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postUS stock futures rose on Tuesday as earnings rolled in, with Palantir’s (PLTR) outlook fueling faith in AI demand and precious metals jumping to continue their wild ride.
Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) moved up 0.6%, while those on the S&P 500 (ES=F) edged up 0.3%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) crept into the green after the blue-chip benchmark led gains on Monday with a 500-point advance.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) is eyeing a fresh record after Palantir’s (PLTR) surprisingly strong quarterly results signaled the AI trade has room to run. Revenue at the data analytics firm surged, driven by demand for its AI platform, and its sales outlook topped estimates, sending its stock over 11% higher before the bell.
Elsewhere in AI, investors are monitoring Nvidia (NVDA) and OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) amid signs of cooling relations between the high-profile AI players. The startup’s dissatisfaction with Nvidia’s latest AI chips has bogged down talks with the chipmaker for an investment of up to $100 billion — a plan its CEO Jensen Huang downplayed on Monday.
That has turned a spotlight on chipmaker AMD’s (AMD) after-hours earnings report, which could provide the best look yet at the AI trade amid those fears of Big Tech overspending and an AI bubble. Its results prepare the ground for quarterly updates from Amazon (AMZN) and Alphabet (GOOG), highlights in the 100-plus S&P 500 companies on the calendar this week.
On Tuesday, PayPal (PYPL) earnings and forecast missed estimates, as the payments services firm named HP (HPQ) boss Enrique Lores as its new CEO. Its stock tumbled over 15%, against a background of an exodus from software stocks. Reports from Pepsi (PEP), Pfizer (PFE), and Chipotle (CMG) are also on the docket.
Meanwhile, volatility continued to grip precious metals, as gold (GC=F) jumped 6% to eye its biggest daily gain since 2008, having notched its deepest daily drop in 43 years on Friday. An influx of dip-buyers was credited as silver (SI=F) also rebounded dramatically from Monday’s losses, surging over 12% as the dollar (DX-Y.NYB) fell.
Space stocks moved higher in premarket after Elon Musk said SpaceX (SPAX.PVT) will buy xAI (XAAI.PVT) in a deal that values the merged company at $1.25 trillion. Rocket Lab (RKLB) and Planet Labs (PL) led the sector’s advance.
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AMD to report Q4 earnings amid AI spending concerns
Yahoo Finance’s Daniel Howley previews what to watch when chipmaker AMD (AMD) posts its fourth quarter results after the market close.
He writes:
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PayPal stock sinks after forecasting 2026 profit below estimates
PayPal (PYPL) stock fell 15% before the bell on Tuesday after issuing a disappointing profit forecast for 2026 and reporting fourth quarter earnings below Wall Street estimates. The online payment company said it had been pressured by weaker US retail spending and slow growth within its branded checkout segment.
The group also named HP’s (HP) Enrique Lores as president and CEO, effective March 1.
Reuters reports:
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AES rises as BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners team up with EQT in bid to acquire power firm
AES Corp (AES) stock jumped 7% before the bell on Tuesday after BlackRock Inc.’s (BLK) Global Infrastructure Partners said be teaming up with EQT AB (6EQ.F, EQBBF) in its bid to buy the power company.
Bloomberg News reports:
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Silver’s runaway rally becomes ‘death trap’ for Reddit’s retail crowd
Silver (SI=F) is surging almost 13% in premarket hours, bouncing back again as precious metals whipsaw after hitting the brakes on a historic run higher.
But the transformation from record rally to brutal three-day rout has left traders stunned, battering the retail investors who powered its spectacular rise, per the Financial Times.
The FT reports:
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Samsung’s best day since 2008 powers S. Korean stock rally
Bloomberg reports:
A global rush to secure memory chips for artificial intelligence is powering a renewed surge in South Korean equities, with chipmakers leading a rebound that pushed the Kospi (^KS11) to a fresh record on Tuesday.
Samsung Electronics Co (005930.KS) shares jumped 11% on Korea Exchange, the most since 2008, while SK Hynix Inc. (000660.KS, HXSCL) added more than 9%. Both stocks recouped losses from the previous session.
The benchmark Kospi climbed nearly 7%, extending its gain for the year to 25% and solidifying its status as the world’s best-performing equity index.
Up more than 39% each this year, the chip duo have continued to set new records as investors embrace AI’s voracious demand for memory chips. Despite the torrid gains, few analysts see them as expensive thanks to strong earnings momentum and still-reasonable valuations.
“The structural shortage in memory chips makes the continued growth of Samsung and SK Hynix inevitable,” said Kim Namho, a fund manager at Timefolio Investment Management in Seoul.
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NXP stock falls despite earnings beat as Automotive growth stabilizes
NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) stock skidded over 5% lower in premarket hours after the semiconductor company’s Automotive revenue failed to impress investors.
In the fourth quarter, NXP reported adjusted profits of $3.35 per share, surpassing Wall Street estimates for adjusted earnings of $3.31 per share. The company posted revenue of $3.34 billion, slightly above expectations for $3.3 billion.
“Throughout 2025, we executed effectively despite a challenging first half, maintaining operational discipline while advancing our strategic priorities in software defined vehicles and physical AI,” NXP’s CEO Rafael Sotomayor said.
Revenue growth for NXP’s Automotive segment, which contributes over half of NXP’s total revenue, moderated to a 5% annual rate from the third quarter’s 6% growth. The segment brought in $1.8 billion in Q4, which came in a bit lighter than expectations for $1.9 billion.
The Industrial and Internet of Things unit reported 24% annual revenue growth ($640 million), the Mobile unit reported 22% revenue growth ($485 million), and Communication Infrastructure declined by 18% year over year ($334 million).
For the first quarter, NXP forecast revenue of $3.15 billion at the midpoint and diluted earnings per share of $4.21, which were ahead of the Street’s estimates for $3.09 billion in revenue and $2.95 per share, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
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Premarket trending tickers: Intel, Sandisk, Micron, AMD, and Alibaba
Intel (INTC) stock rose almost 3% before the bell on Tuesday following the news that a subsidiary of Softbank (SFTBY, 9984.T), Saimemory, had signed a partnership deal with the US chipmaker. The agreement will help advance the commercialization of next-generation memory technology, according to an announcement from the companies.
Sandisk (SNDK) stock rose 4% during premarket hours after Bernstein SocGen raised its price target on the technology company to $1,000 from $580 and maintained an Outperform rating, citing the company’s positive second-quarter earnings report.
Micron (MU) stock edged higher before the bell on Tuesday, climbing 2% after launching a $24 billion high-tech storage facility in Singapore to support its AI initiatives.
AMD (AMD) rose 2% during premarket hours on Tuesday. The chip company is preparing to report its fourth quarter earnings today. AMD stock has been up 10% over the past month and risen 14% year to date.
Alibaba’s (BABA) US shares dipped 2% before the bell today following a sell off in Chinese technology stocks due to concerns about authorities placing a tax on internet firms.
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Palantir stock jumps after Q4 earnings beat on strong sales to US businesses
Palantir stock (PLTR) surged around 12% in premarket trading after its late Monday earnings report, as US commercial and government revenue drove better-than-expected earnings in the fourth quarter.
Yahoo Finance’s Laura Bratton reports:
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Gold climbs again after record breaking rally ends
Bloomberg reports:
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TDK shares rise after issuing strong profit forecast
Bloomberg reports:
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