NextFin News - As of 8:00 a.m. ET.
Pre‑Market Performance
- U.S. index futures — Nasdaq 100: 24,820 (−38.75, −0.16%); S&P 500: 6,868.5 (−8.5, −0.12%); Dow Jones: 49,388 (−70, −0.14%).
- Europe — FTSE 100: 10,684.97 (+0.55%); CAC 40: 8,461.10 (+0.74%); DAX: 25,079.48 (+0.14%).
- Commodities/FX — Brent crude ~$71.99/bbl; WTI ~$67.05/bbl (both near 6‑month highs on U.S.–Iran tension). Gold ~$4,995/oz. U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) ~97.9, near a one‑month high. livemint.com
Macroeconomic Policy and Data
- Inflation (January CPI) — Headline +0.2% m/m (consensus +0.3%); +2.4% y/y (consensus +2.5%, prior 2.7%). Core CPI +0.3% m/m; +2.5% y/y (prior 2.6%). Energy fell 1.5% m/m; shelter rose 0.2% m/m. The cooler‑than‑expected print supports the disinflation trend but core services/shelter remain sticky. bls.gov
- Labor market (Initial jobless claims) — Week ended Feb. 14: 206,000 (consensus ~225,000; prior 229,000). Continuing claims 1.87 million (week of Feb. 7). The drop to a YTD low signals layoffs remain limited even as hiring cools. wsj.com
- Fed minutes (Jan 27–28) — Officials held rates at 3.50%–3.75% and stressed that progress toward 2% inflation could be “slower and uneven,” with some members open to hikes if inflation persists; overall tone favors a patient stance before further easing. Market‑implied cuts for H1 have been tempered. federalreserve.gov
Market take: Softer CPI and a sharp claims drop leave the “soft‑landing” narrative intact, but oil’s surge and a firmer dollar complicate the path to additional rate cuts—helping explain modest pre‑market equity softness today. wsj.com
Hot News
- U.S.–Iran tensions lift crude — Brent pushed into the low‑$70s with traders watching the Strait of Hormuz risk; equity volatility ticked up as energy inflation fears resurfaced. wsj.com
- Red Sea shipping restoring, with caveats — Carriers are restarting Suez‑via services amid fewer Houthi attacks, which could pressure freight rates lower if capacity normalizes; threat levels remain fluid. spglobal.com
- AI power build‑out strains energy infrastructure — Tech firms are accelerating off‑grid generation projects to support data centers, raising policy and environmental questions about a “shadow grid.” washingtonpost.com
- Global risk tone — Stocks softened Thursday as geopolitics and earnings mixed; oil strength and headline risk kept havens bid and the dollar firm. nst.com.my
U.S. Stock Focus
- Nvidia (NVDA) — Reports indicate Nvidia will replace a shelved $100B LOI with a $30B equity investment in OpenAI as part of a >$100B round valuing OpenAI near ~$700B–$800B; NVDA edged higher pre‑market on the headlines. ft.com
- Meta Platforms (META) — Meta and Nvidia expanded a multiyear pact: Meta plans to deploy millions of Blackwell/Rubin GPUs and, notably, the first large‑scale Grace CPU‑only deployment to boost perf‑per‑watt in AI workloads. investor.nvidia.com
- Tesla (TSLA) — Launched a lower‑priced AWD Cybertruck under $60,000 to stimulate demand; analysts warn of possible cannibalization of higher‑trim models as the EV cycle cools. barrons.com
- Walmart (WMT) — Q4 revenue $190.7B (+5.6% y/y) and EPS beat, alongside a new $30B buyback and 5% dividend hike; shares dipped as FY guidance (EPS $2.75–$2.85; sales +3.5%–4.5%) trailed Street expectations. barrons.com
- Deere (DE) — FQ1 EPS $2.42 vs. $2.00 est.; raised FY26 net income outlook to $4.5B–$5.0B, calling 2026 the bottom of the ag cycle; stock surged on strength in construction and small‑ag. finance.yahoo.com
- DoorDash (DASH) — Stock jumped after the company guided Q1 marketplace GOV to $31.0B–$31.8B, above consensus, offsetting a Q4 EPS/revenue miss; demand in grocery/retail delivery remains resilient. investing.com
- Akamai (AKAM) — Q4 beat (non‑GAAP EPS $1.84) but FY26 EPS guide ($6.20–$7.20) and higher capex/memory costs drove an ~9%–11% selloff into pre‑market. finance.yahoo.com
- Vicor (VICR) — Shares fell despite a sizable EPS beat ($1.01 vs. $0.44 est.); investors focused on a slight revenue miss and mix/margin dynamics. investing.com
- Occidental Petroleum (OXY) — Announced an >8% dividend hike and capex guide below Street; despite a revenue miss, the stock rallied as investors favored capital discipline amid higher crude. oxy.com
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