One market bellwether cleared the bar. One enterprise giant guided a little soft and tried to buy back the mood. One smaller AI name hit the reset button with cuts and a rough outlook. We map the clean way to buy it and the obvious traps.
Key Date (Sponsored)
That's when I'm predicting Elon Musk will announce the SpaceX IPO... in what Bloomberg is calling "the biggest listing of ALL TIME."
And I've found a 'backdoor' way to grab a Pre-IPO stake... BEFORE Elon makes the big announcement!
At a $1.5 TRILLION valuation... that would be 3,000 times bigger than Amazon's IPO.
This is a "millionaire-maker" event...
Click Here for the FREE "SpaceX" Ticker
Futures at a Glance📈
Futures are flapping around a bit as traders digest a split screen from earnings: the chip bellwether delivered a beat, but a big software name spoiled the mood with softer guidance. Tech just enjoyed a two-day bounce, but software nerves are back, with jobless claims and more big reports on deck.
Want to make sure you never miss a pre-market alert?
Elite Trade Club now offers text alerts — so you get trending stocks and market-moving news sent straight to your phone before the bell.
Email’s great. Texts are faster.
You’ll be first in line when the market starts moving.
What to Watch
Earnings (Premarket):
• Royal Bank of Canada [RY]
• Toronto Dominion Bank [TD]
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce [CM]
• Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. [WBD]
Earnings (Aftermarket):
• Intuit Inc. [INTU]
• Monster Beverage Corporation [MNST]
• Dell Technologies Inc. [DELL]
Earnings (Time Not Supplied):
• Alibaba Group Holding Limited [BABA]
• Nu Holdings Ltd. [NU]
• ENI S.p.A. [E]
Economic Reports:
• Initial jobless claims (Feb. 21): 8:30 am
• Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman testifies to Congress: 10:00 am
Enterprise Software
Salesforce Says Growth Is Slower, Buys Back Shares, And Tries To Change The Mood
Salesforce Inc [CRM] came out with a revenue outlook that landed a little soft, and the stock took it like a bad Yelp review. The message is simple: customers are still spending, but they are spending more slowly, and this market has zero patience for slow.
Management is also investing heavily in AI and trying to turn that into the next growth engine, which is exciting in theory and expensive in reality. Investors want proof that AI is not just a feature tour, but something customers actually pay up for at scale. Until that story feels more concrete, guidance is going to matter more than hype.
Then comes the $50 billion buyback, which is the financial version of bringing snacks to smooth things over. It helps, but it does not fix the underlying question: when does growth re-accelerate? This stock can still rip on the right quarter, but it will likely stay moody until budgets loosen or AI traction shows up in a way nobody can ignore.
My Take For You: Let the post-earnings reaction settle. If it stabilizes, start small and add only if it builds higher lows.
My Verdict: Watch-list. Great franchise, but the market needs a reason to believe again.
Software
C3.ai Hits The Panic Button, Cuts Staff, And The Stock Faceplants
C3.ai Inc [AI] is cutting about a quarter of its workforce and guided sales below what the market expected, which is the corporate version of showing up to the party and announcing you are leaving early. Traders do not love surprise diet plans, especially when the stock already looks like it has been through leg day.
The new CEO is basically saying the house needed cleaning and the spending needed shrinking. That can be a real reset, but it also reads like we tried the old plan and it did not work. The market hears that and immediately asks the scary question, is demand the issue or execution the issue.
This is also a reminder that not all AI stories are created equal. Some names sell the picks and shovels, some sell the dream, and some are still figuring out how to package the dream into something customers buy on purpose. The stock can bounce hard off lows, but it can also keep sliding while investors wait for proof.
My Take For You: Do not catch the first drop. Wait for it to stop bleeding, then consider a tiny starter only if it holds a base.
My Verdict: High-risk bounce candidate. Fun only for small sizing and strict rules.
Exit Now (Sponsored)
You may own it. Millions of Americans do.
But while you weren't watching, Wall Street insiders started dumping this
household-name tech stock months ago.
It's already down 53%, and the people who move markets aren't done selling.
40-year Wall Street Legend Marc Chaikin knows which stock it is, why it's happening, and why it may only be the beginning of a much bigger shift.
Get the ticker here.
Semiconductors
NVIDIA Prints Another AI Flex, And The Bar Still Moves Higher
NVIDIA Corp [NVDA] dropped earnings and guidance that cleared the hurdle, and the market responded with a polite nod instead of a standing ovation. That is the problem when you are the main character. Good is expected, great is priced in, and anything less gets side-eye.
The headline here is that the AI engine is still humming. Data center revenue jumped again, and everyone who was whispering “Is the boom slowing?” had to lower their voice for a minute. It also helps that the next quarter outlook came in stronger than the street was bracing for, which keeps the AI party going and the bouncers relaxed.
But do not ignore the vibe shift. Investors are watching tech spending like a hawk watches a sandwich, and this stock is the scoreboard. If the market wobbles, NVDA is the name people blame, even when it is not guilty. That is what happens when you are this big.
My Take For You: If you are not in, wait for a dip and start small. If you are in, take a little profit on strength and keep the rest.
My Verdict: Still the AI kingpin, but treat entries like a craft beer, sip it, do not chug it.
Trivia: What is the largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization?
Movers and Shakers
Nutanix Inc [NTNX]: Premarket Move: +21%
Nutanix is ripping after a strong quarter, and for once, the software crowd gets to celebrate instead of stress eat.
A big partnership headline is helping too, since markets love a good team-up story.
My Take: Do not chase the first spike. If it holds gains after the open, start small, and if it fades, wait for a pullback.
IonQ Inc [IONQ]: Premarket Move: +12%
IonQ is popping after a big growth update and an acquisition plan, which is the quantum version of showing up with receipts.
The story is still early, so this stock can swing hard when the mood shifts.
My Take: Treat it like a momentum trade, not a forever hold. Keep size small, take profits on strength, and do not average down fast.
The Trade Desk Inc [TTD]: Premarket Move: -18%
The Trade Desk Inc [TTD] is getting hammered even after beating earnings, which is the market saying nice try, but we wanted more.
When a stock is already down big, good news can still get met with a shrug and another wave of selling.
My Take: Let it settle and look for a base later in the day. If it stabilizes, you can nibble, and if it keeps sliding, step aside.
Beverage Industry (Sponsored)
They’ve printed trillions.
But physical gold is getting harder to find.
While investors pile into ETFs, real metal is quietly moving overseas.
If March 31st exposes how tight supply really is…
Gold stocks could reprice fast.
One tiny company is positioned to benefit first.
Everything Else
Samsung just rolled out the S26 as a memory chip crunch hangs overhead, so the launch is part hype machine and part supply chain sudoku.
Collectibles are becoming a real asset class, which means your childhood Pokémon binder might be retirement planning now.
Japan reportedly raided Microsoft’s offices over suspected antitrust issues, adding another headache to Big Tech’s regulator tour.
OpenAI just hired a former Meta AI researcher who previously led Apple’s models team, which is basically the latest move in the AI talent draft.
UK carrier O2 launched what it calls Europe’s first smartphone satellite service, meaning dead zones may finally get less smug.
That’s all for today. Thank you for reading. If you have any feedback, please reply to this email.
Best Regards,
— Adam Garcia
Elite Trade Club
Click here to get our daily newsletter straight to your cell for free.
P.S. Just like this newsletter, it's 100% free*, and you can stop at any time by replying STOP.
