NextFin News - Friday, March 6, 2026 (ET)
Pre‑Market Performance
- U.S. index futures: Nasdaq‑100 −0.87% (−217.5 pts) at 24,832; S&P 500 −0.68% (−46.25 pts) at 6,789; Dow Jones −0.66% (−315 pts) at 47,668.
- Europe: FTSE 100 10,354.16 (−0.57%); CAC 40 7,969.09 (−0.95%); DAX 23,572.83 (−1.02%).
- Commodities/FX: Brent crude ~$85.75/bbl (+0.4% intraday); WTI ~$79.52/bbl; spot gold ~$5,082/oz (off records above $5,400 earlier this week); U.S. Dollar Index ~99.06 (+0.29%). theguardian.com
Macroeconomic Policy and Data
- ISM Services PMI (Feb): 56.1 vs 53.5 expected; prior 53.8 — highest since July 2022, with new orders 58.6 and business activity 59.9. ismworld.org
- ISM Manufacturing PMI (Feb): 52.4 (expansion; prior ~52.6), employment 48.8. prnewswire.com
- Initial jobless claims (week ended Feb 28): 213,000 vs 215,000 expected; prior 213,000. zacks.com
- PPI (Jan): +0.5% m/m; +2.9% y/y; core +0.8% m/m and +3.6% y/y — hotter than expected. apnews.com
- Upcoming inflation data: CPI (Feb) due Wednesday, March 11, 2026; Personal Income & Outlays (Jan, incl. PCE) delayed to Friday, March 13, 2026. bls.gov
- Federal Reserve: Next FOMC March 17–18; futures markets skew to a “hold.” kiplinger.com
Takeaway: Resilient services activity alongside firm producer prices and a stronger dollar keep pressure on risk assets into the open. Energy’s risk premium tied to Middle East tensions is lifting crude; combined with an elevated dollar, that mix tends to weigh on cyclicals and rate‑sensitives while supporting cash‑flow‑rich energy and defensive names.
Hot News
- War in the Middle East and Strait of Hormuz disruptions keep oil elevated. U.S. futures are softer as hostilities enter another week; shipping flows through the Hormuz chokepoint have been intermittently disrupted, sustaining a risk premium in crude. apnews.com
- OPEC+ holds output plans for March. Core members reconfirmed pausing planned hikes through Q1, maintaining supply discipline into March even as prices rise. argusmedia.com
- U.S. funding overhang eased after February’s shutdown ended. Passage of a stopgap package reduced immediate fiscal‑operations risk, though further deadlines loom. apnews.com
- Euro area disinflation continues into 2026 backdrop. ECB’s latest bulletin shows headline HICP easing to 1.7% in January, informing global risk appetite ahead of next week’s U.S. CPI. ecb.europa.eu
U.S. Stock Focus
- Amazon (AMZN) — AWS data centers struck in Middle East. AWS disclosed multiple facilities in the UAE and Bahrain were damaged by drones, triggering localized outages; redundancy limited broader service impact, but the episode highlights physical‑infrastructure risk. AP; TechRadar
- Broadcom (AVGO) — Q1 FY26 tops; AI lifts outlook. Revenue rose ~29% y/y to $19.3B with upside EPS; shares rallied as guidance emphasized accelerating AI infrastructure demand and continued VMware integration progress. Investing.com; Motley Fool
- Costco (COST) — solid Q2 FY26; comps and digital strong. Net sales reached ~$68–70B with ~7% comp growth (ex‑gas/FX ~6.7%); EPS ~$4.58. Stock dipped after hours on valuation despite robust traffic and e‑commerce gains. Company; Investing.com
- Nvidia (NVDA) — next‑gen Vera Rubin chips reach customers. Nvidia has begun delivering Vera Rubin platform samples, advancing the 2026 AI hardware cycle; hyperscalers are among early deployers ahead of broader rollout. Tom’s Hardware
- Apple (AAPL) — “big week” of launches spans entry MacBook and iPhone 17e. Apple introduced a low‑cost MacBook tier (MacBook Neo) and refreshed Macs/iPads alongside a budget iPhone variant, aiming to widen price coverage and spur upgrades into spring. AP
- Meta Platforms (META) — initiates regular cash dividend. Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525/share, adding an income component to Meta’s return profile alongside buybacks and capex for AI/data centers. Company
- Chevron (CVX) — energy leadership amid oil spike. Shares printed new highs this week as Middle East risk buoyed crude and focus remained on Guyana/Permian growth vectors post‑Hess; several houses refreshed 2026 frameworks. MarketMinute; TheStreet
- Micron (MU) — HBM4 ramp and 2026 capacity fully booked. Management and industry trackers flagged early HBM4 shipments and a fully allocated 2026 book, reinforcing tight AI memory dynamics and elevated capex into mid‑2026. DefenseWorld; TrendForce
- TSMC ADR (TSM) — Arizona 3nm tool‑in slated for 3Q26. Reports point to accelerated tool installation this summer for U.S. Fab 21 Phase 2, with 2027 3nm production targeted — supportive for U.S. supply‑chain optionality. Tom’s Hardware; TrendForce
Market context: Futures softness reflects a stronger dollar, firmer producer prices, and oil’s war‑driven premium. Into 8:30 a.m. ET, attention will be on labor prints and next week’s CPI/PCE; a firm services backdrop with tight claims keeps the Fed biased to hold in March, placing a premium on cash‑generative leaders and energy while adding near‑term volatility to high‑multiple growth.
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