Pentagon Deals Ignite DELL, MSFT; Nikkei Hits All-Time High

Today's AI insights from 7horns.ai: Dell Technologies surged over 38% after-hours on a monumental $9.7 billion Pentagon software contract, alongside Microsoft extending gains by 0.77% on its own AI developments and government deals. This offers crucial financial news and trading insights into how defense spending and AI innovation are shaping the stock market analysis. Investors should note Japan's Nikkei index hitting an all-time high above 66,000, providing a strong global market outlook, while Autodesk's 6.5% drop after a $3.6 billion acquisition highlights specific earnings and investor reactions. AI insights powered by 7horns.ai. Visit 7horns.ai for your free daily AI market analysis.

You're listening to 7 Horns AI — your AI-powered market update. Good morning and welcome to your pre-market briefing on this Friday, May twenty-ninth, twenty twenty-six. Overnight, Asian markets provided a mixed but overall positive lead for our trading day. Japan's Nikkei index was a standout, surging over two and a half percent in its Thursday session, closing above sixty-six thousand for the first time ever, driven by optimism around corporate governance and AI-linked manufacturing. China's Hang Seng advanced between zero point four and one point one percent in regular trading. While the US-listed China ETF proxy, FXI, saw a slight decline of zero point nine three percent in its previous session, it's trading essentially flat this morning, up a modest zero point zero nine percent in pre-market. Here in the US, futures are pointing to an essentially flat open after six consecutive record-setting sessions. S&P five hundred futures are up a fractional zero point one four percent, with Nasdaq one hundred futures showing a similar gain of zero point one two percent. Dow futures are fractionally higher by zero point two two percent. Across the Atlantic, European markets, as represented by the Developed ex-US ETF, are currently showing some positive momentum, up over half a percent this morning, helping to counterbalance some of yesterday's European declines. Individual stock news is where the action is this morning. Dell Technologies is making headlines with a monumental after-hours surge, up over thirty-eight percent, following a nine point seven billion dollar Pentagon software contract and news of its fastest revenue growth since two thousand eighteen. Microsoft is also extending gains in pre-market, up zero point seven seven percent, building on yesterday's more than three percent rise, thanks to its own Pentagon contract and AI developments. However, Autodesk is on the back foot, down over six and a half percent in pre-market, as an announced three point six billion dollar acquisition is spooking investors. Meanwhile, Snowflake continues to impress, up another one point three nine percent this morning, after yesterday's blowout thirty-six percent gain. In commodities, oil is sliding by nearly two percent in pre-market on news of the US-Iran ceasefire deal, which is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Gold is moving higher, up over three-quarters of a percent, as the ceasefire is read as positive for the metal. Overall, the market seems to be consolidating after yesterday's strong, tech-led record closes. Today's open will be keenly watching the volatility around Dell and Autodesk as investors digest these significant after-hours moves. The market's six-day winning streak sets a positive, albeit somewhat cautious, tone for the day. That's your pre-market briefing from 7 Horns AI. Good luck out there today. Visit 7horns.ai for more.