Pre-market briefing Pre-Market Briefing — May 29, 2026
Today at a Glance
Previous Session Recap
Yesterday (5/28), the U.S. market pushed to fresh record highs as April core PCE came in at a 0.2% monthly rate — below the 0.3% consensus — reviving hopes for cooling inflation. The S&P 500 (+0.58%, 7,564) and Nasdaq (+0.91%, 26,917) both printed new all-time highs. Semiconductors and software names that had been hit by profit-taking the prior session rebounded broadly, with ARM ($ARM +10.76%), Palantir ($PLTR +8.17%), and Shopify ($SHOP +7.96%) leading the charge, while the VIX plunged to 15.67. After the close, earnings stole the spotlight: Dell ($DELL) skyrocketed 38% after-hours on 757% growth in AI server revenue, and MongoDB ($MDB) jumped 20%, rekindling the AI infrastructure rally.
Current Market Tone
On today's final trading day of May, U.S. futures are pointing higher, supported by Dell's earnings surprise. S&P 500 futures +0.23%, Nasdaq 100 futures +0.67%, Dow futures +0.1%, with AI infrastructure names doing the heavy lifting. Following yesterday's relief on cooler PCE, solid results from Dell and MongoDB have provided an additional tailwind for risk appetite. However, with no major economic data or earnings on today's slate, month-end rebalancing flows will be the swing factor for late-day volatility. Some wait-and-see positioning is also expected ahead of next week's employment gauntlet (ISM and NFP).
Pre-Market News Round-Up
Today's Events
Today is a quiet session with no large-cap earnings on the calendar. Outside of names on the auto-card, the only print worth flagging in the body is below.
Today's real center of gravity is the big-name earnings released after yesterday's close. Dell ($DELL) posted 757% YoY growth in AI server revenue and sharply raised FY guidance to $167B. MongoDB ($MDB) delivered a beat-and-raise, soaring 20% after-hours. Costco ($COST) posted solid revenue but a slight EPS miss, leaving shares roughly flat.
Macro Calendar
No U.S. economic data is scheduled for release today. However, next week brings the employment gauntlet that will set the market's direction. It kicks off Monday evening (KST) with the ISM Manufacturing PMI (6/1, consensus 52.6), followed by JOLTS Job Openings (6/2) on Tuesday, ADP Employment and ISM Services (6/3) on Wednesday, and the May Employment Report on Friday (6/5, NFP consensus 96K, unemployment rate 4.3%). Given that this week's PCE showed a stickier pulse, next week's employment strength will be the key input for the June FOMC rate path.
Ex-Dividend
Names to Watch
Three names where today's earnings momentum and flows are intersecting.
Today's Game Plan
Stay disciplined today and wrap up May on a steady note.
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