US STOCKS-S&P 500, Nasdaq eye higher open on tech rebound, energy boost after Venezuela strike

(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click (LIVE/) or type LIVE/ in a news window.) Futures: Dow flat, S&P 500 up 0.23%, Nasdaq up 0.62% Oil stocks gain after Trump’s move toward Venezuela oil Crypto stocks surge as Bitcoin hits over three-week high (Updates before markets open) By Purvi Agarwal and Nikhil Sharma Jan 5 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were set to open higher on Monday, as technology stocks staged a recovery and oil companies surged following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the United States in a military strike. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, a day after Maduro was captured, that a second strike was possible if remaining members of the administration do not cooperate with his efforts to get the country “fixed.” Investors bet the move against Venezuela’s leadership would allow American firms access to the world’s largest oil reserves. A U.S. embargo on Venezuelan oil remained in full effect, Trump said. Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N) were up 2.8% and 6.4%, respectively. ConocoPhillips (COP.N) , SLB (SLB.N) , Halliburton (HAL.N) gained between 6% and 8%. Despite the dramatic weekend developments, the reaction in oil markets remained relatively muted, as traders resisted making the kind of large bets typically associated with such shocks. “The muted reaction (in oil prices) suggests that traders were looking beyond immediate geopolitical developments and focusing instead on the outlook for future production, sanctions and investment flows,” said David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation. Some defense-related stocks also rose after Washington’s military action over the weekend. Drone-related stocks AeroVironment (AVAV.O) and Kratos (KTOS.O) gained 3.4% each. At 08:41 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis (YMcv1) were down 17 points, or 0.03%, S&P 500 E-minis (EScv1) were up 15.75 points, or 0.23%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis (NQcv1) were up 158.75 points, or 0.62%. Wall Street’s main indexes rounded off the previous week with losses as investors largely sold off tech stocks. But the sector stabilized on Monday, with Nvidia (NVDA.O) up 1.5% and Broadcom (AVGO.O) 1.6% higher in premarket trading. “The risk mood has risen, as the (Venezuela) action is seen as a one-off and stock markets globally have been encouraged by expectations of lower energy costs,” said Bob Savage, head of markets macro strategy at BNY, in a note. Last week’s losses were contrary to expectations of a “Santa Claus rally” - a seasonal phenomenon in which markets tend to get a late boost over the last five trading days of December and the first two of January, according to the Stock Trader’s Almanac. The three main indexes posted double-digit gains in 2025 for the third consecutive year, a run last seen during 2019-2021. The Dow posted its eighth monthly gain on the trot in December, the longest such streak since 2017-2018. This week, investor focus will be on a series of labor market data, including the monthly nonfarm payrolls on Friday, that could influence the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy in 2026. Markets are pricing in about 60 basis points of interest rate easing this year, as per data compiled by LSEG. A December reading of manufacturing activity by the Institute of Supply Management is due after markets open. Among other stocks, cryptocurrency-linked stocks jumped before the bell, tracking Bitcoin (BTC=) prices that hit a more than three-week high. Strategy (MSTR.O) was up 3.7% and Riot Platforms (RIOT.O) inched 3.3% higher, while Coinbase (COIN.O) gained 3.9% after a report said Goldman Sachs upgraded the exchange to “buy” from “neutral”. Memory chipmakers also rose after reports said that shortages could lead to higher prices for the chips. Micron Technology (MU.O) gained 2.8%, Western Digital (WDC.O) up 3.1%, and Sandisk (SNDK.O) advanced 2.6%.