NextFin News - U.S. equity futures edge higher ahead of the January Employment Situation report and Friday’s CPI release; oil and gold are firm as the dollar lingers near multi‑month lows.
Pre‑Market Performance
- U.S. index futures (approx. 07:00 ET): Nasdaq‑100 +0.10% to 25,243 (+24.8 pts); S&P 500 +0.08% to 6,966.8 (+5.3 pts); Dow Jones +0.06% to 50,304 (+31 pts).
- Europe: FTSE 100 10,431.57 (+0.75%); CAC 40 8,313.39 (−0.17%); DAX 24,913.58 (−0.30%).
- Commodities & FX:
- Brent crude ~$69.8 (+1.5%); WTI ~$65.0 (+1.6%) on heightened Iran‑related enforcement risk. barrons.com
- Gold futures up ~1.7%; spot hovering near ~$5,060/oz. barrons.com
- U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) around the 97 handle after dipping to ~96.8 yesterday; 10‑yr U.S. Treasury yield ~4.14%. marketwatch.com
- Bitcoin ~$67,400 (−~2%). barrons.com
Macroeconomic Policy and Data
- Jobs report (January, due 08:30 ET today): Consensus points to +70k–80k nonfarm payrolls (prior +50k), unemployment 4.4% (unch.), and avg. hourly earnings +0.3% m/m. A softer print would bolster rate‑cut hopes; a hot wage number (~0.4% m/m) could lift front‑end yields and the dollar. fxstreet.com
- CPI (January): Release rescheduled to Friday, Feb. 13 after last week’s brief shutdown; previews center on ~0.2–0.3% m/m for headline and core. A seasonal “January bounce” is a noted upside risk for core. marketwatch.com
- Fed policy: At the Jan. 27–28 FOMC, the Fed held the funds rate at 3.50%–3.75% with two dissents favoring a 25 bp cut. Markets weigh potential leadership changes and policy signaling, but near‑term expectations still hinge on today’s jobs and Friday’s CPI. federalreserve.gov
- Market take: A weak payrolls figure alongside contained CPI would likely steepen rate‑cut pricing and support duration, risk assets, and gold; upside wage/inflation surprises could revive “higher for longer” fears, firm the dollar, and pressure long‑duration equities. barrons.com
Hot News
- Oil climbs on U.S. crackdown talk: Reports that Washington may seize more Iranian oil tankers lifted crude, with Brent near $70 and WTI mid‑$60s. barrons.com
- Fed succession debate simmers: Ongoing discussion around Kevin Warsh’s nomination and Fed independence keeps policy‑path speculation front‑and‑center; Treasury yields remain contained near ~4.1–4.2% into data. ft.com
- Geopolitics in focus: Israeli PM Netanyahu’s Washington visit adds to Middle East risk premium, reinforcing the bid in crude. marketwatch.com
- Crypto risk‑off: Bitcoin’s slide toward ~$67k pressures crypto‑linked equities pre‑market. barrons.com
U.S. Stock Focus
- Cloudflare (NET) — Q4 beat and bullish 2026 outlook: Revenue rose 34% to $614.5M; management guided FY26 revenue to ~$2.79B and highlighted AI/Workers tailwinds. Company release; Barron’s.
- Vertiv (VRT) — Strong Q4, upbeat guide: The data‑center power/cooling supplier reported robust orders and raised 2026 targets; stock trades higher pre‑market alongside AI infra peers. PR.
- Lattice Semiconductor (LSCC) — Sales beat, guidance ahead: Q4 revenue of ~$145.8M topped views; Q1 outlook (EPS $0.36 on ~$165M rev) came in above consensus, citing AI/datacenter FPGA demand. IBD.
- Shopify (SHOP) — Shares surge on growth and buyback: Q4 revenue +31% y/y to $3.67B beat; EPS slightly missed but a $2B repurchase and “low‑30s%” Q1 growth outlook buoy sentiment. Barron’s.
- Mattel (MAT) — Stock plunges on miss and soft 2026 EPS guide: Q4 revenue/EPS trailed estimates; company flagged margin pressure from promotions, sending shares down ~30%. Barron’s.
- Unity Software (U) — Prints before the bell; sentiment fragile: Results and webcast are slated for 08:30 ET as traders parse the company’s business reset after recent volatility. IR.
- Lyft (LYFT) — Buyback overshadowed by weak outlook: $1B repurchase unveiled, but soft Q1 profit guide and 2025 operating loss sent shares down ~15% after hours. Reuters via Investing.com.
- Robinhood (HOOD) — Record Q4 revenue but below Street; crypto softness hits shares: Q4 sales $1.28B (miss), EPS $0.66 (beat); stock −~7% post‑print amid weaker crypto activity. Reuters.
- Coca‑Cola (KO) — Rare revenue miss; 2026 guide steady: Q4 revenue $11.82B vs. ~$12.0B est.; shares slip as growth moderates despite EPS beat and strong Coke Zero volumes. Reuters via Investing.com.
- James Hardie (JHX) — Q3 FY26 revenue +30% y/y; integration synergies tracking ahead: U.S. building‑products name rose pre‑market on results and outlook tied to Azek integration. Company release.
Next key catalysts (ET): 08:30 — January Employment Situation; Friday 08:30 — January CPI (rescheduled). bls.gov
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