NextFin News - Wednesday, March 4, 2026 (U.S. Eastern Time). Pre‑market snapshot and key developments across futures, macro, and company news.
Pre‑Market Performance
- U.S. index futures
- Nasdaq‑100 (NQ): 24,800.3, +44.5 (+0.18%).
- S&P 500 (ES): 6,827.5, +2.8 (+0.04%).
- Dow Jones (YM): 48,536, −24 (−0.05%).
- Europe (recent session)
- FTSE 100: 10,574.15, +90.02 (+0.86%); day range 10,443.49–10,574.27.
- CAC 40: 8,167.87, +64.03 (+0.79%); day range 8,089.81–8,206.82.
- DAX: 24,081.57, +290.92 (+1.22%); day range 23,814.89–24,220.74.
- Commodities and FX
- Brent crude ~ $84.38 (+3.5%); WTI ~ $76.76 (+2.9%) amid Strait of Hormuz disruptions and supply risk rhetoric from major banks. marketwatch.com
- Gold (spot) ~ $5,118/oz after extreme volatility near recent records. sundayguardianlive.com
- U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) ~98.6; firmer into the open. investing.com
- U.S. 10Y yield ~4.09% (pre‑market indication). barrons.com
Macroeconomic Policy and Data
- Today’s key releases (ET)
- ADP private payrolls (Feb) at 8:15 a.m.; consensus ~49k vs previous 22k.
- ISM Services PMI (Feb) at 10:00 a.m.; consensus 53.5 vs previous 53.8.
- Fed Beige Book at 2:00 p.m.
- Latest readings
- ISM Manufacturing PMI (Feb): 52.4 (exp 51.8; prior 52.6) — second straight expansion; prices index jumped to 70.5. barrons.com
- CPI (Jan): Headline +2.4% y/y (exp 2.5%; prior 2.7%); core +2.5% y/y. finance.yahoo.com
- PPI (Jan): Headline +0.5% m/m, +2.9% y/y (exp +0.3%, +2.6%); core (ex‑food & energy) +0.8% m/m, +3.6% y/y. apnews.com
- Fed policy: Next FOMC meeting March 17–18; market consensus expects rates held at 3.50%–3.75% as officials watch disinflation vs. growth risks. January meeting minutes flagged “uneven” progress on inflation. federalreserve.gov
Hot News
- Oil shock risk rises: Goldman warns Brent could hit $100 if Hormuz flows don’t normalize; Brent already ~mid‑$80s as traders price supply threats. marketwatch.com
- Asia equity rout: South Korea’s KOSPI plunged as much as ~12% intraday, triggering circuit breakers, as energy shock fears ripple through chip‑heavy markets; Japan and Taiwan also sold off. ft.com
- Crypto rebounds: Bitcoin vaulted back above $70,000 overnight, lifting crypto‑linked equities in pre‑market trade. barrons.com
- U.S. services, Beige Book in focus: With ISM Services at 10:00 a.m. ET and the Beige Book at 2:00 p.m. ET, investors gauge demand, labor, and tariff impacts ahead of the March FOMC.
U.S. Stock Focus
- Apple (AAPL) — New M5 MacBook Air/Pro unveiled: MacBook Air with M5 (Wi‑Fi 7, higher base storage) and refreshed MacBook Pro with M5 Pro/Max; pre‑orders start today, in‑store Mar 11. Hardware price points ticked higher, with performance and storage upgrades aimed at refresh demand.
- Tesla (TSLA) — BofA upgrades to Buy: Shares firmer pre‑market after BofA cited leadership in consumer autonomy and scaling of FSD subscriptions; $460 price target highlights optimism around a 2026 robo‑taxi rollout.
- Moderna (MRNA) — Patent overhang eased: Stock rallies after a $950 million settlement with Arbutus/Genevant that ends global LNP litigation; Moderna guides to record a Q1 charge while appealing a limited‑liability issue that could add contingent payments.
- CrowdStrike (CRWD) — Q4 beat, record ARR: Adjusted EPS $1.12 on $1.31B revenue; ARR hit $5.25B (+24% y/y). Guidance tracks consensus as management stresses AI increases security demand.
- GitLab (GTLB) — Outlook disappoints: Despite a Q4 beat (EPS $0.30; $260.4M revenue), FY27 EPS and revenue guidance underwhelmed; shares fall ~8–9% pre‑market.
- Coinbase (COIN) — Crypto tide lifts exchanges: Bitcoin’s jump above $70k sparks pre‑market gains across crypto‑levered equities; liquidity and volumes could firm if the bounce holds.
- Broadcom (AVGO) — Earnings after the bell; AI in focus: Consensus looks for ~$19.2B FQ1 revenue as AI custom chips and networking drive growth; options imply ~8% post‑print move.
- Ross Stores (ROST) — Q4 tops, upbeat spring start: EPS $2.00 vs $1.88 est.; comps +9%; management cites a “very strong” start to spring and boosts shareholder returns (new buyback, 10% dividend hike).
- SSR Mining (SSRM) — Precious‑metals beta: Among top pre‑market gainers as gold stabilizes near elevated levels; guidance and reserve builds support constructive sentiment into 2026 cap‑return plans.
Market take
Firm manufacturing, a still‑resilient services backdrop, and hotter producer prices complicate the rate‑cut path, keeping the dollar supported and 10‑year yields near 4.1%. Energy’s spike on Gulf shipping risk raises inflation concerns and is driving market caution even as crypto strength creates a risk‑on pocket; equity futures are mixed with growth names leaning steadier than cyclicals ahead of the ADP/ISM/Beige Book trifecta. A services PMI near mid‑50s would reinforce growth resilience, while a soft ADP print would only modestly temper rate‑cut timing given recent CPI and PPI readings.
Explore more exclusive insights at nextfin.ai.
