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markets, click/ or type LIVE/ in a news window.)
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Apple ( AAPL ) falls after brokerage downgrade
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Oil stocks rise after Trump to accelerate project permits
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Nuclear power firms climb as Trump doubles down on energy
policy
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3M ( MMM ) up after fourth-quarter profit beat
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Futures up: Dow 0.48%, S&P 500 0.36%, Nasdaq 0.43%
(Updates with quarterly reports from 3M ( MMM ), D.R. Horton ( DHI ))
By Johann M Cherian and Sukriti Gupta
Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged up in
choppy trading on Tuesday, as investors assessed newly elected
President Donald Trump's executive orders on issues including
energy and immigration, while awaiting his first move on trade
policy.
President Trump did not lay out any concrete plans on the
universal tariffs and additional surcharges on close trade
partners as expected, but said he was thinking about imposing
duties on Canadian and Mexican goods as early as Feb. 1.
While investors remain cautious, brokerage Goldman Sachs
lowered its forecast for a universal tariff this year to 25%
from about 40% seen in December.
At 07:23 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 211 points,
or 0.48%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 22 points, or 0.36%
and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 91.25 points, or 0.43%.
Futures tracking the domestically focused small-cap Russell
2000 index added 0.6%.
Automakers General motors and Ford that have
supply chains spread across the continent edged up 0.8% and
1.5%. Elon Musk-led Tesla added 2% premarket trading.
U.S.-listed shares of Chinese companies Xpeng and
Li Auto added 5.7% and 5.4%, respectively on no signs of
imminent surcharges on Chinese goods.
Markets have been sensitive to any reports on Trump's tariff
policies on concerns it could spark a global trade war and fresh
inflation pressures.
"Tariffs mean a stronger U.S. dollar due to higher import
prices and weaker global growth, no tariffs means stronger
global trade and a more robust global growth backdrop," said
Kyle Rodda, senior markets analyst at Capital.com.
"Just like the first Trump administration, the markets are
highly sensitive to headline risk, especially as it relates to
trade wars."
During the first year of Trump's first administration, the
S&P 500 rose 19.4%, while during the entirety of his
first term, the benchmark index rose nearly 68%, but saw bouts
of volatility, stemming in part from a trade war Trump fought
with China.
However, inflation is still above the Federal Reserve's 2%
target, stoking worries that Trump's policies could delay the
central bank's pace of monetary policy easing.
Economists see the Fed leaving borrowing costs unchanged
when it meets next week and traders see the first interest rate
coming in July, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Oil stocks Halliburton ( HAL ) rose 1.6% and SLB
climbed 0.7% after Trump declared a national energy emergency to
accelerate permitting oil, gas and power projects.
Prison operators Geo advanced 1.1% and CoreCivic ( CXW )
rose 2.4%, after Trump declared a national emergency on
illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexican border.
Nuclear stocks Oklo ( OKLO ) rose 5.4% and Vistra added 5.5%
as energy secretary Chris Wright said he plans to prioritize
domestic nuclear energy production.
Apple ( AAPL ) fell 2.1% after brokerage Jefferies cut its
rating on the iPhone maker to 'underperform'.
3M ( MMM ) rose 4.2% after the industrial conglomerate
posted upbeat fourth-quarter profits, while strong results from
D.R. Horton ( DHI ) sent the home-builder's shares up 3.6%.
(Reporting by Johann M Cherian and Sukriti Gupta in Bengaluru;
Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)