US Stocks Rise Amid Earnings Scrutiny

US stock futures are higher as investors scrutinize earnings from companies such as Rivian, Skyworks Solutions, Snap, AMD, Opendoor, Arista Networks, and Super Micro. The SEC also announced that liquid staking activities are not considered securities under federal law.

U.S. stock futures are higher as investors scrutinize earnings reports from a batch of major companies, including Rivian, Skyworks Solutions, Snap, AMD, Opendoor, Arista Networks, and Super Micro. Additionally, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that liquid staking activities are not considered securities under federal law, providing clarity for the crypto staking space.

At 6:10 a.m. ET, futures linked to the blue-chip Dow rose 0.31%, while broad S&P 500 futures added 0.22% and tech-laden Nasdaq futures gained 0.04% [1]. The positive market sentiment was driven by mixed earnings reports. AMD missed its second-quarter earnings per share estimates even as sales beat forecasts [2]. Rivian reported a wider-than-expected second-quarter loss per share but sales just topped estimates, with the company expecting a larger annual adjusted core loss than previously predicted [3]. Snap just missed its second-quarter sales estimate and reported a drop in global average revenue per user [4]. Opendoor reported better second-quarter results than a year ago but warned of a revenue decline in the current quarter [5]. Toast said adjusted EBITDA and revenue in the second quarter beat estimates [6]. Super Micro's results in the last three months of its fiscal year missed expectations, with the company's guidance for adjusted earnings per share in the current quarter also coming in below forecasts [7]. Lucid missed its second-quarter estimates and trimmed its yearly production forecasts [8].

The SEC's announcement that liquid staking activities are not considered securities under federal law is significant for the crypto industry. This clarification removes regulatory barriers that had previously deterred institutional adoption and innovation in the DeFi space [4]. The SEC's Division of Corporation Finance issued a statement regarding liquid staking activities, noting that the activities do not involve the offer and sale of securities [3]. This guidance is part of the SEC's broader Project Crypto initiative aimed at balancing investor protection with innovation [4].

The impact of this regulatory clarity is expected to be felt across the DeFi landscape, potentially leading to increased Total Value Locked (TVL) within liquid staking protocols. Market participants, including entities like Jito Labs and VanEck, have been directly engaged in discussions with the SEC, indicating a constructive regulatory dialogue [4]. This development marks a significant shift in the SEC's regulatory approach to crypto assets and may signal a more structured and predictable environment for market participants.

References:
[1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2025/08/06/us-stocks-wednesday-earnings/85534330007/
[2] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stock-futures-higher-investors-101137474.html
[3] https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025-104-securities-exchange-commission-division-corporation-finance-issues-staff-statement-certain-liquid
[4] https://www.ainvest.com/news/ethereum-news-today-sec-declares-liquid-staking-security-law-2508/
[5] https://sherepricetarget.com/tech-and-ev-stocks-slide-as-amd-rivian-lucid-snap-and-super-micro-disappoint-on-earnings/