Nvidia's blockbuster quarter is the whole story into the open — index futures are split, with the Nasdaq-100 leading and the Dow flat, as the AI trade reasserts itself while the rest of the tape stays cautious.

Futures now

• Nasdaq-100 futures +0.97%, S&P 500 futures +0.39%, Dow futures −0.07%, Russell 2000 −0.14% — as reported by Benzinga.
• The single driver: Nvidia's Q2 print after Wednesday's close. Reuters notes Asian and US chip sentiment turned on it for a third straight session.

Pre-market movers (and why)

• Nvidia +7.3% — Q2 FY27 revenue of $96.2bn, up 106% y/y, Data Center $89.0bn (+117%), non-GAAP EPS $2.22, and a Q3 outlook of $108bn ±2% (company release via GlobeNewswire; move per Benzinga).
• Salesforce +11.3% — beat on both lines with its strongest net-new annual order value growth in four years (Benzinga).
• CrowdStrike +8.4% — Q2 revenue of $1.47bn ahead of estimates (Benzinga).
• HP −8.8% — falling despite an upbeat fiscal Q3 (Benzinga).
• Memory names led the read-across overnight after Nvidia flagged memory supply as a constraint: SK Hynix +3.2%, Samsung +2.2% (Investing.com).

Macro today — the full slate

• 8:30 ET — Initial jobless claims (w/e Aug 22): consensus 207k vs 203k prior. Continuing claims 1,796k vs 1,778k. A jump above ~215k would revive labour-cooling bets; a sub-200k print argues the Fed can stay patient.
• 8:30 ET — Goods trade balance (Jul): consensus −$101.4bn vs −$118.8bn. A narrower gap feeds through positively to Q3 GDP tracking.
• 8:30 ET — Wholesale inventories (Jul) +0.3% vs +1.3%; retail inventories ex-autos −0.5% vs +0.7%. Second-tier, but both are direct GDP inputs.
• 11:00 ET — Kansas City Fed composite index consensus 9, manufacturing 17 — a regional check on whether factory momentum is holding.
• No CPI, PCE, ISM, payrolls or Fed decision today. Calendar per Trading Economics.

Rates, dollar, commodities

• US 10-year 4.647%, down ~1.5bp; 2-year 4.22% (Reuters via Business Recorder; Benzinga).
• Dollar index 99.12, near weekly highs (Reuters).
• Brent −0.5% at $87.40, a fourth straight decline, on Qatar-brokered diplomatic progress around the Strait of Hormuz; WTI −0.7% at $81.63 (Investing.com; Benzinga).
• Gold +0.7% at $4,624 (Reuters).

Overnight global

• Asia firmer: MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan +0.7%, Kospi +1.5% after the Bank of Korea raised rates 25bp to 3%, Taiwan +0.9%; Nikkei −0.4% (Reuters).
• Europe muted, with the Nvidia lift confined to tech: STOXX 600 −0.1%, DAX flat, CAC 40 −0.2%, FTSE 100 −0.4%; ASML +2.5%, Infineon +3.4% (Investing.com).

What to watch at the open

The tell is breadth: if the Nasdaq's gain stays a semiconductor-and-software story while the Dow and Russell lag, this is a narrow AI-driven session rather than a broad risk-on one. Claims at 8:30 ET can flip the rates picture quickly with the 10-year already near 4.65%. Ulta Beauty reports after the close — Benzinga cites consensus of $6.18 EPS on $2.95bn revenue — a useful read on the US consumer.

As of 09:25 ET, Thursday 27 August 2026. Sources: Benzinga, NVIDIA Q2 FY27 release, Trading Economics, Reuters via Business Recorder, Investing.com. All prices and index levels are as reported by these sources, not live exchange data. Automated US market brief for discussion and education only — not investment advice. Verify before acting.