Tonights highlights | U.S. Futures Edge Higher as Market Braces for NVIDIA Earnings
U.S. equity futures climbed collectively on Wednesday, buoyed by gains in NVIDIA and Oracle, as investors sought to extend the previous session's momentum. Major European indices also tracked higher across the board.
In the prior session, all three major U.S. indices closed in positive territory as concerns regarding AI's potential to disrupt multiple sectors began to fade. The S&P 500 rose nearly 0.8%, the Nasdaq added approximately 1%, and the Dow gained 370 points, or about 0.8%.
NVIDIA, the chip designer at the epicenter of the AI race, is scheduled to release its highly anticipated earnings report after today's close. Software giants Salesforce and Snowflake are also set to report results this evening. NVIDIA's earnings come at a critical juncture as investors re-evaluate high valuations in the tech sector and grow increasingly skeptical of the massive AI capital expenditures by hyperscale cloud providers.
As of press time, NVIDIA rose nearly 0.8% in pre-market trading. Oracle climbed over 2% pre-market, leading a continued rebound in software stocks after Oppenheimer upgraded the company, citing an "attractive" risk-reward profile following the recent pullback.
Corporate News
Apple to Feature "Dynamic Island" in First Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Reports indicate Apple will introduce a significant interface change for its long-awaited touchscreen laptop, incorporating the "Dynamic Island" design originally seen on iPhones.
Sources suggest the first touchscreen Mac model is slated for a fall release, featuring the Dynamic Island at the top center of the display.
Warner Bros. Says Paramount’s New $31/Share Bid May Top Netflix Deal
Warner Bros. Discovery stated that a new $31-per-share acquisition offer from Skydance (Paramount) could represent a superior transaction to its existing agreement with Netflix.
While the board has not yet decided if the revised Paramount proposal is superior, the company plans further consultations. If the board backs the higher bid, Netflix will have four business days to respond.
SK Hynix to Invest $15 Billion in South Korean Chip Capacity
South Korean memory giant SK Hynix announced plans to invest 21.6 trillion won (approx. $15.07 billion) in Yongin by 2030.
The funds will be used to build a new production line and five cleanrooms within the Yongin semiconductor cluster to meet surging global demand. The investment period is set to run from March 2026 to December 2030.
Samsung to Unveil First Phone with "Active Privacy Screen"
Samsung officially announced its Galaxy global launch event for February 26, where it will debut the S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra.
Notably, the S26 Ultra will feature "Active Privacy Screen" technology, which intelligently identifies sensitive information on the display and automatically applies a localized privacy filter.