S&P 500 Futures Fall Premarket as Trump’s $1.5T Defense Budget Plan Sends Defense Stocks Higher

U.S. stock index futures, including the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow Jones, were trading lower in premarket action on Thursday as investors booked profits after recent record highs and positioned cautiously ahead of Friday’s crucial U.S. nonfarm payroll data. Profit-taking and position‑squaring ahead of the jobs report contributed to the modest pullback across major indices. Bucketing the broader weakness, defense stocks bucked the trend and surged sharply in early trading after former President Donald Trump proposed a substantial increase in the U.S. military budget for fiscal year 2027 — calling for roughly $1.5 trillion in defense spending. Trump said this budget boost would help build what he described as a “Dream Military” to keep the nation secure, a message he shared on his social platform. Major defense contractors saw notable premarket gains, with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin up around 8–9%, RTX rising more than 5%, and smaller firms such as Kratos Defense advancing double digits. These gains marked a reversal from the prior day’s volatility, when defense shares fell after Trump criticized contractors for dividend payouts and stock buybacks. Energy stocks showed early signs of rebound following recent volatility tied to U.S. comments about Venezuelan oil deliveries, while gold miners were under pressure amid index rebalancing. Overall market sentiment remained subdued as traders continue to weigh geopolitical developments and upcoming economic data for direction. #StockMarket #DefenseStocks #TrumpBudget #SP500 #SlimScan #GrowthStocks #CANSLIM