Stock futures are rising before the bell following Thursday’s rally on Wall Street.
Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
1. Big Tech Finale
Amazon and Apple closed out a busy week of mega-cap technology earnings, with investors reacting very differently to each report.
2. Situational Awareness
One of the most closely watched investors in the AI trade is unwinding his public stock portfolio. Leopold Aschenbrenner’s hedge fund, Situational Awareness, experienced significant losses as AI infrastructure stocks declined and short positions in software companies moved against him, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by CNBC’s David Faber.
3. Crude Results
Rising crude oil prices contributed to strong second-quarter profits for ExxonMobil and Chevron, both of which reported earnings this morning.
4. Tariff Reflex
President Donald Trump is pushing to add tariffs on Iran as part of a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Tehran and Russia despite the U.S. importing almost nothing from Iran.
5. IPO Trends
Five years after the 2021 IPO boom, more companies are choosing to remain private. As Laya Neelakandan reports, the growth of secondary markets is providing founders with access to capital and liquidity without the scrutiny and reporting requirements of being publicly traded.
Source (CNBC)
