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postUS stock futures rose on Monday as investors assessed the US military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, while a revival in optimism for AI demand helped buoy Wall Street.
Contracts on the S&P 500 (ES=F) moved up 0.2%, while those on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) added 0.6%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) traded slightly lower, following a mixed end to Friday’s session.
The US military action in Venezuela over the weekend took focus as markets headed into the first full trading week of the new year. But stocks leaned higher as strategists largely downplayed the long-term economic fallout and upbeat developments at Nvidia (NVDA) suppliers boosted appetite for the AI trade.
President Trump said Saturday that the US would “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a more measured tone, saying the US has “a tremendous amount of leverage” to achieve its objectives while stopping short of saying Washington would directly govern the country.
Venezuela currently produces less than 1 million barrels of oil per day, under 1% of global output, limiting the potential impact on energy markets. Futures for US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) crude and international benchmark Brent (BZ=F) both ticked higher in early Monday trading.
Meanwhile, gold (GC=F) jumped and the dollar (DX-Y.NYB) gained as traders weighed the additional geopolitical risks. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield (^TNX) slipped to hover around 4.17%, with US bonds on track for their first gains in a week.
Against that background, TSMC (TSM) shares surged after Goldman Sachs raised its price target for the contract chipmaker, citing expectations for another year of solid growth. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Foxconn (2317.TW, HNHPF) — Nvidia‘s biggest server maker and Apple‘s top iPhone assembler — reported record fourth-quarter revenue on Monday, driven by strong demand for AI products.
The strong start to the year for the AI trade sets the stage for the CES marquee tech show in Las Vegas, which unofficially kicks off with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote address at 4 p.m. ET Monday.
At the same time, investors are getting ready to welcome the return of a back-to-normal flow of economic data this week, with the highlight the crucial jobs report due Friday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect payroll growth of about 55,000 in December.
LIVE 12 updates
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China reacts with condemnation — but no threats — as the fallout from Trump’s Venezuela attack begins to ripple
Yahoo Finance’s Ben Werschkul reports:
Read more here.
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Global defense stocks rise after US capture of Nicolás Maduro
Global defense stocks rose on Monday as investors assessed the US’s military operation in Venezuela and the ousting of the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro.
In the US, Palantir (PLTR) led the gains, climbing 3.5%, while Northrop Grumman (NOC), RTX (RTX), General Dynamics (GD), and Lockheed Martin (LMT) added less than 1%.
Europe’s largest defense contractor, BAE Systems (BA.L), rose 5%, while Germany’s Rheinmetall (RHM.DE) jumped over 7%. French air defense company Thales (HO.PA) increased by about 5%.
Meanwhile, the Hang Seng Aerospace & Defense index (HSCAAD), which tracks defense companies in mainland China, rose 2.2%, led by a 10% gain in Wuhan Guide Infrared (002414.SZ) and a 6% increase in North Navigation Control Technology.
Defense stocks traded higher on expectations of greater military spending on protection amid the heightened geopolitical risk following the US’s capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
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QXO rises after Apollo agree to invest $1B in the distribution firm
QXO Inc. (QXO) stock rose more than 4% during premarket trading on Monday after Apollo Global Management Inc. agreed to invest more than $1 billion into the company, according to people familiar with the matter.
(Disclosure: Yahoo Finance is owned by Apollo Global Management.)
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
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Dollar gains amid ‘US adventurism’ in Venezuela
The dollar index (DX-Y.NYB) hit its highest level since mid-December on Monday, as traders assessed the fallout from the US capture of President Maduro in a weekend military operation in Venezuela.
The likely ouster of the Venezuelan leader also dragged on the Mexican peso as geopolitical tensions rose.
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here.
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Good morning. Here’s what’s happening today.
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Chevron, oil stocks rally as Trump says US to run Venezuela
US oil company, Chevron Corp’s (CVX) stock price rose 7% before the bell, alongside ConocoPhillips (COP), which also jumped 7%, and Exxon Mobil (XOM), which climbed 3% during premarket hours. The move in energy stocks follows President Trump’s arrest of Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.
Trump said the US plans to “run” Venezuela after capturing Maduro.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
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CES 2026: What to expect from the tech industry’s biggest show of the year
Yahoo Finance will be live and in person in Vegas bringing you all of the news and announcements at CES 2026, which runs Tuesday through Friday this week.
Daniel Howley lays out what to watch at the tech industry’s marquee event:
Read more here.
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Premarket trenders: Palantir, Strategy and Comcast
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) stock climbed more than 3% before the bell on Monday. Palantir, which is heavily involved in the defense sector and operates as a major defense software company, rose following the news of the US arrest of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, over the weekend.
Strategy (MSTR) stock rose 3% before the bell on Monday, following Bitcoin’s 1% rise. Strategy, which is one of the largest corporate holders of bitcoin, disclosed on Friday that it will be raising its dividend rate per year on one of its perpetual preferred stocks.
Comcast (CMCSA) stock fell 5% during premarket hours today. The media company will be spinning off its legacy NBCUniversal cable networks and digital assets into a new, independent public company called Versant Media Group on January 5th 2026.
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Bitcoin climbs to three-week high after US captures Maduro
Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 1% in early premarket trading on Monday, jumping from around $91,000 to over $92,000, as political uncertainty continued due to the US move to arrest Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
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TSMC shares pop following Goldman lifting price target by 35%
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here.
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Gold rises as investors seek safety in volatile market spurred by US involvement in Venezuela
Gold (GC=F) and silver (SI=F) prices rose as markets sought havens following insecurity after the US arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here.
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Oil prices reverse losses as markets assess fallout from the US arrest of Maduro
Oil prices dropped as markets opened before climbing back to their opening position as investors gauged the impact of the US arrest of Venezuela’s president.
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here.
