01 Stock Market
As of Aug 14, U.S. stock index futures performed as follows: Dow futures slipped 0.16%, hinting at a cautious tone for industrials, while S&P 500 contracts edged up 0.09% and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.25%, reflecting selective appetite for growth names amid lingering macro uncertainty and light summer volumes.
Notable Stock Movers: SNDK up 6.73% at $1630.93 after outlining double-digit revenue growth targets and lofty margins; memory peer MU up 3.05% at $978.80 on sympathetic strength; social platform RDDT up 10.99% at $175.50 after confirmation of forthcoming S&P 500 inclusion; chip leader NVDA up 0.26% at $225.88 as new AI-infrastructure funding plans gain traction; semiconductor equipment maker AMAT fell 5.34% to $506.02 following robust earnings that spurred profit-taking.
Leveraged semiconductor ETF SOXL gained 0.57% at $146.19, while inverse product SOXS eased, underscoring traders’ preference for AI-linked momentum. Overall, pre-bell action signals rotation within technology: investors reward fresh growth catalysts in memory and data-center plays, yet trim positions in names viewed as temporarily stretched.
02 Other Markets
• 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose 0.12%, to 4.65%.
• U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.34% to 99.62.
• WTI crude oil futures rose 0.21% to 80.61 USD/barrel; COMEX gold futures rose 7.80 USD/ounce to 4428.20 USD/ounce.
03 Key News
1. Alphabet disclosed its SpaceX stake now worth about $94 billion, underscoring a 100-fold gain since its 2015 investment. Regulatory filings revealed the tech giant as the largest institutional holder after the rocket company’s recent IPO. The revelation highlights the substantial upside big-tech investors have reaped from early bets on commercial space ventures.
2. SanDisk projected mid- to high-teens annual revenue growth and ~80% gross margins through 2030 during its investor day. Management cited contractual volume commitments from eight major customers, including three U.S. hyperscalers, covering two-thirds of projected output by fiscal 2028. The outlook reinforced confidence in sustained demand for advanced flash and High Bandwidth Flash memory.
3. Goldman Sachs began courting insurers and asset managers to back NVIDIA’s planned $500 billion AI-infrastructure financing platform. Leveraging a long-standing relationship with the chipmaker, the bank is structuring junior capital and private-credit tranches, positioning itself as sole lender alongside alternative-asset giants to channel institutional funds into data-center build-outs.
4. SK Hynix booked a KRW 3.98 trillion derivative loss tied to exchangeable-bond conversions as its share price rallied. The accounting charge arose when bondholders exercised conversion rights; the company said offsetting gains on treasury-share disposals limited cash impact, and operational liquidity remains intact.
5. Unusual Machines soared over 18% after President Trump announced a slate of tariffs to address a national-security threat posed by imports of drones and their components. In a statement, the White House said the drone-tariff program would protect the security of the U.S. and its defense and defense-adjacent industrial base, while creating jobs. "U.S. drone production needs to be expanded rapidly to ensure U.S. national and economic security," it said.
6. Apple partnered with Alibaba to develop a China-specific large-language model for its forthcoming Apple Intelligence suite. Refinitiv sources say the move marks a shift from prior reliance on external AI providers, paving the way for localized features ahead of an upcoming iOS update amid China’s stringent data-governance rules.
7. S&P Dow Jones Indices confirmed Reddit will join the S&P 500, boosting the social network’s profile with major benchmark inclusion. Entry into the blue-chip gauge typically drives passive fund inflows and enhances liquidity, offering potential valuation support as index-tracking investors adjust portfolios.
8. The U.S. administration imposed a 100% tariff on selected unmanned-aircraft imports, benefiting niche producer Unusual Machines. The policy aims to curb foreign drone penetration on national-security grounds, shifting demand toward domestic suppliers and bolstering prospects for U.S. manufacturers.
9. Applied Materials reported stronger-than-expected quarterly revenue and forecast roughly 25% growth for the year. Despite the upbeat guidance, shares retreated in pre-market trade as investors locked in gains after a robust run-up, illustrating elevated expectations for semiconductor capital-equipment spending.
10. The U.S. SEC postponed its widely anticipated “innovation exemption” for tokenized securities amid White House and Wall Street legal concerns. The delay stalls regulatory relief that would have streamlined blockchain-based security issuance, signaling ongoing caution as policymakers balance market innovation with investor protection.
Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data
Disclaimer: For informational purposes only; not investment advice.
