There were a number of trending stores in the US before the Wall Street bell.
One of them concerned online retail behemoth Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN), whose shares shed 0.41% to stand at $1,996.
It comes as news emerged that the titan, which has now seemingly infiltrated into every corner of our lives, had lifted the minimum wage for workers in the US and the UK.
It is being hailed as major development for campaigners, which were pushing to try and put an end to the rising levels of poverty and inequality in both countries.
American workers will see minimum wage increase to $15 (£11.57) per hour, while in the UK, workers will see their pay rise to £10.50 in London and £9.50 across the rest of the country.
Elsewhere, in pre-market deals, Papa John's International Inc (NASDQ: PZZA), the pizza company, saw investors gain appetite for the shares, lifting them up over 3% in New York to $50.95.
It comes after it emerged Legion Partners, a stakeholder in the restaurant group, is talking to the company about how to turn around the sales decline at the group and resolve a dispute with the founder.
The activist fund also disclosed it now holds a 5.5% stake in the group.
Dunkin Donuts was also in the news on Tuesday, or rather its workers, and the company behind them - Dunkin Brands Group Inc (NASDAQ:DNKN)
The employees, who were involved in a viral video that shows one worker in a New York store dumping a pitcher of water on a homeless man while another person laughs, have been fired, it has emerged.
Shares in Dunkin added 0.33% to $73 before the bell in New York.
GE was also in the frame, climbing by 2.5% to $12.38. The jump in the struggling conglomerate's shares came as RBC Capital upgraded the stock to Outperform from Sector perform and lifted its price target to $15 per share from $13 after GE brought in Larry Culp as its new chairman and CEO.
Last but not least, Clovis Oncology Inc (NASDAQ:CLVS) saw shares add over 9% before the bell to $31.77 after the company's cancer drug Rubraca received what is called a "breakthrough therapy" designation from the key FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
-- updated with addition of GE news--