Tech Strength Lifts U.S. Futures as Corporate Headlines Drive Premarket Moves

Written by Sandra Leggero

Sandra Leggero has a background in financial markets, having spent more than 9 years in commodities trading for several European and Asian companies. She holds a degree in Economics from the University of Pavia and specializes in emerging markets.

, | Updated: December 22, 2025

Key Moments

S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures traded higher in early U.S. hours as investors showed renewed interest in technology stocks.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), UniFirst (NYSE: UNF), and Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN) all advanced in premarket action on deal and legal news.
Honeywell International (NASDAQ: HON) edged lower after updating its 2025 outlook to reflect the spin-off of its Advanced Materials business.

Index Futures Point Higher Ahead of the Open

Investing.com — U.S. equity-index futures traded in positive territory ahead of the opening bell as buyers returned to technology names. Futures tied to the S&P 500 Index were up 0.4% at 6:20 in New York, while Nasdaq 100 contracts added 0.5%.

Premarket Leaders and Laggards

Several individual stocks posted notable premarket moves driven by legal developments, takeover interest, commodity strength, and corporate guidance changes.

Company	Ticker / Exchange	Premarket Move	Key Driver
Tesla	TSLA / NASDAQ	+1.3%	Restoration of Elon Musk’s 2018 CEO compensation plan by Delaware Supreme Court
UniFirst	UNF / NYSE	Surged over 30% on Wednesday	Fresh takeover bid from Cintas, according to the Wall Street Journal
Newmont Goldcorp; Coeur Mining	NEM, CDE / NYSE	Advanced	Gold and silver prices hit record highs, boosting miners
Clearwater Analytics	CWAN / NYSE	+8.6%	Buyout agreement with private equity group led by Permira and Warburg Pincus, valuing firm at $8.4 billion including debt
Honeywell International	HON / NASDAQ	About -1%	Updated full-year and Q4 2025 guidance after classifying Advanced Materials as discontinued operations post spin-off

Tesla Gains on Court Ruling

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) traded 1.3% higher after the Delaware Supreme Court reinstated Elon Musk’s 2018 chief executive compensation package. The decision concluded a multi-year legal dispute over the record-setting pay award.

UniFirst Soars on Takeover Interest

Unifirst (NYSE: UNF) surged more than 30% on Wednesday. The workplace uniform provider drew strong buying interest after receiving a new takeover proposal from Cintas (NASDAQ: CTAS), according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

Miners Advance as Precious Metals Hit Records

Gold and silver producers moved higher, with Newmont Goldcorp (NYSE: NEM) and Coeur Mining (NYSE: CDE) among the gainers. Prices for both gold and silver reached record highs, providing a lift to sentiment across the mining space.

Clearwater Analytics Jumps on Private Equity Deal

Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN) climbed 8.6% after a consortium of private equity investors led by Permira and Warburg Pincus agreed to acquire the investment and accounting software company. The transaction values Clearwater Analytics at $8.4 billion, including debt.

Honeywell Eases After Guidance Revision

Honeywell International (NASDAQ: HON) slipped about 1% in premarket trading. The company updated its full-year and fourth-quarter 2025 guidance to factor in the reclassification of its Advanced Materials division as discontinued operations, following the unit’s spin-off on Oct. 30.