US Stock Market Outlook: Futures Rise, Strong Performance in Storage and AI Chip Sectors

US Stock Futures Rise Ahead of Market Open

As of Thursday morning, all three major US stock index futures are up, with the Dow futures rising by 0.3%, Nasdaq futures by 0.35%, and S&P 500 futures by 0.36%.

Tech Stocks Performance

Most star tech stocks are showing gains before the market opens.

• Micron Technology (MU) is up over 3%.
• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM), NVIDIA (NVDA), and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) have all increased by more than 1%.

However, Chinese concept stocks are mixed:

• Trip.com (TCOM) has dropped over 5%.
• JD.com (JD) is down more than 1%.
• ASE Technology Holding Co. (ASX) has risen over 3%.

AI Application Software Stocks

AI application software stocks are also mixed:

• Fastly (FSLY) surged over 46% after reporting Q4 revenue of $172.6 million, exceeding market expectations.
• Shopify (SHOP) is up over 1%.
• Applovin (APP) fell nearly 7% post-earnings.
• HubSpot (HUBS) increased by over 4%.

Storage Sector Movements

The storage sector is experiencing significant movements due to multiple positive news:

• OpenAI, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix are preparing to launch data center construction in South Korea by March.
• Samsung has started mass production of the industry's first HBM4 chips.
• Micron's CFO announced that HBM4 has entered mass production.

Storage stocks are collectively rising, with SanDisk (SNDK) up over 6%, and Micron (MU) and Western Digital (WDC) both up over 3%.

Google Introduces AI Shopping Features

Google is adding AI shopping capabilities to its search engine and Gemini chatbot, allowing users to purchase products directly. This is part of a broader strategy to monetize AI usage.

Waymo's Robotaxi Expansion

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet (GOOGL), aims to achieve over 1 million paid robotaxi rides weekly in the US by the end of 2026, marking a new phase in autonomous driving commercialization.

Meta's AI Data Center Investment

Meta has announced a $10 billion investment in a new AI data center in Lebanon, Indiana, which will be its largest single investment in AI infrastructure to date.

Cisco's Stock Decline

Cisco (CSCO) shares fell over 7% pre-market despite a 10% year-over-year revenue increase, as the company lowered its gross margin guidance for the upcoming quarter.

SoftBank's Profit Surge

SoftBank Group (9984.JP) reported a 253% year-over-year increase in net profit for the first three fiscal quarters, driven by significant returns from its investment in OpenAI.

Other Notable Movements

• Albemarle (ALB) shares dropped over 2% after reporting a net loss in Q4.
• Sanofi (SNY) fell over 6% following the sudden departure of its CEO due to disappointing R&D results.

Conclusion

The pre-market activity indicates a positive sentiment in the tech sector, particularly among AI and storage stocks, while some companies face challenges that impact their stock performance.