New York, Jan 5, 2026, 09:21 (EST) — Premarket
- S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures ticked higher ahead of the open, with energy shares leading gains after the U.S. captured Venezuela’s president.
- Chevron and other oil names jumped on expectations U.S. firms could gain wider access to Venezuela’s vast reserves, even as an embargo remains in place.
- Traders are watching ISM data later Monday, Friday’s U.S. jobs report, and CES tech headlines this week.
U.S. stock index futures rose on Monday, led by energy shares after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military operation that investors see as a potential turning point for access to the country’s oil. S&P 500 futures were up about 0.3% and Nasdaq futures gained roughly 0.7% in premarket trading.
The move matters because Venezuela sits on the world’s largest oil reserves, and any perceived shift in policy or control can ripple through crude markets, inflation expectations and, in turn, Federal Reserve rate bets. It also lands as Wall Street starts the first full trading week of 2026, with investors looking for steadier footing after last week’s losses.
Energy stocks outperformed even though the White House has said the U.S. embargo on Venezuelan oil exports remains in full effect for now. Traders are weighing whether the geopolitical jolt ultimately changes the flow of heavy crude into U.S. refineries — a key input for diesel and other fuels — or stays more of a longer-dated policy story.
President Donald Trump said a second strike was possible if remaining members of Venezuela’s administration do not cooperate, according to Reuters. Maduro is being held in New York and is due to appear in court on Monday, while the U.N. Security Council planned to meet to discuss the attack.
Chevron, the only U.S. major currently operating in Venezuela’s oil fields under a U.S. waiver, rose about 6.5% in premarket trading. Refiners Marathon Petroleum, Phillips 66, Valero and PBF Energy climbed between 4% and 11%, while oilfield-services firms such as Baker Hughes, Halliburton and SLB also advanced, as investors positioned for the possibility of renewed investment in Venezuela’s damaged oil infrastructure.
“It’s a geopolitical shock, but for markets it’s not an oil-price earthquake,” said Lale Akoner, global market analyst at eToro. Oil prices were mixed in early trading, with U.S. crude last down 36 cents at $56.96 a barrel and Brent down 34 cents at $60.41, AP reported. Reuters
Tech also helped buoy sentiment, with Nasdaq-linked contracts outperforming and chip names in focus on renewed artificial-intelligence optimism. Nvidia shares were up $2.59 at $191.44 in premarket trading, while Micron, Western Digital and SanDisk gained after reports pointed to potential memory shortages that could lift prices; Arista Networks rose after Piper Sandler upgraded the stock to “overweight” from “neutral,” Reuters said. Nasdaq
Investors are also bracing for a headline-heavy week around CES in Las Vegas, where companies are expected to lean hard into AI and autonomous-driving themes. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su are among the key speakers, Reuters reported, and Engadget said Huang’s keynote is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on Monday.
On the macro front, traders will parse a run of U.S. labor-market releases for clues on how quickly the Fed might ease this year. Markets are pricing about 60 basis points — 0.60 percentage point — of rate cuts in 2026, according to LSEG data cited by Reuters, with the ISM manufacturing reading due after the opening bell and the monthly jobs report due Friday.
Still, the downside scenario is clear: any escalation in Venezuela — or a sudden shift in embargo policy — could reprice energy and inflation risk quickly, hitting rate-sensitive growth stocks that have driven much of the market’s upside. Safe-haven demand has already appeared in pockets, with gold and silver jumping as investors sought protection against geopolitical uncertainty, AP said.
Next up for markets is Monday’s ISM data, followed by Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report, while investors watch for updates from CES and developments around Maduro’s court appearance and the U.N. Security Council meeting later Monday.
