S&P 500 futures are up 0.1%, Dow futures are down 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures are near flat before July retail sales at 8:30 AM ET. Oil is rising again, the U.S. 10-year yield is near 4.66%, and the company tape is sharply two-sided with RDDT and NU higher while AMAT trades lower after results.

U.S. futures are little changed before July retail sales at 8:30 AM ET and preliminary Michigan sentiment at 10:00 AM ET, while the 10-year yield is near 4.66%. Why it matters: The releases test whether consumers are holding up as borrowing costs remain elevated and can move retailers, banks, homebuilders, and long-duration growth stocks. What to watch: Watch headline and ex-auto retail sales, Michigan inflation expectations, the 10-year yield, DXY, and Nasdaq futures.

WTI and Brent are higher in the latest global-market update as traders weigh supply risks and conflict around key shipping routes. Why it matters: A sustained crude move supports upstream producers and refiners but raises fuel-cost risk for airlines, logistics companies, and consumer inflation. What to watch: Watch WTI above $82, Brent near $88, shipping headlines, refiners, integrated producers, and airline relative strength.

Applied Materials is down about 5% after Thursday's fiscal third-quarter report while other chip and storage names show mixed premarket direction. Why it matters: Equipment orders and management commentary are direct checks on foundry, memory, advanced-packaging, and AI capital-spending durability. What to watch: Watch AMAT guidance and margins, peer sympathy in LRCX and KLAC, and whether strength in SNDK and memory names holds after the open.

Capricor more than doubles while Heartflow and Eton also rise sharply, creating a concentrated health-care leadership group in the premarket tape. Why it matters: The moves show stock-specific clinical, regulatory, and commercial updates overpowering the quiet index backdrop in smaller health-care names. What to watch: Watch whether early volume holds in CAPR, HTFL, and ETON and whether gains broaden to other development-stage or commercial health-care companies.

Gapping up after S&P Dow Jones Indices announced that the company will be the latest addition to the S&P 500. Effective August 18, 2026, Reddit will replace AvalonBay Communities in the index. The addition will make Reddit the second pureplay social media stock in the S&P 500, following Meta. Why it matters: JPMorgan estimates index funds may need to buy 16.7M Reddit shares, nearly three times its average daily trading volume, potentially creating significant near-term demand pressure.

Sources: S&P Dow Jones Indices; TradingView premarket screen; MarketBeat premarket movers

Gapping down after its Q3 2026 earnings report. Revenue grew by 25% year-over-year to $9.12 billion, topping estimates of $8.99 billion; adjusted EPS of $3.50 beat estimates of $3.39. The company projected Q4 2026 revenue of $10.25 billion, plus or minus $500 million, beating estimates of $9.54 billion. The company’s adjusted EPS outlook for the quarter similarly beat estimates.

Sources: Applied Materials investor relations; Current premarket report; TradingView premarket screen; MarketBeat premarket movers

JPMorgan resumed coverage of SanDisk with an Overweight rating and $2,250 PT, arguing the company is uniquely positioned for the AI-driven NAND demand surge Why it matters: SanDisk held its Investor Day on August 13. The company laid out an aggressive FY2028–FY2030 model targeting mid-to-high-teens revenue growth, ~80% gross margins, ~75% operating margins and ~50% free-cash-flow margins, with all excess cash returned to shareholders.

Sources: TradingView premarket screen; MarketBeat premarket movers

An SEC filing revealed that CEO Elon Musk holds 6.4 billion shares of the company’s stock. The stake, valued at approximately $908.35 billion, comprises 48.4% of SpaceX. Additionally, Alphabet’s early investment in SpaceX has surged more than 100-fold, with its stake valued at roughly $94B as of the end of June. That compares with the approximately $900M Alphabet invested in SpaceX in 2015, highlighting the enormous appreciation of its private-space investment.

Gapping up after its Q2 2026 earnings report, with revenue of $5.51 billion and diluted EPS of $0.22 beating estimates of $5.32 billion and $0.20, respectively. Total income grew by 66.8% year-over-year to $1.06 billion, topping estimates of $998 million.

Sources: Nu investor relations; TradingView premarket screen; MarketBeat premarket movers

The stock closed nearly 18% higher on Thursday, its best session since 2016, after Reuters reported that private equity firm Silver Lake is in talks to acquire the HR software company in a deal that could value it near $51B. Discussions are ongoing and no deal has been confirmed. Why it matters: The potential takeover suggests renewed appetite for enterprise software despite AI disruption concerns that have weighed on WDAY shares.

Crypto and predictions market plays are on watch as a group after Politico reported that the White House is expected to host a meeting next Wednesday with executives from the crypto and prediction-market industries, potentially including traditional finance leaders. Why it matters: The gathering comes ahead of a CFTC Innovation Advisory Committee meeting and as the Clarity Act, a major crypto market-structure bill, awaits Senate consideration next month.

On watch after Reuters reported that Goldman Sachs is in talks with potential investors to participate in the company’s $500B AI financing initiative, leveraging its relationship with the chipmaker to secure a key role in the deal. US insurers, asset managers and banks are expected to provide much of the capital, while Goldman could contribute junior/private credit financing and help distribute debt through private-credit funds and eventually public markets.

Reuters reported that the company has trained a China-specific large language model in partnership with Alibaba, marking a shift from its previous strategy of relying on third-party models for AI features in the Chinese market. Why it matters: The move reflects the restrictions on US AI services such as ChatGPT and Claude in China and could give Apple greater control over its AI offerings on devices sold there.