Premarket Gains Led by Earnings Beats from McDonald's, Caterpillar, and Palantir

The premarket trading session for major US stocks has started on a high note, driven by quarterly earnings reports that have surpassed analysts' expectations.

McDonald's shares rose 1.9% after the company reported adjusted earnings of $3.38 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 per share.

Caterpillar also performed well, with its stock climbing 8% after it announced adjusted earnings of $8.17 per share and revenue of $20.54 billion, both exceeding analyst estimates.

Palantir Technologies led the gains, jumping 15% after posting strong second-quarter results, including a nearly 150% increase in U.S. commercial revenue.

Merck and Pfizer also raised their full-year revenue guidance after reporting adjusted results that surpassed analyst consensus for both earnings and sales.