U.S. stock futures edge higher as Mercury Systems and Boston Scientific fall after updates

Premarket: futures point up while two Massachusetts-linked stocks lag

U.S. equity futures traded modestly higher early Wednesday, February 4, 2026, setting up a potentially firmer open for major indexes even as several individual stocks moved sharply on company-specific news.

S&P 500 futures rose about 0.24% in premarket trading, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up about 0.28%. Volatility expectations increased, with Cboe Volatility Index futures higher by more than 5%.

Rates, commodities and global markets send mixed signals

In early trading, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield moved up to roughly 4.276%. Commodities were mixed: Brent crude oil was slightly higher, gold jumped more than 2%, and bitcoin was modestly lower near $76,000.

Overseas, market performance was uneven. Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined, while mainland China’s Shanghai Composite advanced. Major European indexes traded higher in morning dealings.

Boston Scientific drops despite an earnings beat

Boston Scientific shares fell sharply in premarket trading after the medical-device maker reported quarterly results that exceeded consensus expectations but issued a first-quarter outlook that fell short on projected growth.

The company reported adjusted earnings of $0.80 per share on quarterly net sales of $5.29 billion, both slightly above estimates. The immediate market reaction focused on near-term guidance: Boston Scientific projected first-quarter organic revenue growth of 8.5% to 10% and adjusted earnings per share of $0.78 to $0.80, compared with market expectations for roughly 9.8% organic growth and $0.80 in adjusted EPS.

For full-year 2026, Boston Scientific guided to adjusted EPS of $3.43 to $3.49 and organic revenue growth of 10% to 11%, broadly in line with prevailing expectations, following a higher organic growth rate in 2025.

Mercury Systems slides after results that topped expectations

Mercury Systems, a defense-technology company based in Andover, Massachusetts, also traded lower in premarket action despite reporting results that beat expectations for its fiscal second quarter ended December 26, 2025.

Mercury reported revenue of $233 million and adjusted earnings of $0.16 per share. The company posted bookings of $288 million, a book-to-bill ratio of 1.23, and a record backlog of about $1.5 billion. Mercury also reported operating cash flow of $52 million and free cash flow of $46 million for the quarter, alongside a GAAP net loss of $15 million.

The size of the premarket decline indicated that investors were weighing factors beyond the headline beats, including the mix of profitability measures and the implications of quarterly execution and timing effects for upcoming periods.

What investors were watching into the opening bell

• Whether higher Treasury yields and rising volatility expectations influence early risk appetite
• How markets interpret near-term guidance versus full-year outlooks in ongoing earnings season
• Company-specific reactions to results, especially when guidance or segment performance diverges from expectations

Premarket trading can amplify moves around earnings and guidance, particularly when expectations are tightly set and investors are positioning ahead of the opening bell.