01 Stock Market
As of Sep 24, U.S. stock index futures performed as follows: E-mini Dow Jones futures fell 0.24% to 51,750.00; E-mini S&P 500 futures fell 0.45% to 7,737.50; and E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.86% to 30,499.25. The broader tone was risk-off, with all three benchmarks under pressure as higher bond yields and firmer energy prices weighed on growth-sensitive areas. The slide was most pronounced in Nasdaq-linked contracts, signaling added caution toward large-cap technology and semiconductor shares.
Notable Stock Movers: Among the best-known movers, NEBIUS rose 1.41% at $229.80, while CoreWeave, Inc. rose 1.67% at $88.35. On the downside, Advanced Micro Devices fell 2.34% at $600.25, ARM Holdings fell 3.77% at $320.01, Marvell Technology fell 2.76% at $253.69, and Broadcom fell 1.31% at $350.35. NVIDIA fell 0.90% at $223.47, Apple fell 0.07% at $336.79, and Meta Platforms, Inc. fell 1.73% at $731.19. Outside the mega-cap group, MGM Resorts fell nearly 10% after a buyout bid was withdrawn, while BlackBerry rose more than 2% after lifting its revenue outlook on stronger automotive software demand.
Overall, the pre-bell tape favored defensive positioning, with semiconductors and other high-duration names under pressure while a few idiosyncratic winners held up on company-specific news.
02 Other Markets
• The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose 0.13%, to 5.12%.
• The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.1582% to 101.28.
• WTI crude oil futures rose 1.67% to 93.70 USD/barrel; COMEX gold futures fell 0.33% to 4304.10 USD/ounce.
03 Key News
1. BlackBerry raised its full-year revenue forecast after QNX software posted record quarterly sales. The company said its automotive-focused software business benefited from growth and new design wins, helping QNX revenue rise sharply. It also pointed to broader adoption across vehicle systems and commercial-vehicle programs, which strengthens the outlook for its core embedded-software franchise.
2. MGM Resorts said People Inc. withdrew its acquisition offer, leaving the casino operator independent. The withdrawn bid removed a potential take-private catalyst that had been supporting merger speculation. MGM said it will continue operating on its own, while People Chairman Barry Diller said the conditions for a transaction were no longer coming together.
3. Federal Reserve officials signaled that another rate hike could still be appropriate this year. New York Fed President John Williams said it was reasonable to think the central bank may need to tighten again to contain inflation risks. The comments reinforced the market’s focus on policy restraint and added to pressure on rate-sensitive assets.
4. Reuters reported that the Federal Reserve’s recent rate-hike cycle has historically weighed on U.S. stocks. The article noted that investors are evaluating how much tightening the economy and corporate profits can absorb. It also highlighted that markets are balancing stronger earnings against higher borrowing costs and elevated oil prices.
5. Iran’s military adviser warned that any renewed U.S. or Israeli strike could widen the conflict beyond the Gulf. The warning raised concerns about spillover risk into the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and the Indian Ocean. The report also linked the rhetoric to higher crude prices, underscoring how geopolitical tensions can affect energy markets and shipping routes.
6. Hong Kong’s securities regulator laid out a plan to add a yuan trading counter under southbound Stock Connect. The regulator also said it wants to expand yuan-denominated products, including exchange-traded funds and commodity-linked futures. The proposal is part of a broader effort to deepen market connectivity and strengthen the city’s yuan ecosystem.
7. DeepSeek reportedly secured major financing at a sharply higher valuation. The report said the company raised billions of dollars and was valued at tens of billions, signaling continued investor interest in artificial-intelligence infrastructure and model development. It also cited annualized revenue of about $1 billion, suggesting rapid commercial traction.
8. SpaceX said it rolled Ship 41 to the launch pad and is preparing for a launch. The move indicates progress on the company’s next flight operations and keeps attention on its cadence of Starbase tests. For investors tracking private-space activity, launch readiness is often treated as a milestone for technical execution.
9. Google plans to release Gemini 4 after advancing the model through post-training work. The company said the flagship model remains in fine-tuning and aims for a release before year-end. The update shows continued competition in frontier AI systems and may influence expectations for Google’s product roadmap.
10. BlackBerry’s QNX win with Coretura added a new commercial-vehicle deployment opportunity. The company said the joint venture between Volvo Group and Daimler Truck selected its software for next-generation vehicles. That deal could expand future revenue potential by embedding QNX deeper into software-defined vehicle architectures.
Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data
Disclaimer: For informational purposes only; not investment advice.