Tech, AI Stocks Ready to Start the Week Strong

Stock futures are mixed to start the new week, with beaten-down AI infrastructure stocks leading a tech rebound following last week's selloff. Futures on the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are up triple digits, while S&P 500 Index (SPX) futures are firmly higher as well. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures, however, are taking a breather. Treasury yields and oil prices are also slightly lower, offering some relief to investors

Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

• Follow along with our Substack, The Contrarian Edge, this earnings season.
• United Airline earnings: what you need to know.
• Plus, Cleveland-Cliffs breaks out; and two upgrades you need to know about.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Option Exchange saw roughly 3.1 million call contracts and 1.9 million put contracts traded on Thursday. The single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.62, while the 21-day moving average remained at 0.59. 
2. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (NYSE:CLF) stock is 13% higher ahead of the open, after the steelmaker reported an earnings and revenue beat for the third quarter. Cleveland-Cliffs stock is set to reclaim its year-to-date breakeven level today.
3. Datadog Inc (NASDAQ:DDOG) stock is up 3.8% before the bell, after Bernstein upgraded the software concern to "outperform" from "market perform." The analyst in coverage also hiked its price target to $350 from $237 on the company's AI-driven growth outlook. DDOG is up over 81% heading into today.
4. The shares of Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC) are 4.2% higher in electronic trading, after J.P. Morgan Securities upgraded the chipmaker to "neutral" from "underweight." The analyst in coverage has confidence the company's turnaround is on the right track. Intel stock is up 144% in 2026.
5. Earnings season really starts to heat up this week. 

Korean Kospi Up Off the Mat as French Stocks Struggle

Asian markets finished higher today. South Korea’s Kospi bounced back with an 1.8% gain, thanks to resurgent small caps. China’s Shanghai Composite rose 0.4%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.5%. Japan’s Nikkei bucked the regional trend with a 0.6% drop.

Over in Europe, bourses are swimming in red ink, with travel stocks among the notable laggards. The nationwide protests in France have the CAC 40 down 1.5%, while London’s FTSE 100 and German DAX are 1.3% lower apiece.