NextFin News - As of early U.S. pre‑market trade on February 27, 2026 (ET).
Pre‑Market Performance
- U.S. index futures
- Nasdaq 100 (NQ): 24,919.3, −161.75 pts (−0.64%).
- S&P 500 (ES): 6,877.8, −42.25 pts (−0.61%).
- Dow Jones (YM): 49,160, −371 pts (−0.75%).
- Europe (latest session)
- FTSE 100: 10,907.78, +61.08 pts (+0.56%).
- CAC 40: 8,602.14, −18.79 pts (−0.22%).
- DAX: 25,309.41, +20.39 pts (+0.08%).
- Commodities & FX
- Brent crude ~$71/bbl; WTI ~$65.6/bbl, both consolidating after recent gains, with this week on track for a modest pullback. oilprice.com
- Gold near $5,200/oz, steady ahead of the U.S. PPI release. fxstreet.com
- U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) hovering around the 97 level after a soft start to the year. vtmarkets.com
Macroeconomic Policy and Data
Today’s focus: Producer Price Index (January). Consensus looks for headline PPI +0.3% m/m (from +0.5% prior) and +2.6% y/y; core PPI +0.3% m/m. A firmer print could nudge rate‑cut expectations further out; a softer one would support risk assets and weigh on the dollar. barrons.com
GDP (Q4 2025, advance): Real GDP grew at a 1.4% SAAR (vs. 4.4% in Q3). The PCE price index rose 2.9% (core 2.7%) in Q4. The BEA attributed part of the slowdown to federal shutdown effects. Market take: cooler top‑line growth with still‑sticky services prices keeps the Fed cautious. bea.gov
Labor market: Initial jobless claims rose to 212,000 for the week ended February 21 (prior 208,000; consensus ~215,000). Claims remain historically low, consistent with a still‑firm labor backdrop. wsj.com
Fed policy signals: January FOMC minutes highlighted that progress toward 2% inflation may be “uneven,” with most officials favoring a hold at 3.50%–3.75% while monitoring disinflation momentum and growth risks. Market take: data‑dependence remains high; inflation surprises (like today’s PPI) could shift the path of cuts. ft.com
Coming up: PCE inflation (January). Due to post‑shutdown scheduling changes, the January Personal Income & Outlays report (including PCE) is now slated for March 13, 2026. Consensus tracking points to roughly +0.2% m/m headline and ~2.7% y/y (core ~2.8%). Market take: until the PCE print lands, PPI/CPI components will steer expectations into the March 17–18 FOMC. bea.gov
Hot News
- U.S.–Iran talks continue amid military posturing: The latest Geneva round showed “progress,” but key gaps remain; headlines are sustaining an oil risk premium even as prices consolidate. washingtonpost.com
- OPEC+ holds output policy steady: The group kept remaining cuts in place (~3.24 mb/d) and agreed on a 2026 capacity assessment framework for future quotas. investing.com
- Ukraine conflict and energy infrastructure: Russia’s recent strikes targeted Ukrainian energy assets, adding to broader energy market uncertainty. yahoo.com
- Landmark climate litigation: The U.S. Supreme Court will hear Boulder, CO’s climate case against Exxon and Suncor—closely watched for potential precedent on where such cases are tried. axios.com
U.S. Stock Focus
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Nvidia — Post‑earnings pressure persists
Nvidia Stock Falls Again. Why It’s Still Under Pressure.
Shares extended losses pre‑market after a 5.5% drop Thursday despite beats on revenue, EPS and guidance. Investors continue to debate the duration and ROI of heavy AI capex across hyperscalers, pressuring semis broadly.
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Dell Technologies — AI servers power a beat and rally
Dell Stock Jumps on Strong Earnings. AI Demand Boosts Revenue. | WSJ: Sales Jump 39% on AI Demand
Q4 revenue and EPS topped estimates, with AI‑optimized server sales surging; guidance came in ahead of Street, lifting shares double‑digits pre‑market. Backlog and order metrics point to sustained AI infrastructure demand.
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Block (Square) — Outlook hike and major restructuring
Investing.com: Q4 Momentum and 2026 Targets
The company raised 2026 targets (including gross profit) and announced sizable workforce reductions to streamline operations; shares jumped sharply after hours and remain elevated pre‑market.
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Intuit — Beat, but softer near‑term guide
Barron’s: Guidance Misses Estimates | Reuters via Investing.com: Higher Tax‑Season Spend
Fiscal Q2 topped on revenue/EPS, but Q3 EPS guide trailed consensus amid heavier tax‑season marketing; shares eased despite management’s view that AI features bolster the franchise.
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Zscaler — Solid quarter; shares slip on outlook dynamics
IBD: Earnings Top, Stock Falls | Zacks: Q2 Beat & FY View
The security vendor beat on Q2 revenue/EPS and nudged full‑year metrics, but the stock fell in extended trade as investors parsed growth vs. margin trade‑offs in a risk‑averse software tape.
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Tesla — Labor overhang in Germany
Business Insider: Musk Warns Giga Berlin Staff Before Union Vote
Ahead of a key works‑council election, leadership warned that expansion plans could be curtailed if “outside” disruptions grow, keeping attention on European operations and labor relations.
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Alphabet (Google) — Securing power for AI scale
ITPro: $4.75B Intersect Deal | TechRadar Pro: Data‑Center Energy Push
Alphabet moved to acquire Intersect to bolster multi‑GW power resources for data‑center expansion, underscoring how AI infrastructure growth is colliding with U.S. grid constraints.
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UnitedHealth — Managed care volatility after Medicare signal
Barron’s: Stock Plunges on Outlook, Medicare Proposal | FT: Sector Hit by Minimal 2027 MA Increase
Shares remain sensitive after last month’s sell‑off tied to a near‑flat proposed 2027 Medicare Advantage rate, with investors reassessing revenue trajectories across managed care peers.
What to Watch Next
- 8:30 a.m. ET: January PPI — inflation signal that feeds PCE nowcasting; bond yields and the dollar could react quickly. bls.gov
- Corporate commentary from AI bellwethers and software names on capex, pricing power and demand elasticity post‑earnings.
- Headlines from U.S.–Iran talks and any weekend OPEC+ color that could alter the oil risk premium. washingtonpost.com
Market implications: With futures lower and PPI looming, near‑term risk skew hinges on inflation surprises. A softer wholesale‑prices print would likely aid duration and high‑beta tech, while a hotter read could extend the rotation into cyclicals/defensives and support the dollar. Recent GDP and claims trends argue for patience on policy easing, reinforcing data‑dependence into the March 17–18 FOMC and the rescheduled March 13 PCE release. bea.gov
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