01 Stock Market

As of Sep 25, U.S. stock index futures performed as follows: Dow Jones futures rose 0.33% to 51887.00; S&P 500 futures rose 0.37% to 7795.75; and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.67% to 30,974. The tone pointed to a firmer open for growth and chip names, with the Nasdaq contract leading the advance. That strength contrasted with the prior cash-session move, where the Dow Jones and S&P 500 finished slightly lower while NASDAQ was essentially flat.

Notable Stock Movers: Semiconductor and AI-related names were among the strongest in pre-market trading. SOXL up 4.76% at $153.30, AMD up 1.95% at $641.52, NVDA up 0.66% at $226.06, MU up 1.25% at $1094.05, INTC up 1.04% at $128.71, ARM up 4.46% at $320.00, AVGO up 1.50% at $355.62, MRVL up 2.33% at $264.99, TSM up 0.95% at $455.43, and QQQ up 0.69% at $746.25. On the downside, META fell 0.72% at $772.00 and ORCL fell 0.39% at $139.00. Among broader movers, AKAM surged 18.01% at $130.30, while IFBD rose 17.62% at $1.33 and XPEV fell 0.78% at $10.17.

Sector leadership centered on chips, storage, and AI infrastructure, with gains also visible in leveraged funds tied to the same theme. Outside the semiconductor group, AMZN rose 0.67% at $251.06 and GOOG rose 0.26% at $339.89, reinforcing the constructive tone across large-cap technology. The move suggests investors were positioning around AI spending, memory pricing, and cloud demand rather than broad defensive themes.

02 Other Markets

• 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose 0.29%, to 5.18%.

• U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.2666% to 100.99.

• WTI crude oil futures fell 2.25% to 92.48 USD/barrel; COMEX gold futures rose 0.97% to 4339.70 USD/ounce.

03 Key News

1. Akamai signed an $11.6 billion cloud-services deal with Anthropic and granted a warrant tied to a potential stake. The agreement expands Akamai’s long-term role in AI infrastructure and gives Anthropic the right to buy a portion of the company’s shares under specified terms. The arrangement underscores continued demand for compute capacity and data-center services.

2. Google said it will send AI chips into space for an orbital data-center test. The company plans to use a prototype satellite to evaluate how its Tensor Processing Unit chips perform in orbit, with SpaceX handling the launch. Google said the experiment is part of a broader effort to explore space as a location for scalable AI compute.

3. Oracle agreed to keep paying investors if a New Mexico data-center project misses its power target. The company has reportedly issued a force majeure notice to the developer over power-supply problems. The project has also faced permitting delays, and Oracle would bear holding-cost payments if the first phase is not ready on schedule.

4. Iran said it is willing to pursue a deal with the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under certain conditions. Iranian officials said the plan includes steps linked to a broader understanding framework and would require U.S. agreement. The remarks point to a possible diplomatic track affecting regional shipping and energy flows.

5. Iran’s president said the country would forgo highly enriched uranium under an international framework. The statement signaled continued willingness to pursue an agreement and to remain within treaty commitments. It also suggested Tehran wants to keep channels open while warning it will respond firmly to further hostilities.

6. Shandong Gold said its profit may decline after cutting its gold-output target. The company disclosed a production plan adjustment that lowers its expected gold output from an earlier target. The update triggered pressure on its Hong Kong-listed shares and reflects weaker earnings expectations.

7. Morgan Stanley recommended a barbell approach to AI investing, combining chip makers with emerging adopters. The firm said demand for compute remains strong and highlighted infrastructure providers as core beneficiaries. It also argued that AI’s reach is widening beyond the usual semiconductor names into other sectors.

8. Meta drew attention after its Muse personal agent boosted the stock’s recent run. Commentary on the product highlighted how personal AI agents could change user interfaces and influence the company’s consumer-tech positioning. The piece noted that the stock’s recent move had already lifted its valuation sharply.

9. Trump hosted a White House state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reuters published the guest list, which included executives and senior officials across government and industry. The event drew attention because of its high-level diplomatic and business presence.

10. Micron drew fresh attention ahead of earnings as analysts looked for customer agreements, pricing trends, and buybacks. A note from Rosenblatt said those factors could shape the company’s near-term outlook. The discussion reflected ongoing investor focus on memory demand and AI-related supply tightness.

Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data

Disclaimer: For informational purposes only; not investment advice.