S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow futures are higher into the final pre-7:00 capture while long yields remain elevated; oil/geopolitics, crypto strength, retail earnings and AI/software pressure are the main cross-asset read-throughs.

S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow futures are higher, but 10-year and 30-year yields remain elevated after the bond selloff. Why it matters: Rates remain the constraint on software, real estate, housing, banks and high-duration AI/growth multiples. What to watch: Watch PMI, the 10-year, the 30-year, DXY, software breadth and Treasury commentary.

Ross is the standout positive retail catalyst after Q2 results and higher guidance, while Walmart remains a prior-session drag and BJ reports before the open. Why it matters: Retail updates traffic, tariff-refund, margin and consumer-spending read-throughs. What to watch: Watch ROST follow-through, BJ 8:00 AM ET commentary, WMT stabilization and TJX/BURL/TGT/LOW read-throughs.

Bitcoin is above $76,000 in live coverage and Strategy, Coinbase and American Bitcoin are cited as active premarket gainers. Why it matters: Crypto strength can move exchanges, treasury companies and miners independently of the broad equity tape. What to watch: Watch BTC, MSTR, COIN, ABTC, MARA and Washington crypto-policy headlines.

Micron and Marvell remain positive semiconductors in mover screens while CrowdStrike, Palantir and parts of the AI/software complex remain under pressure; power-infrastructure names are active but mixed. Why it matters: AI capex, memory demand and data-center power constraints keep semis and infrastructure in focus while higher yields pressure software multiples. What to watch: Watch MU, MRVL, NVDA, AVGO, CRWD, PLTR, GEV and FTAI.

Gapping up in tandem with the continued rally in Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency is poised to close green for the fifth consecutive session and is on track for its best week since February 2024. On Wednesday afternoon, US President Donald Trump hosted a group of crypto executives at the White House and urged Congress to pass the Clarity Act. Bitcoin made session highs above $79,000 early on Friday morning.

Sources: WSJ stocks to watch; Barrons live futures

Bloomberg reported that SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile are among the parties interested in acquiring roughly $6 billion worth of 800 MHz spectrum licenses covering nearly the entire US, potentially strengthening direct-to-device satellite services. Preliminary bids are due in early September, with the FCC targeting completion of the process by Nov. 5. Additionally, US President Donald Trump signed a memo aimed at sharply increasing U.S. commercial space activity, including directing agencies to identify federal land for new launch and re-entry sites.

Big tech stocks are in focus as BofA’s Michael Hartnett warns that risk assets could face additional pressure if the US Treasury fails to push the 30-year Treasury yield below 5%. A persistently elevated long-term yield could weigh on equities and other risk assets by tightening financial conditions and raising borrowing costs. Separately, Anthropic is adding Citigroup to the lead banks for its potential IPO, joining Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan as the company considers filing as soon as the end of August. The AI startup is expected to go public ahead of OpenAI.

On watch after Samsung Electronics announced plans for a record 90 trillion–110 trillion won ($65.1B–$79.5B) in shareholder returns for 2026, including about 30 trillion won in third-quarter cash dividends. Why it matters: The move follows SK Hynix’s 40 trillion won buyback and comes as Samsung works to close the gap with its rival in high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI systems.

Bloomberg reported that the company is seeking more than $60 billion in financing tied to its latest AI deal. The overall package could potentially be valued at $100 billion through $60B–$70B of senior secured debt and roughly $30B of junior debt. Apollo and Blackstone are reportedly considering participation, with the financing potentially issued through an SPV to help Anthropic and other AI companies secure Broadcom chips and infrastructure in stages.

Sources: AI semi capex analysis

Trading sharply lower as investors continue to react to the company’s earnings report for Q2 2026. Additionally, Alibaba-backed robotics startup Dexmal is reportedly seeking a valuation of around $3 billion in a new funding round as investor interest in embodied AI and humanoid robotics accelerates. The company’s founder expects consolidation in China’s humanoid sector within the next year, warning that firms unable to move from small-scale trials to mass factory deployments could be at risk.

Sources: Kiplinger earnings calendar; MarketWatch live setup

Reuters reported that a teen has dropped her social media addiction lawsuit against Meta, Google and Snap without receiving any payment, removing one of three bellwether cases drawn from more than 3,300 consolidated claims. Two other bellwether trials remain scheduled for October, which could provide important signals on how juries may view similar allegations against the social media giants.

Trading higher premarket after Wolfe Research reiterated an Outperform rating on Lumentum ($LITE) with a $1,200 price target. The analyst noted that new 10-K language could signal larger M&A deals ahead, though executing such transactions remains difficult. The firm also highlighted Lumentum’s 30% increase in employees, 45% jump in purchase obligations to $2.6B and management’s focus on cost efficiency, viewing the rapid capacity expansion as consistent with strong growth and maintaining a favorable risk/reward outlook.

On watch after its Q2 2026 earnings report. Revenue grew by 15.7% year-over-year to $6.2 billion, topping estimates of $5.97 billion; adjusted earnings of $1.36 similarly beat estimates of $1.16. Comparable club sales grew by 11.9% year-over-year, while membership fee income improved by 9.9%. The company projected adjusted EPS between $4.60 and $4.80 for FY 2026, above estimates of $4.45, and expects capital expenditures around $800 million for the fiscal year.

Sources: BJ earnings call date; TheStreet earnings calendar

Gapping up after agreeing to sell its preclinical INDUCER and INDUKINE platforms to EMD Serono for $28 million upfront plus another $5 million upon completion. The deal provides non-dilutive cash while Werewolf retains full rights to its clinical-stage WTX-124 and WTX-330 programs and secures an exclusive license to continue developing them.