Russia-Ukraine talks bring optimism to stock markets

BY THE NUMBERS

On Friday, U.S. stock futures increased on the expectation of advancements in Russia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average holding around 2%. Meanwhile, U.S. oil prices decreased early gains to approximately $107 per barrel. (Source: CNBC)

Russia has widened its military offensive in Ukraine on Friday, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin stating there are "certain positive developments" in talks. New satellite images suggest that a large Russian convoy approaching Kyiv has been redeployed to towns and forests outside the city, potentially signaling a renewed push to bear down on the Ukrainian capital. (CNBC & AP)

On Thursday, the American oil benchmark was on track to end another losing week, while the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were also heading for a losing week.

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The U.S. and its allies are set to intensify their efforts to isolate and sanction Russia as the invasion enters its third week, according to media reports. President Biden, along with the European Union and the G-7, will reportedly revoke Russia's most favored trading status on Friday. Meanwhile, the Senate has passed a key funding bill that includes nearly $14 billion in aid for Ukraine. (Reuters, CNBC)

The U.S. has extended its airplane mask mandate, despite lifting other Covid measures, as health officials caution against complacency amid the subsiding of the omicron wave and more than 250 million people receiving at least one dose of Covid vaccine.

(F) will collaborate with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in California to evaluate the bidirectional charging capabilities of the electric F-150 Lightning to power homes and return energy to the power grid. The move comes days after PG&E announced a pilot program with (GM). (CNBC)* Toyota to cut quarterly production to ease strain on beleaguered suppliers. (RIVN) fell 8.5% in premarket action after the electric vehicle maker reported a wider than expected loss, and said supply chain issues would limit its factory output this year. Rivian said reservations for its vehicles have reached about 83,000 as of March 8, up from 71,000 in December. (CNBC)

The Major League Baseball and the players union have agreed on a labor deal that will allow spring training games to commence, with Opening Day scheduled for early April. Additionally, this agreement brings about some changes, such as the adoption of a designated hitter in the National League, which has been in use in the American League for nearly 50 years. (Source: CNBC)

STOCKS TO WATCH

Oracle's adjusted quarterly profit of $1.13 per share fell 5 cents short of estimates, causing a 2.3% decline in the premarket. Despite this, revenue was in line with forecasts. The company continues to see progress in shifting its customers to the cloud, with cloud revenue jumping 24% compared with a year ago.

Uber's stock price increased by 1.6% in premarket trading after Deutsche Bank began covering the company with a "buy" rating and a $50 price target. The bank highlighted Uber's dominant market position and the attractive entry point for investors.

After Apollo announced it was considering a possible cash offer for Pearson, premarket trading of (PSO) increased by 20%. However, Apollo stated that there was no guarantee an actual offer would be made.

Didi's premarket plummeted 12.7% after a Bloomberg report revealed that the company had halted plans to list its shares in Hong Kong due to failing to meet China regulators' demands for a data overhaul.

In the premarket, TM's stock slipped 1.7% after it announced that it would cut production by up to 20% in April, May, and June in an effort to alleviate the strain on its suppliers, who are facing difficulties in providing computer chips and other components.

Despite reporting adjusted quarterly earnings of 48 cents per share, 1 cent above estimates, and revenue coming in above Street forecasts, DocuSign's shares tumbled 17.5% in the premarket after the company issued weaker-than-expected guidance for the full year.

Ulta's premarket stock price increased by 2.6% after reporting better-than-expected profit and revenue for its latest quarter. Additionally, Ulta's comparable-store sales surpassed forecasts with a 21.4% increase, and the company announced a new $2 billion share buyback.

Despite beating analyst estimates with quarterly sales, Blink reported a wider-than-expected loss. The company attributed the loss to ongoing expenses and said it continues to see strong momentum as the business community and government agencies promote the benefits of a reliable EV infrastructure. Blink's shares slid 6.1% in premarket trading.

ZUMZ's premarket action saw a 14.1% plummet after its quarterly earnings and revenue failed to meet Wall Street forecasts. Additionally, the current quarter guidance fell short of estimates.