Futures are higher led by technology stocks, after solid earnings from ASML offered fresh evidence of the relentless demand for chips enabling the global AI buildout and boosted sentiment across the AI Infra trade. As of 8:00am ET, S&P futures are up 0.1% and Nasdaq futures rise 0.4%, both off session highs. In Tech, focus is on ASML +4% on guidance raise (US Semicap Equipment peers +2-4% in sympathy), PYPL +20% on reports of a Stripe/Advent takeover offer; AAPL +0.50% and BABA +4% on China approval of Alibaba “Qwen AI” integration into the iPhone experience; and NVDA flat on Jensen commentary that Vera Rubin chips were on track for deliver to customers (countering delay talk). On the US/Iran front, the US carried out another round of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz overnight and President Trump said the US may hit power plants and bridges next week unless Iran returns to negotiations and makes a deal (also have report from Axios that Trump held a meeting in the situation room yesterday to discuss a new offensive). According to JPM, the tech complex is also getting a boost thanks to stabilization in Korea, with KOSPI adding 6% overnight (JPM APAC says that foreign & institutional demand is stepping into Korea as domestic retail investors are selling). Asia finished mixed (Shanghai -29bps / Hang Seng +1.4% / Nikkei +1.49% / Kospi +6.3%) as the day to day volatility continued in Korea (Hynix +4%, which appeared to be a “catch up” to SKHY post its +27% move in the US session). Bond yields edged higher in the US and Europe, with the yield on 10-year Treasuries up one basis point to 4.60%. The dollar wavered. While money markets have mostly priced out the possibility of a Federal Reserve hike later this month, expectations for a move in September remained high. Commodities are seeing a bid with gold the notable laggard. Brent crude futures rise 0.5% to just above $85 a barrel while European natural gas futures rise 3% to the highest since March. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index is near flat. Today’s macro data focus in on PPI and then macro read-through from names in Fins and Transports. In premarket trading, Mag 7stocks are mostly higher (Apple +0.6%, Amazon +0.3%, Microsoft +0.3%, Tesla +0.2%, Meta Platforms +0.2%, Alphabet -0.5%, Nvidia -0.2%)ASML Holding NV ADRs (ASML) gain 3% after the company lifted its annual sales forecast for the second time this year and laid out plans to increase production as a surge in artificial intelligence spending drives demand for the Dutch company’s chip-making machines.BlackRock (BLK) gains 4% after pulling in $192 billion of net client cash in the second quarter, with investors pouring money into exchange-traded funds and pushing total assets above $15 trillion for the first time.Elevance Health (ELV) falls 7% after boosting its profit guidance by less than Wall Street had hoped, as the company grapples with recent federal policy changes that have made healthcare more expensive. Peer health insurers are also lower, with Humana (HUM) down 1.6% and Centene (CNC) falling 4%.Lionsgate Studios (LION) climbs 7% after Reuters reported that the company is exploring a sale and has attracted takeover interest from Bollore Group. Reuters cited three unidentified people familiar with the matter.PayPal (PYPL) jumps 20% after Reuters reported Stripe and private equity company Advent ​International have made a joint offer to ‌buy PayPal for $60.50 per share, valuing the payments firm at more than $53 billion.Pentair (PNR) tumbles 22% after the water treatment company cut its adjusted earnings per share guidance for the full year. The company also said it appointed Robert Fishman as interim CFO after Nicholas Brazis resigned on July 10 to pursue another opportunity at a private company.Phoenix Education (PXED) drops 10% after the online education company trimmed its net revenue guidance for the full year.SK Hynix ADRs (SKHY) fall 6%.SpaceX (SPCX) is up 0.7% after closing on Tuesday just $1 above the IPO price.In other corporate news Nokia says it developed the first commercial AI-driven radio access network (RAN) platform together with Nvidia to radically increase the amount of data operators can transmit using existing infrastructure. Apollo landed the biggest private credit deal on record, offering Broadcom $35 billion of debt, in the latest sign that the buyout shop-turned-blue chip lender is muscling in on the turf of Wall Street. OpenAI’s much-anticipated push into consumer devices is slated to begin with a mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the AI era. Lionsgate Studios is exploring a sale and has attracted takeover interest from Bollore Group, Reuters reports.Tech sentiment was boosted by blowout results from European chip giant ASML and a rebound in Korean stocks. Coming into ASML’s results, analysts set the bar high, expecting an upgrade to full-year net sales guidance. Europe’s most valuable company delivered, but clarity is needed on its conference call as to whether the chip equipment leader can meet the required capacity in the face of soaring AI-fueled demand. And speaking of lack of capacity, overnight we reported that the biggest US power grid failed for a third straight time to secure enough future supply commitments to ensure reliability in coming years amid a boom in data center demand. Power-hungry data centers have increased supply costs for the largest US electric grid by more than 60%, the system watchdog said. Oil prices rose for a third straight day after the US military launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran, with Brent advancing 1.1% to around $85.60 a barrel. Overnight President Trump said the US may hit power plants and bridges next week unless Iran returns to negotiations and makes a deal (also have report from Axios that Trump held a meeting in the situation room yesterday to discuss a new offensive). Despite the uncertainty created by the standoff, investors say crude prices remain well off their highs above $100 a barrel from earlier in the conflict. Instead, traders are looking at whether earnings can justify high valuations, with early results this season looking promising. “Investors are aware that the road toward peace could never have been expected to be a straight line,” said Stephan Kemper, chief investment strategist at BNP Paribas Wealth Management. “As such, company fundamentals matter more than ever.” Bullish AI momentum is not without risks. Repeating what we said over the weekend, Bloomberg writes that signs of Hyperscaler credit stress has reached the highest since Goldman Sachs launched the basket in February.Hyperscaler bond basket: another day, another record wide https://t.co/Ge41UpsaL9 pic.twitter.com/nssT8MoTeH