Pre-Bell｜Wall St Futures Slip As Investors Brace For Key Jobs Report; Roku Up 4%; Strategy Up 2%; iRobot Down 22%

01 Stock Market

U.S. stock index futures slipped, with Dow futures down 0.11% at 48,785, S&P 500 futures down 0.19% at 6,868, and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.31% at 25,264.25. A modest pullback across index futures reflects caution ahead of labor-market data, with tech-heavy benchmarks underperforming. Investors are focusing on liquidity conditions, mega-cap earnings sensitivity, and event-driven catalysts in autos, semiconductors, and crypto-linked names as the opening bell approaches.

Notable Stock Movers: TSLA down 0.66% at $472.16; NVDA down 0.25% at $175.85; AVGO down 0.01% at $339.77; AMD down 0.63% at $206.27; MSFT down 0.36% at $473.13; META down 0.49% at $644.32; AMZN up 0.06% at $222.68; INTC up 1.15% at $37.94; ORCL down 0.34% at $184.29; BABA down 1.39% at $148.00; XPEV up 0.55% at $18.41; RKLB down 2.31% at $54.13; MSTR up 1.83% at $165.04; IREN down 0.48% at $35.31; Roku up 4.45% at $113.88.

Softness in index futures and mixed single-name moves align with today’s event tape: an auto-sector pivot at Ford influences EV sentiment alongside TSLA price action; ORCL’s funding and obligation disclosures are in focus for credit and equity risk; crypto-linked names react to derivatives and tokenization launches. Meanwhile, Nasdaq’s 23/5 trading plan and BLS methodology updates frame microstructure and macro-data catalysts into the open.

02 Other Markets

10-year U.S. Treasury yield fell 0.09%, to 4.18%.
U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.10% to 98.19.
WTI crude oil futures fell 1.71% to 55.85 USD/barrel; COMEX gold futures fell 0.72% to 4304.20 USD/ounce.

03 Key News

1. PayPal applied to form an industrial loan company bank, aiming to expand lending and offer savings products. The application seeks approval in Utah and from the FDIC, reducing reliance on third-party funding and enhancing small-business credit capabilities. PayPal selected Mara McNeill to lead the proposed unit, signaling a push to scale balance-sheet driven services.

2. Ford announced a $19.5 billion writedown and scrapped multiple EV programs, pivoting toward hybrids and extended-range EVs. The plan reallocates capital from large EVs to higher-return projects and adjusts battery joint-venture arrangements. Management guided to stronger forward profitability metrics as the product mix shifts.

3. Nasdaq plans to file with the SEC to enable 23/5 round-the-clock trading of U.S. stocks and ETFs. The blueprint consolidates sessions into a day and night schedule, with the week starting Sunday evening, expanding global access. Execution depends on upgrades to market data pipes and nonstop clearing at DTCC.

4. JPMorgan Asset Management launched its first tokenized money market fund on Ethereum. The private fund lets qualified investors earn yield while holding an on-chain token via the firm’s tokenization platform. The move deepens Wall Street’s foothold in blockchain-based finance and fund distribution.

5. CME Group expanded crypto derivatives with spot-quoted XRP and SOL futures. These contracts complement spot-quoted BTC and ETH futures and broaden hedging and price-discovery tools across digital assets. Availability alongside major U.S. equity indices enhances cross-asset strategies.

6. XPeng secured L3 autonomous driving road test permits in Guangzhou and began regular testing. The authorization covers conditional autonomy on designated routes, supporting iterative validation. Management signaled potential feature milestones in the near term as testing scales.

7. iRobot filed for bankruptcy protection and agreed to go private via a sale to Picea Robotics, its primary manufacturer. The restructuring comes amid severe funding constraints and operational pressures, with shares sliding 22% in pre-market trade. A private ownership structure is expected to stabilize manufacturing and liquidity.

8. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics outlined it will publish combined employment reports with missing household metrics due to the government shutdown. The unemployment rate for a prior month and related series will be absent, while establishment-survey payrolls are incorporated. The data gap may raise volatility in policy interpretation and market reactions.

9. Oracle disclosed additional long-term lease and cloud commitments and addressed data-center timeline rumors. The company rebutted delay speculation while filings highlighted sizable obligations, prompting a reassessment of credit risk and funding needs. Five-year CDS spreads widened as investors weighed cash flows versus AI buildout.

10. The White House is considering an executive order to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance. Rescheduling could lower tax burdens, ease banking access, and unlock research pathways for cannabis firms. The Drug Enforcement Administration will evaluate health-agency recommendations as part of the process.

Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data
Disclaimer: For informational purposes only; not investment advice.