Top Stocks to Watch Today: Nvidia, ASML, Abbott Labs

This Wednesday, U.S. stock futures are seeing a dip as investors prepare for a wave of geopolitical and earnings news. The S&P 500 futures are down 0.5%, the Dow is hovering near flat, and Nasdaq futures have dropped by more than 1%.

Nvidia is in the spotlight today after disclosing a $5.5 billion charge due to new U.S. government restrictions on exporting its H20 AI chips to China. The Biden administration initially introduced these export controls to limit China’s access to advanced semiconductors, but the policy has intensified under Trump. As a result, Nvidia’s stock is down nearly 7% premarket. This could have a wide-reaching impact given that Nvidia is the third-largest U.S. company by market value. Chipmaker AMD also saw a 6% drop premarket.

In Europe, semiconductor equipment giant ASML reported first-quarter sales of €7.7 billion, just below analyst forecasts, and warned of “greater uncertainty” ahead due to U.S.-China tariff tensions. Despite the AI boom, ASML’s shares have fallen 28% over the past year.

Before the opening bell, Abbott Labs topped earnings expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $1.09 on 4% reported sales growth. Abbott Labs is best known for developing medical devices and consumer health staples like Pedialyte and Ensure. Shares were flat to modestly higher ahead of the open.

Prologis, the world’s largest industrial REIT, posted first-quarter core FFO of $1.27 per share, meeting estimates. The company highlighted solid rent growth and occupancy, even as leasing cooled.

Later today, Kinder Morgan, CSX, and U.S. Bancorp are set to report, offering insight into the energy infrastructure, transportation, and regional banking sectors. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is also scheduled to speak on the economic outlook, while March retail sales data is due.

The CNN Fear & Greed Index remains in “extreme fear” territory, an indication of the market’s apprehension since President Trump’s early April tariff announcements. The markets are currently being influenced more by policy changes than fundamentals, leading to volatility in response to mixed signals and sudden reversals.