Pre-Bell | Wall St Futures Rise; ImmunityBio Up 20%; AST SpaceMobile Up 7%; Micron And SanDisk Up 6%; Novo-Nordisk Up 5%; AMD Up 3%

01 Stock Market

As of Jan 16, U.S. stock index futures are firm, led by tech-heavy benchmarks, with Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.50%, S&P 500 futures up 0.16%, and Dow futures down 0.01%. Futures indicate a modestly risk-on tone as investors digest strong semiconductor-related signals and steady mega-cap positioning. The setup points to continued leadership from AI and chip-linked names, while banks and select defensives may lag into the open. Positioning remains sensitive to policy headlines and earnings updates across large financials and tech.

Notable Stock Movers: AI-linked chip and biotech names outperformed while a few large-cap tech and Chinese ADRs slipped. ASTS up 7%; NVO up 5%; MU up 5.58% at $355.40; SNDK up 5.53% at $431.87; IBRX up 20.51% at $4.76; AMD up 2.83% at $234.38; NVDA up 0.80% at $188.55; TSM up 1.10% at $345.40; INTC up 1.26% at $48.93; AVGO up 1.31% at $347.53; TSLA up 0.60% at $441.19. On the downside, AAPL fell 0.39% at $257.20 and TCOM fell 2.79% at $59.59.

Semiconductor strength continues to underpin futures as investors lean into AI infrastructure and memory exposure, while biotech momentum names like IBRX extend gains. Select precious-metals proxies and crypto-related vehicles were softer in early indications, and mega-cap software remains mixed, leaving breadth dependent on chips and selective earnings catalysts.

02 Other Markets

• 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose 0.37%, to 4.18%.

• U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.1510% to 99.21.

• WTI crude oil futures rose 1.27% to 59.83 USD/barrel; COMEX gold futures fell 0.12% to 4618.00 USD/ounce.

03 Key News

1. Talen Energy agreed to acquire about 2.6 GW of natural-gas-fired capacity from Energy Capital Partners for $3.45 billion, expanding its generation footprint. The mix includes roughly $2.55 billion in cash and about $900 million in stock. The deal broadens Talen’s dispatchable capacity, positioning the company to serve growing electrification and data-center demand while enhancing scale and asset mix.

2. Spotify raised its U.S. Premium subscription price to $12.99, lifting average revenue per user and monetization potential. The change applies to upcoming billing cycles and was communicated to users via email. Management’s move supports revenue growth and margin resilience as content and platform investments scale.

3. Goldman Sachs reported stronger profit on dealmaking and trading while advancing a strategic refocus away from consumer finance. Results benefited from improved equity and fixed-income performance and a one-time gain, alongside reserve releases. Exiting the Apple co-branded card partnership streamlines operations and reallocates capital to core global banking and markets franchises.

4. BlackRock beat earnings and revenue expectations, highlighting operating leverage and continued asset growth. The print showcased diversified fee streams across index, active, and alternatives with positive flow dynamics. Management emphasized product breadth and scale advantages as cross-asset demand persists.

5. State Street unveiled a digital-asset platform to support tokenized funds, deposits, and stablecoins for institutional clients. The bank plans to collaborate with asset managers and its in-house investment arm on money-market and ETF structures using tokenization. The initiative aims to modernize settlement, distribution, and liquidity management across cash and fund products.

6. The U.S. Senate Banking Committee postponed action on a crypto market-structure bill, prolonging regulatory uncertainty for digital assets. The draft proposes dividing oversight between the SEC and CFTC based on asset characteristics. The delay keeps rulemaking timelines unclear for spot markets, stablecoins, and tokenized instruments.

7. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong lobbied lawmakers to preserve stablecoin rewards, challenging provisions in the draft crypto bill. Armstrong argued certain measures could curtail competition between digital-asset firms and banks by limiting stablecoin yield features. The pushback underscores industry concerns over innovation, custody, and market-access restrictions.

8. Bitmine Immersion Technologies committed $200 million for a stake in Beast Industries, expanding into creator-led digital businesses. The investment links a large Ether holder with the most-watched YouTube brand, aiming to accelerate fintech and consumer crossover opportunities. Management cites brand reach and product synergies as drivers for long-term growth.

9. Figure Technology launched an on-chain equity issuance and lending network, planning to tokenize its own shares for peer-to-peer lending. The OPEN platform will allow issuers to place equity directly on blockchain, reducing reliance on prime brokers and central depositories. Figure expects enhanced capital efficiency, enabling shareholders to lend or borrow against holdings.

10. AST SpaceMobile advanced its satellite roadmap as BlueBird 7 arrived in Florida for integration ahead of launch preparations. The deployment is part of a strategy to build a space-based cellular broadband network directly to standard mobile devices. Investors are watching execution against launch cadence and commercialization milestones to gauge revenue ramp.

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