Nasdaq Futures Lag After Samsung Selloff Hits AI Chip Trade: Why SPCX, MU, SNDK, RIVN, WMT Are In Focus

• The record rally paused early Tuesday as Nasdaq futures slipped while Dow futures held steady. 
• Technology stocks under pressure following Samsung's earnings-driven selloff. 
• Investors shift focus to Wednesday's Fed minutes and the start of earnings season. 

U.S. stock futures traded mixed early Tuesday after a record-setting session on Wall Street, as investors turn their attention to Fed minutes due Wednesday and a full-blown earnings season that begins next week.

As of 4:30 a.m. ET, Nasdaq futures fell 0.9%, S&P 500 futures declined 0.3%, Dow futures were up 0.2%, while Russell 2000 futures were flat. Global tech sentiment is wavering following a post-earnings selloff in Samsung Electronics. 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), an exchange-traded fund that tracks the S&P 500 Index, moved to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’, and the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ), which tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index, has remained ‘bullish’.

Trending Stocks To Watch

Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SPCX): The stock remained under pressure ahead of its inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 today. Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest added to its shares on Monday. Meanwhile, billionaire investor Jeremy Grantham has criticized the company’s valuation as overly reliant on “third-rate AI.” 

Micron (MU), SanDisk (SNDK): The memory-chip makers fell 5% in premarket trading, feeling the impact of a post-earnings sell-off in South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, which triggered broader “sell the news” profit-taking across the AI hardware sector.

Microsoft (MSFT): Shares edged higher after reports the company would eliminate more than 3,000 Xbox jobs as it restructures its gaming business. Reports also suggest that its Game Pass subscription service is drastically lagging behind internal growth targets. 

Rivian Automotive (RIVN): The EV maker remained under pressure after announcing plans to raise roughly $1.5 billion through a 75-million-share offering, while separate filings showed insider and foundation share sales. 

Rocket Lab (RKLB): Shares slipped 2% in early premarket trade after a fresh SEC filing revealed that CEO Peter Beck intended to trim his stake by selling 5 million shares worth roughly $465 million.

Walmart (WMT): The retailer gained attention after confirming broad summer price cuts on hundreds of products following President Donald Trump’s comments highlighting lower consumer prices. 

Other tickers trending on Stocktwits at the time of writing included SoundHound AI (SOUN), Helus Pharma (HELP), Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR), Celsius Holdings (CELH), and TeraWulf (WULF).

Other Catalysts To Watch

On the economic front, investors will be tracking the release of the trade balance data later today. 

On the earnings front, no major releases are expected today. Levi Strauss reports Wednesday, followed by PepsiCo on Thursday and Delta Air Lines on Friday, before major U.S. banks unofficially kick off earnings season next week. 

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