01 Stock Market
As of Feb 9, U.S. stock index futures performed as follows: Dow futures fell 0.16%, S&P 500 futures fell 0.33%, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.51%. The soft tone reflects caution around AI-related capital spending and competitive dynamics in semiconductors, with traders balancing last session’s rebound against fresh headlines that could influence near-term positioning in chips, software, and consumer health names.
Notable Stock Movers: HIMS down 15.68% at $19.41. NVO up 5.96% at $50.48. MU down 3.43% at $381.15. NVDA down 0.94% at $183.66. MSFT up 0.44% at $402.90. AMZN down 0.22% at $209.86. SLV up 3.78% at $72.84. AGQ up 7.31% at $146.60. GLD up 1.11% at $460.50. TSLA down 0.49% at $409.11. PLTR up 0.49% at $136.56.
Pre-market action centers on credible, event-driven catalysts: telehealth headlines weighed on HIMS while bolstering sentiment toward branded GLP‑1 producers like NVO. Memory chip competition headlines pressured MU, and AI infrastructure spending narratives kept traders attentive to NVDA, AMZN, and MSFT. Strength in precious-metals proxies (AGQ, SLV, GLD) signals a bid for defensive exposure amid uncertainty around software disruption, hyperscaler capex returns, and the outlook for AI monetization.
02 Other Markets
• 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose 0.43%, to 4.22%.
• U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.4351% to 97.25.
• WTI crude oil futures rose 0.35% to 63.77 USD/barrel; COMEX gold futures rose 1.06% to 5032.80 USD/ounce.
03 Key News
1. Kroger is poised to appoint a former Walmart executive as CEO, lifting shares in pre-market trading. Reports indicate the board selected a seasoned retail leader to steer the grocer through a challenging competitive and consumer-spending backdrop. Investors welcomed the leadership clarity, viewing it as supportive of operational execution and strategy. Kroger shares gained 6%.
2. Hims & Hers halted its compounded GLP‑1 weight-loss pill after regulatory and brand-owner pushback, sending the stock lower while supporting branded makers. The telehealth firm said it stopped offering the treatment after constructive stakeholder discussions, amid scrutiny of compounded semaglutide. The move reduces legal and regulatory risk but narrows near-term product breadth.
3. Amazon Web Services deepened ties with STMicroelectronics via a multiyear chip supply deal and warrant rights, supporting data-center component security. The agreement spans connectivity and efficient power-management semiconductors essential for hyperscale infrastructure. AWS received warrants that could be exercised over time, signaling strategic alignment and potential future equity exposure. STMicroelectronics up 7%.
4. Samsung is preparing large-scale production of next-generation high-bandwidth memory, intensifying competition with existing HBM suppliers. Expanded HBM output would challenge incumbents serving AI accelerators, potentially pressuring pricing power and margins. Investors flagged implications for memory-chip peers as AI systems scale.
5. Amazon outlined substantial AI-related capital expenditures for the year, stoking debate over investment returns and near-term share reaction. The company aims to meet surging demand for AI infrastructure, reinforcing supply-chain investment in chips, networking, and power. While shares eased, the announcement signals strong downstream demand for advanced GPUs and memory.
6. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration signaled a crackdown on unauthorized compounded GLP‑1 medications, reshaping telehealth offerings. Heightened enforcement supports the integrity of branded therapies while raising compliance requirements for compounding practices. The stance may stabilize pricing power for originators and reduce off-label supply.
7. Block initiated workforce reductions of up to 10% in an efficiency push tied to a broader business overhaul. Notifications were delivered around performance reviews as the company streamlines operations and costs. Management aims to sharpen focus on core priorities while preserving growth investments.
8. Eli Lilly and Innovent Biologics entered a collaboration with a significant upfront payment to accelerate oncology and immunology programs. Innovent will lead early-stage development in China, with Lilly holding exclusive rights outside Greater China. The alliance enhances Lilly’s pipeline optionality and validates Innovent’s R&D capabilities.
9. Anthropic launched new enterprise AI features for legal and financial workflows, intensifying disruption risk for certain software niches. Expanded coding assistants and domain-specific functions heighten productivity, prompting reassessment of build-versus-buy decisions. The release adds pressure on traditional application vendors to embed and monetize AI.
10. OpenAI introduced its Frontier enterprise platform for task-executing AI agents, escalating competition across software and services. The platform helps companies operationalize agents for practical business processes, potentially displacing some legacy tools. It also reinforces demand for upstream compute, storage, and specialized chips.
Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data
Disclaimer: For informational purposes only; not investment advice.