Pre-Bell｜Wall St Futures Inch Higher; DBV Surged 40%; Frontier Rose 5%; Micron Up 3%; Amazon And Netflix Up 2%

01 Stock Market

As of Dec 17, U.S. stock index futures are modestly higher pre-market. Dow futures are up about 0.2%, S&P 500 futures up about 0.35%, and Nasdaq 100 futures up about 0.41%, indicating a cautiously constructive tone driven by large-cap tech and AI plays. Gains in semiconductors and select mega-caps are supporting sentiment while traders weigh corporate news flow and positioning into year-end.

Notable pre-market movers center on AI, cloud, and mega-cap tech leadership. NVDA up 0.05% at $177.80; MU up 3.01% at $239.50; AVGO up 1.04% at $344.85; AMZN up 1.55% at $226.00; GOOG up 0.78% at $310.13; META up 0.28% at $658.96; ORCL up 0.92% at $190.38; TSLA down 0.16% at $489.11; AAPL up 0.14% at $275.00; TSM up 0.79% at $289.14; crypto-linked miner HUT up 15.22% at $42.46; cannabis name TLRY up 4.45% at $14.56.

Leveraged and index-linked ETFs suggest a tech tilt: SOXL up 2.59% at $41.54; TQQQ up 1.28% at $53.00; SQQQ down 1.29% at $70.25; QQQ up 0.44% at $614.47; VOO up 0.37% at $626.49. Among ADRs, BABA up 1.00% at $150.79 and BIDU up 2.15% at $121.88, while PDD fell 0.82% at $108.13; EV maker XPEV up 0.70% at $18.60. Strength in memory, AI infrastructure, and cloud suppliers contrasts with selective pullbacks tied to deal headlines and regulatory developments.

02 Other Markets

• 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose 0.71%, to 4.18%.

• U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.41% to 98.62.

• WTI crude oil futures rose 2.19% to 56.34 USD/barrel; COMEX gold futures rose 0.29% to 4344.70 USD/ounce.

03 Key News

1. California DMV warned Tesla to change Autopilot marketing or face license suspensions. The agency indicated a compliance window, after which dealer and manufacturing licenses could be suspended if changes are not made. The notice elevates regulatory risk around driver-assistance claims and could affect in-state sales and operations. Shares of TSLA were mixed in recent pre-market trading amid the headline.

2. Lennar missed earnings expectations and issued cautious guidance, pressuring the stock pre-market. Management highlighted affordability challenges and continued incentives, guiding homebuilding gross margins to the mid-teens and signaling softer orders and deliveries near term. Investors are watching for signs that pricing, incentives, and volumes can stabilize into the next quarter.

3. Warner Bros. Discovery board is poised to recommend rejecting Paramount Skydance’s bid and backing a rival offer from Netflix. The move would shape the streaming-content landscape by keeping Warner’s storied library aligned with a different buyer. The competing approaches raise questions on valuation, regulatory paths, and strategic fit in a consolidating media ecosystem, with NFLX shares firmer pre-market.

4. Amazon is in talks to invest $10 billion or more in OpenAI, potentially at a valuation above $500 billion. The discussions reportedly include using Amazon’s AI chips and helping fund heavy compute commitments. A tie-up would deepen cloud-model integration and expand access to AI infrastructure; AMZN traded higher pre-market on the report.

5. Bankrupt Spirit Aviation Holdings is in merger talks with Frontier Group Holdings, aiming to combine ultra-low-cost carriers. The discussions come alongside Spirit’s restructuring efforts and Frontier’s leadership transition, and could culminate in a deal if negotiations succeed. Consolidation would target cost synergies and scale, though execution and regulatory review remain key variables for investors. Frontier rose 5%.

6. Robinhood rolled out sports-focused event contracts tied to individual player performance, expanding its derivatives product set. The contracts, overseen under CFTC rules, enable targeted outcomes such as touchdowns or yardage, adding preset multi-leg combos for single games. The launch seeks product differentiation as states scrutinize event contracts’ overlap with sports betting.

7. DBV Technologies reported positive Phase 3 topline results for its peanut patch therapy in children. U.S.-listed shares surged 40% pre-market as the study met its primary endpoint, supporting the treatment’s potential for ages 4 to 7. Attention now turns to regulatory interactions and commercialization timelines, with the therapy aiming to address unmet allergy needs.

8. Alphabet’s Waymo is seeking to raise capital at a valuation near $100 billion to scale robotaxi operations. Reports indicate a multi-billion-dollar round could be arranged, underscoring the capital intensity and competitive race in autonomous mobility. Proceeds would support fleet expansion, safety, and regulatory engagement as rivals push driverless services toward broader commercialization.

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