Stock Futures Seek Direction as Mobileye Shares Rise 13%
Stock futures are searching for direction after the broad market's rally, as investors take profits and shift focus to this week's key economic data. Last session's advance was driven by tech and AI-linked names, with chipmakers and large tech stocks lifting benchmarks to new records. Memory and storage technology stocks, notably, helped support the broader market rally as the industry gathers at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.Private-sector employment increased in December, though by less than expected, according to data released by payrolls processor ADP. Companies added 41,000 jobs during the month, reversing a revised loss of 29,000 in November and offering some improvement after a period of weakness in the labor market toward the end of 2025. Private payrolls had contracted in three of the four months leading up to December.In pre-market trading, S&P 500 futures were flat, Nasdaq futures fell 0.17% and Dow futures rose 0.13%.Check out this morning's top movers from around Wall Street, compiled by The Fly.HIGHER -Mobileyeup 13% after agreeing to acquire Mentee Robotics in a cash and stock dealGameStopup 4% after announcing that its board has granted a performance-based stock option award to Ryan Cohen, the company's chairman and CEOUniversal Insuranceup 2% after announcing $20M share repurchase programCoStar Groupup 1% after providing FY26 guidance and reporting a new $1.5B stock repurchase programChevronup 1% after Financial Timesthe company and Quantum Capital are working together on a bid to purchase the international assets of LukoilDOWN AFTER EARNINGS -Albertsonsdown 1%LOWER -D-Wave Quantumdown 1% after the company and Quantum Circuits announced that the companies have entered into a merger agreement under which D-Wave will acquire Quantum Circuits for a purchase price of $550MAxalta Coatingdown 1% after Baird downgraded the stock to Neutral with a price target of $35, down from $42
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- Price Increase Rationale: Sony announced a price hike for its PS5 console range, with the U.S. PS5 disc edition rising from $549.99 to $649.99, the digital edition to $599.99, and the PS5 Pro to $899.99, reflecting pressures from the global economic landscape and surging memory costs.
- Global Market Impact: The price increases will take effect on April 2, affecting not only the U.S. but also Japan, the U.K., and Europe, where each PS5 model will see a £90 (approximately $120) increase, indicating strong global demand for high-quality gaming devices.
- Memory Cost Pressures: Sony faces unprecedented cost pressures due to skyrocketing memory prices, as analysts note that memory manufacturers prioritize stock for AI data centers, leading to tight supply and forcing Sony to raise prices to protect its hardware margins.
- Future Market Expectations: Analysts predict that further inflationary pressures from the Middle East conflict may exacerbate component price increases, prompting Sony to continue focusing on monetizing its existing PS5 user base and expanding software and network service revenues to mitigate rising memory costs.

- Best Buy Stock Performance: Best Buy's stock saw significant gains in the S&P 500 on Thursday.
- Acquisition Speculation: Speculation arose among bloggers that GameStop might target Best Buy for acquisition, despite a research note that dismissed this possibility.
- Meta Legal Setbacks: Meta Platforms' stock dropped over 6% following losses in two major legal cases concerning child safety, raising concerns about Big Tech's role in social media safety and free speech protections, despite relatively minor financial penalties.
- AppLovin's Decline: AppLovin's shares fell nearly 8% due to reports of weakening e-commerce spending trends, with insufficient new client momentum to offset churn in Q1, highlighting potential challenges in maintaining growth.
- Brown-Forman's Surge: Shares of Brown-Forman rose over 14% after Bloomberg reported that French spirits company Pernod Ricard is considering a bid, indicating strong market interest in the company's future acquisition potential.
- Pony AI's Expansion Plans: Pony AI's stock fell 13% after announcing ambitious robotaxi expansion plans alongside its first quarterly profit, but an 18% revenue drop due to project timing raises concerns about margin pressures despite doubling robotaxi revenue.
- Acquisition Speculation: Best Buy (BBY) shares rose 5.3% amid speculation that it could be a takeover target for GameStop (GME), reflecting investor optimism about potential acquisition strategies that could drive future growth.
- GameStop's Acquisition Ambitions: GameStop Chairman and CEO Ryan Cohen stated in late January his intention to execute a “very, very, very big” acquisition aimed at transforming the company’s future, highlighting the firm’s ambition to expand its business portfolio.
- Financial Disclosure: GameStop disclosed in its latest 10-K filing that it has posted approximately $0.7 billion in cash as collateral for certain existing and potential derivative transactions, indicating financial readiness for acquisition activities that could support future strategic moves.
- Market Reactions: While Best Buy's stock rose, GameStop shares fell 2.3%, indicating mixed market interpretations of the acquisition news, which may influence investor expectations regarding the future performance of both companies.
GameStop's Financial Performance: GameStop's fiscal Q4 2025 results show a stabilization after years of struggles, but the company still faces challenges with its stock price stuck in a trading range and a long-term decline in its core video game business.
Market Challenges: The gaming industry is grappling with high console prices, inflation's impact on consumer demand, and a shift towards cloud and AI-based gaming, which may hinder future growth and profitability for GameStop.
Sales Decline: GameStop reported a revenue of $1.1 billion, down over 14% from the previous year, with significant declines in hardware and software sales, although collectibles showed some growth.
Future Outlook: Analysts express skepticism about GameStop's ability to return to growth, with the company trading at a high premium despite significant structural challenges and no clear earnings forecasts available for investors.
- Revenue Decline: GameStop's Q4 revenue fell by 14% to $1.1 billion, and while the company achieved profitability through cost-cutting, the double-digit sales decline raises concerns about its recovery prospects.
- Gross Profit Growth: Despite the revenue drop, GameStop's gross profit increased from $363.4 million to $386.8 million, indicating a successful pivot from traditional video game retailing to a focus on collectibles, showcasing some business adaptability.
- Cost Management Success: The company reduced its selling, general, and administrative expenses from $282.5 million to $241.5 million, resulting in a slight net income decrease to $127.9 million, demonstrating effective cost control measures.
- Shareholder Dilution Risk: GameStop's outstanding shares surged due to multiple at-the-market offerings, and CEO Ryan Cohen's $35 billion performance pay plan poses a risk of further dilution for existing shareholders, increasing investment uncertainty.











