NextFin News - Pre‑Market Snapshot for U.S. investors — Monday, March 2, 2026
Pre‑Market Performance
- U.S. equity futures
- Nasdaq‑100 (NQ): 24,633, −371.75 pts (−1.49%).
- S&P 500 (ES): 6,812, −77.00 pts (−1.12%).
- Dow Jones (YM): 48,482, −518 pts (−1.06%).
- Europe
- FTSE 100: 10,753.81, −156.74 (−1.44%).
- CAC 40: 8,405.71, −175.04 (−2.04%).
- DAX: 24,684.39, −599.87 (−2.37%).
- Commodities and FX
- Brent crude near $79/bbl (intraday high touched ~$82), +~8–10% on supply risk; WTI around $72–73/bbl, +~7–8%. apnews.com
- Gold ~$5,330–$5,390/oz, +~2% on safe‑haven demand. streetinsider.com
- U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) ~98, +0.5% as risk‑off flows lift the greenback. tradingeconomics.com
Risk sentiment deteriorated after fresh Middle East escalations disrupted energy shipping and air travel, sending European equities lower and pressuring U.S. futures.
Macroeconomic Policy and Data
- Inflation — CPI (January)
- Actual: +2.4% y/y; +0.2% m/m.
- Consensus: +2.5% y/y; +0.3% m/m.
- Previous: +2.7% y/y (December). investing.com
- Wholesale inflation — PPI (January)
- Headline: +0.5% m/m vs +0.3% expected; +2.9% y/y (core services strong; goods −0.3% m/m). Prior month revised to +0.4% m/m. bls.gov
- GDP
- Q4 2025 advance: +1.4% SAAR (Q3: +4.4% SAAR). bea.gov
- ISM
- Services PMI (Jan): 53.8 (Dec: 53.8); next release for Feb due Wednesday, March 4, 10:00 a.m. ET. prnewswire.com
- Manufacturing PMI (Jan): 52.6 (first expansion since Jan ’25); Feb report due today at 10:00 a.m. ET. haver.com
- Federal Reserve
- Jan 27–28 FOMC minutes: target rate held; two voters preferred a 25 bp cut. IORB at 3.65%; next FOMC March 17–18. federalreserve.gov
- Separate development: DOJ subpoenas tied to the Fed’s HQ renovation prompted a court move to quash; probe adds policy‑uncertainty headlines. washingtonpost.com
Takeaway: Softer CPI but hotter PPI complicates the disinflation narrative and could temper near‑term easing hopes—especially with energy’s risk premium rising. Markets will watch today’s ISM Manufacturing and the March 17–18 FOMC for guidance on the timing of cuts; geopolitical supply shocks (oil up, dollar firmer) could re‑accelerate headline inflation and pressure rate‑cut expectations. investing.com
Hot News
- Hormuz disruption drives oil spike — Military strikes and maritime incidents around the Strait of Hormuz spurred an 8–10% jump in crude; safe‑haven gold and the dollar advanced as equities fell. apnews.com
- Global shipping reroutes — A.P. Moller‑Maersk paused vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz and re‑routed selected services amid security concerns, adding to supply‑chain risk. uk.finance.yahoo.com
- Airspace closures snarl travel — Wide Middle East airspace restrictions led to mass cancellations and diversions across major hubs, weighing on airlines globally. theguardian.com
- Policy watch: central‑bank independence headlines — The DOJ’s subpoenas tied to the Fed chair and the Board’s HQ renovation have intensified political noise around monetary policy. washingtonpost.com
U.S. Stock Focus
- Apple — Reports indicate Apple will stage a three‑day product rollout starting today, with a low‑cost MacBook, new iPads and a budget iPhone model among expected highlights; watch for pricing and silicon details versus PC peers. tomsguide.com
- Tesla — Shares traded lower pre‑market despite the oil surge, as the historic positive correlation between gasoline prices and EV demand has faded; macro risk and China EV softness are in focus. barrons.com
- Nvidia — Stock eased as investors await GTC (Mar 16–19); reports say a new inference‑focused AI processor and a full system reveal could expand Nvidia’s addressable workloads and partner commitments. barrons.com
- Amazon — Post‑earnings pressure persists after management signaled a step‑up in 2026 capex for AI and infrastructure, overshadowing strong AWS trends; analysts are recalibrating FCF and margin paths. ksat.com
- Alphabet (Google) — In response to EU DMA actions, Google is preparing to elevate rivals in vertical search (flights, hotels, restaurants) to avoid heavy fines, with phased changes across Europe. theverge.com
- Microsoft — The company broadened its Windows 365 Cloud PC hardware ecosystem via new partnerships with Asus and Dell; cloud‑first endpoints arriving later in 2026 may reinforce Azure attach and device‑as‑a‑service models. techradar.com
- Meta Platforms & AMD — Meta agreed to a multiyear purchase of AMD’s next‑gen AI accelerators valued at up to $100B+, including performance‑based equity warrants; the deal diversifies Meta’s GPU supply beyond Nvidia. apnews.com
- Exxon Mobil — Energy equities outperformed pre‑market as crude spiked; Exxon, Chevron and peers gained on expectations for higher realizations and potential supply disruptions. barrons.com
- United Airlines — United suspended flights to Tel Aviv through March 6 amid regional airspace closures; higher jet‑fuel costs and reroutes are downside risks for U.S. carriers. travelpulse.com
- Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop — Defense primes rallied on expectations of elevated demand and replenishment orders as tensions rise; pre‑market gains outpaced broader futures declines. barrons.com
Market drivers: Energy’s surge and dollar strength are tightening financial conditions into the open. With CPI cooler but PPI hotter, the near‑term path for policy easing remains data‑dependent; today’s ISM Manufacturing and the March FOMC will shape growth, margins and rate‑cut expectations.
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