Pre-Bell | Nasdaq Futures Climb 0.83%; Chip Stocks Lead with ARM up 6%, Micron, AMD up over 2%; Alibaba Jumps 4%; Critical Metals Pops over 6%

01 Stock Market

As of Jan 22, U.S. stock index futures are broadly higher, with strength in the tech-heavy contracts. Dow futures gained 0.27%, S&P 500 futures rose 0.52%, and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.83%. The tone reflects continued optimism around AI-related hardware demand and easing geopolitical risk after tariff threats were dialed back, while investors monitor upcoming corporate catalysts in semiconductors and large-cap platforms.

Notable stock movers: AI and mega-cap tech lead the pre-market tape. NVIDIA (NVDA) up 0.70% at $184.60; Apple (AAPL) up 0.82% at $249.69; Tesla (TSLA) up 1.15% at $436.41; Micron (MU) up 2.23% at $397.77; AMD (AMD) up 2.12% at $255.10; ARM Holdings (ARM) up 6.07% at $120.83; Intel (INTC) up 0.63% at $54.59; Microsoft (MSFT) up 0.93% at $448.25; Oracle (ORCL) up 2.80% at $178.75; Alphabet (GOOG) up 1.82% at $334.37; Meta (META) up 1.67% at $623.22. Among laggards, Netflix (NFLX) fell 0.18% at $85.21; Xpeng (XPEV) fell 1.97% at $19.94.

Rare earth stocks rose. Critical Metals, The Metals up over 6%; UAMY, USA Rare Earth up around 2%.

AI infrastructure buildouts and memory supply dynamics continue to anchor the bull case for chips, with pricing power aiding names tied to data-center components. Easing trade-risk headlines and steady futures point to a constructive start, while product cycles in storage and CPU roadmaps support leadership breadth across semis. Traders will watch whether pricing tailwinds and capacity commitments sustain momentum into earnings season.

02 Other Markets

• 10-year U.S. Treasury yield fell 0.19%, to 4.24%.

• U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.1053% to 98.68.

• WTI crude oil futures fell 1.40% to 59.77 USD/barrel; COMEX gold futures fell 0.04% to 4835.80 USD/ounce.

03 Key News

1. U.S. officials stepped back from tariff threats on European allies after agreeing to a framework focused on Arctic security and Greenland-related cooperation. The framework aims to increase coordination with NATO partners and address strategic access to Arctic resources. The de-escalation reduces near-term trade uncertainty and helps stabilize risk sentiment tied to transatlantic relations.

2. SpaceX is preparing a public listing to fund orbital AI data centers, with plans to select lead banks and accelerate capital raising. Management is prioritizing space-based computing capacity, which requires substantial investment to deploy data-center satellites. A listing would broaden financing options and potentially bolster the ecosystem around Musk’s AI initiatives.

3. BitGo priced its U.S. IPO at $18 per share, above the marketed range, to raise over $200 million with expected NYSE trading under BTGO. The cryptocurrency custody firm and selling shareholders allocated 11.8 million shares, reflecting demand despite recent crypto volatility. Proceeds will support growth in institutional custody and tokenization services as regulatory clarity improves.

4. Alibaba is preparing to list its chipmaking arm, T-Head, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. As a first step, Alibaba plans to restructure the unit as a business partly owned by employees before exploring an initial public offering, the report said. Shares of Alibaba rose 4% on the news.

5. Memory chip producers prioritized AI data centers, driving component price increases and prompting device makers to raise sticker prices. Industry reports cited tight supply at leading memory vendors and price hikes at device firms, with large platforms absorbing capacity for servers. Consumer electronics margins may be pressured; Micron (MU) rose 2.23% at $397.77, while Apple (AAPL) rose 0.82% at $249.69.

6. SanDisk (SNDK) unveiled its Optimus SSD brand alongside new GX and GX Pro tiers oriented to creators, gamers, and AI workloads. The storage maker’s focus on enterprise-grade NAND and tiered product strategy targets rising demand in server-class storage. Pricing power and product segmentation support revenue mix; SNDK up 1.15% at $507.06.

7. Intel (INTC) introduced its Panther Lake processors, debuting the 18A process node as part of its effort to re-establish foundry competitiveness. Early feedback highlights performance improvements and potential traction with external customers as Intel courts foundry clients. Execution on node roadmaps remains central to gross margin recovery; INTC up 0.63% at $54.59.

8. AI startups OpenAI and Anthropic are weighing public listings, intensifying the race to secure large-scale capital for model training and infrastructure. Prospective IPOs could diversify funding sources beyond private rounds and deepen access to public markets. Additional capital is likely to flow into compute, data, and safety systems as these firms scale enterprise offerings.

9. Alphabet’s Google (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT) expanded AI infrastructure investments, absorbing memory-chip capacity and amplifying demand for data-center components. Reports indicate hyperscalers are locking in CPU and memory capacity and considering cost pass-through strategies. The buildouts reinforce secular tailwinds for server and storage suppliers; GOOG up 1.82% at $334.37, MSFT up 0.93% at $448.25.

10. Meta (META) established an initiative dubbed “Meta Compute” to expand AI computing power and enhance internal and external AI capabilities. The move indicates multi-year capex commitments and scaling of model training infrastructure. Investors are assessing monetization via ads, messaging, and mixed-reality platforms; META up 1.67% at $623.22.

Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data

Disclaimer: For informational purposes only; not investment advice.