U.S. Stock Futures Quiet as S&P 500 Nears Record
Stock index futures were quiet in early pre-market trading ahead of a similarly muted holiday shortened session. U.S. stock markets closed at 1 pm ET and bond markets close at 2 pm ET.The S&P 500 index managed to hold near a record following the thin holiday trading as investors parsed labor market data for additional clues on the Federal Reserve's interest rate path. The move in the benchmark index follows four-straight sessions of gains. The Dow also gained, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index closed little changed.Initial jobless claims fell to 214,000 for the week ended December 20, which was below expectations, and continuing jobless claims rose 38,000 to 1.92M in the latest survey.On the commodities front, gold prices climbed to another record, above $4,500 an ounce, while silver and platinum prices also hit records and copper heads for a 40% annual gain.Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with this market wrap Fly By.STOCK NEWS:Intelshares slid afterthat Nvidiarecently tested out whether it would manufacture its chips using Intel's 18A production process, but stopped moving forwardSanofiagreed toof Dynavax Technologiesfor $15.50 per share in cash, reflecting a total equity value of $2.2BBPreached ana 65% shareholding in Castrol to Stonepeak, at an enterprise value of $10.1B, resulting in total net proceeds of $6BWALL STREET CALLS:NorthcoastCostcoto Buy with a $1,100 price targetRaymond JamesKB Hometo Market Perform following the company's "disappointing" Q4 reportComstock Inc.to Market Perform at Noble CapitalSpire Globalto Neutral from Buy at Alliance Global3. AROUND THE WEB:Ares Managementis open to buying a private equity firm in an attempt to bolster its leveraged buyout business,Bitcoin mining companies like Core Scientific, Cipher Mining, Iren, and CleanSparkhave transitioned to artificial intelligence data centers,Hondawill acquire LG Energy Solution's facilities and other assets from their joint battery plant in Ohio for approximately $2.9B,A federal judge has blocked a Texas law requiring companies that run mobile app stores, like Appleand Google, to verify ages of users,4. MOVERS:Agios Pharmaceuticalsincreased after thein anemia patientsEdgewise Therapeuticsgained afterfrom its Phase 2 EDG-7500 trialUiPathclosed higher after beingin the S&P 400 at the open on January 1, 2026Tesla (TSLA) fell afterthe NHTSA has opened a probe into the Model 3 vehicle over door release controlsBrandywine Realtyclosed lower after being picked toon the S&P 600INDEXES:The Dow rose 288.75, or 0.60%, to 48,731.16, the Nasdaq gained 51.46, or 0.22%, to 23,613.31, and the S&P 500 advanced 22.26, or 0.32%, to 6,932.05.
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- Government Support Boost: The U.S. government's announcement of an $8.9 billion equity investment to support the domestic semiconductor supply chain has enhanced Intel's market credibility, driving its stock price up 453% over the past 12 months.
- Customer Collaboration Potential: Intel is in discussions with Amazon and Alphabet to provide advanced chip packaging services and has reportedly struck a preliminary deal with Apple, which could significantly elevate Intel Foundry's market position if successful.
- Financial Challenges Emerge: Despite generating $5.4 billion in revenue for its foundry business in Q1 2026, Intel reported an operating loss of $2.4 billion, highlighting severe challenges in achieving profitability.
- Market Valuation Risks: Intel's enterprise value has surged to $568 billion, with an EBITDA multiple of 42, significantly higher than industry leader TSMC's 24, suggesting that market expectations for Intel's future growth may be overly optimistic.
- Job Data Impact: U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose by 172,000 in May, significantly exceeding the consensus estimate of 80,000, making it more challenging for the Federal Reserve to justify interest rate cuts, which heightened market fears of rate hikes and led to a broad decline in tech stocks.
- AI Stock Valuation Volatility: The steep run-up in AI stock valuations has made them more susceptible to pullbacks, particularly following the jobs report, as investors reassess future earnings expectations, negatively impacting short-term performance of these stocks.
- Market Reaction: Following the strong jobs report, many tech stocks fell on Friday, especially those related to AI, indicating the market's sensitivity to interest rate movements and prompting investors to reconsider their investment strategies.
- Investor Confidence Shaken: Despite analysts recommending a list of 10 potential stocks that did not include Nvidia, the market's confidence in AI-driven growth was reminded by Alphabet's $80 billion equity offering, highlighting the steep costs and risks associated with AI growth.
- Jobs Report Impact: The U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose by 172,000 in May, significantly exceeding the 80,000 consensus estimate, which heightened concerns about potential interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, negatively impacting tech stock performance.
- Major Tech Stocks Decline: Stocks like Nvidia, Intel, Nebius, Arm Holdings, and Marvell Technology experienced significant declines, with Marvell dropping 16%, reflecting a pessimistic sentiment regarding future earnings expectations in the tech sector.
- Signs of AI Stock Pullback: Prior to the jobs report, there were indications that AI stocks were due for a pullback, particularly as Marvell surged over 30% following comments from Nvidia's CEO, only to quickly reverse course.
- Investor Sentiment Shift: The failure of hopes for a resolution in the Middle East conflict and falling energy prices led to a cautious market sentiment, exacerbating the sell-off pressure on high-valuation tech stocks.
- Stock Volatility: Archer Aviation's stock price dropped 13.2% on Friday, hitting a low of 15.7% during the trading session, indicating heightened investor concerns over growth stocks that could undermine market confidence.
- Market Downturn: On the same day, the S&P 500 fell by 2.6% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped by 4.2%, marking the largest single-day decline since April 2025, reflecting a shift in market sentiment towards risk aversion that adversely affected growth stocks like Archer.
- Macroeconomic Pressures: Despite overall market gains this year, Archer's market capitalization stands at approximately $4.2 billion, with a valuation of about 444 times this year's expected sales, suggesting significant valuation pressures could arise if the market's outlook on macroeconomic conditions turns bearish, especially with rising interest rates.
- Cautious Investment Advice: Analysts have noted that Archer Aviation was not included in the current list of top investment stocks, reflecting a cautious outlook on its future growth potential, prompting investors to weigh the high risks against potential returns before making purchasing decisions.
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 fell 2.64% and the Nasdaq 100 dropped 4.77%, indicating a significant loss of investor confidence in tech stocks, particularly as AI infrastructure and semiconductor companies faced sell-offs, which could impact future investment strategies.
- Strong Employment Data: US nonfarm payrolls rose by 172,000 in May, significantly exceeding expectations of 88,000, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, potentially prompting the Fed to consider a rate hike at the upcoming meeting, thereby affecting market liquidity and investor sentiment.
- Rising Bond Yields: The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.55%, a two-week high, reflecting heightened expectations for future rate hikes, which may lead to capital outflows from the stock market, further exacerbating market volatility.
- Tech Stock Retreat: Following Broadcom's disappointing chip sales outlook, Marvell and Micron stocks plummeted over 16% and 13%, respectively, suggesting that the market's overly optimistic sentiment towards tech stocks may be correcting, impacting investor confidence.
- Tech Sector Decline: The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 4.18% on Friday, primarily influenced by the May labor report, which heightened market uncertainty regarding economic prospects, leading to a significant sell-off in tech stocks and diminishing investor confidence.
- Chip Stocks Underperform: Major chip stocks like Intel (INTC) and Broadcom (AVGO) were among the top five decliners on the Nasdaq, dropping 12.44% and 12.80% respectively, reflecting concerns over future demand in the semiconductor industry, which could adversely affect their earnings outlook.
- Weekly Winners and Losers: Despite the overall market downturn, Marvell Technology (MRVL) surged 31.85% this week, emerging as the top performer, indicating that some companies can still achieve growth amidst strong AI demand, potentially attracting investor interest.
- Market Sentiment Deterioration: Concerns over the prospects of a U.S.–Iran peace deal have contributed to the poor performance of tech stocks, leading to a decline in investor sentiment that may impact market liquidity and investment decisions in the short term, increasing volatility.











