to eliminate 20,000 positions in 2025 and shutter 73 facilities, after ending its delivery partnership with Amazon (AMZN-0.82%) — previously its largest customer and 12% of revenue.
The company, which employs nearly 490,000 people — 330,000 of them unionized under the Teamsters — said the cuts are part of a broader network reconfiguration aimed at aligning its facilities and workforce with lower package volumes. CEO Carol Tomé said the moves were well-timed given ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, but declined to update the company’s full-year outlook. Shares moved up 1% in premarket trading.
Coke profits bubble up
Coca-Cola (KO+0.70%) also turned in a mixed Q1. Global unit case volume rose 2% and organic revenue climbed 6%, but reported net revenue declined 2%, largely due to currency headwinds and refranchising. Operating income surged 71% thanks to strong cost management and a favorable year-over-year comp.
However, free cash flow turned negative due to a one-time $6.1 billion payment related to its 2020 Fairlife acquisition. Free cash not including one-offs equaled $558 million. The company reaffirmed full-year guidance, leaning on international momentum and its “all-weather strategy.”
Coke stock edged up 0.6% ahead of the open.
Pfizer smashes EPS but sees sales fall on declining Covid demand
Pfizer (PFE+3.45%) announced first-quarter 2025 revenue of $13.72 billion, an 8% decline year-over-year, missing analysts’ expectations of $13.91 billion. The decrease was primarily due to a significant drop in sales of its COVID-19 treatment, Paxlovid, which fell to $491 million from $771 million in the same quarter last year. Despite the revenue shortfall, Pfizer’s adjusted EPS exceeded expectations, coming in at $0.92 compared to the anticipated $0.66.
Shares rose 0.1% premarket.
Spotify adds 5 million subscribers to top 268 million
Spotify (SPOT-2.84%) also posted a strong quarter, adding 5 million premium subscribers — its best Q1 subscriber growth in years — and growing revenue 15% year-over-year to €4.2 billion. Monthly active users reached 678 million.
Still, shares slid 6% in premarket trading after the company forecast lower Q2 operating profit due to elevated payroll taxes, even while citing expectations for continued user growth.
Earnings megaweek rolls on
After Tuesday’s bell, all eyes turn to results posted by Booking Holdings (BKNG-0.78%), Starbucks (SBUX-0.37%), Mondelez (MDLZ+0.23%), and Snap (SNAP+2.66%). On Wednesday, the narrative shifts to Big Tech, with Microsoft (MSFT+0.20%) and Meta (META-0.12%) poised to report after the bell. Together, the two giants command over $4 trillion in market cap and are seen as bellwethers for AI innovation and advertising spending.