Morning Moves: Semis Lead on NVDA–INTC Deal; Starter INTC Long Added

Quick desk note before the bell.

• Macro tone: 10Y yields steady-to-firmer (CNBC US10Y), DXY bid (MarketWatch DXY), crude near recent highs (WTI).
• Data: Weekly jobless claims due 8:30a ET—watch for labor cool/tight signals (DOL). Fed expectations: see CME FedWatch.
• Semis lead: Headlines flagging potential NVDA–INTC collaboration; monitor official sources (NVIDIA Newsroom, Intel Newsroom).

What we did: Initiated a small starter long in INTC; risk tightly defined with a stop just below the premarket low.

Risk stance: Cash-heavy, small sizing, hard stops, willing to cut quickly if semis breadth falters.

Into the close/OPEX: Monthly options expiration Fri (third Friday) – expect flow/positioning noise (Cboe Expiration Calendar). Watching: semi breadth vs. NVDA, US10Y/DXY impact on tech, crude’s drag/tailwind, and VIX into settle (VIX).

Attribution: Market levels via CNBC/MarketWatch; data calendar via DOL & CME.