(Editor’s note: The future prices of benchmark tracking ETFs, the lede, the economic data, and the headline were updated in the story.)

U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday after closing slightly higher on Tuesday. Futures of all the major benchmark indices were positive.

Fresh figures showed that while housing starts and building permits rebounded in December following a sluggish November, new orders for durable goods fell by 1.4% to $319.6 billion. This decline in manufacturing demand reversed a revised 5.4% jump in November, signaling a distinct cooling in industrial activity as 2025 came to a close.

The Federal Reserve's January meeting minutes on Wednesday will also be closely watched by investors seeking further clarity on the perspectives of policymakers. However, the week’s primary macroeconomic focus shifts to Friday, when the Personal Consumption Expenditures index is scheduled for release.

The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.07%, and the two-year bond was at 3.45%. The CME Group's FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 92.1% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged in March.

Stocks In Focus

Celanese

• CE maintains a stronger price trend over the long, short, and medium terms, as per Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings.

Ovintiv

• Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE:OVV) rose 4.17% after it announced a definitive agreement to sell its Anadarko assets in Oklahoma for $3 billion in cash.

• OVV maintains a stronger price trend over the short, medium, and long terms, but ranks poorly in growth, per Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings.

Tactile Systems Technology

• Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that TCMD maintains a weaker price trend over the short term but a strong trend in the medium and long terms, with a solid quality ranking.

Palo Alto Networks

• Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that PANW maintains a weak price trend over the long, medium, and short terms, with a strong growth ranking.

DoorDash

• DoorDash Inc. (NASDAQ:DASH) was up 0.30% as analysts expected it to post quarterly earnings of 59 cents per share on revenue of $3.99 billion after the closing bell.

• DASH maintains a weaker price trend over the long, short, and medium terms, with a poor value ranking, as per Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings.

Cues From Last Session

Real estate and financial stocks bucked the overall market trend on Tuesday, closing higher despite consumer staples, energy, and materials stocks recording the biggest losses.

Insights From Analysts

Adam Turnquist, Chief Technical Strategist at LPL Financial, expects the U.S. stock market and economy to remain resilient despite a significant shift in market narrative.

He notes that widespread anxiety over an artificial intelligence (AI) “bubble” has transitioned into fears of industry-level disruption, particularly within the software sector.

Turnquist views the recent severe selling pressure—which saw software stocks reach “historically oversold levels”—as a potentially “overly punitive” re-rating given that broader fundamentals remain supportive.

Regarding the economy, Turnquist points to an “ongoing cyclical strength” that is “generally consistent with an improving economy and rising risk appetite.”

He notes that LPL’s base case is “no recession for 2026,” bolstered by anticipated fiscal stimulus and productivity gains from AI deployment. However, he remains cautious of “occasional bouts of volatility” and is monitoring a recent “tilt towards risk aversion” as big tech cools. Despite these jitters, he maintains that “the broad market’s long-term uptrend remains intact”.

Upcoming Economic Data

Here's what investors will be keeping an eye on Wednesday.

Commodities, Gold, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets

Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.34% to hover around $62.47 per barrel.

Gold Spot US Dollar rose 0.83% to hover around $4,918.10 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $5,595.46 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.13% higher at the 97.2780 level.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was trading 0.10% higher at $68,101.01 per coin.

Asian markets closed mixed on Wednesday, as China’s CSI 300 and South Korea's Kospi indices fell. On the other hand, Japan's Nikkei 225, India’s Nifty 50, Australia's ASX 200, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng indices closed higher. European markets were higher in early trade.

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