4 stocks to watch on Friday: AMD, MRK, NVO, SBUX

Stock index futures rose Friday as traders grew optimistic about a potential de‑escalation between the U.S. and Iran, producing a modest risk‑on tone. The piece flags four stocks to watch, including Merck, which jumped about 2.91% in premarket trade after news involving a Chinese biopharma, and highlights notable activity among large-cap tech names (Nvidia appears in “Most Active”). The market snapshot lists several individual movers in premarket and most‑active tables, indicating mixed but slightly positive early‑session momentum rather than a broad directional shift. AMD is identified as the primary instrument for this article.