Morning Read: Palantir lifts 2026 outlook as tech futures lead

Snapshot: 4 August 2026, 03:58–04:10 ET. U.S. equity futures were higher, led by the Nasdaq-100 at +0.61%; S&P 500 and Dow futures were up 0.19% and 0.16%. The company-specific lead is PLTR: Palantir reported $1.935 billion of Q2 revenue, up 93% year over year, and raised its 2026 outlook. The morning test is whether that growth signal broadens across technology while scheduled U.S. trade and labour-demand data reset the macro side of the tape.

Macro overnight

Asia was mixed rather than uniformly risk-on: Japan gained, Hong Kong declined, and the Shanghai feeds agreed on the level but not the sign because they used different comparison closes. Europe opened firmer across the Euro Stoxx 50, FTSE 100 and DAX, although the DAX percentage change also depended on the provider baseline. These differences matter because an index level can match while the quoted “daily” move refers to a different session boundary.

Cross-asset readings were calmer than Monday’s oil move. September WTI was $80.73, up 0.49%; December gold was $4,121.50, up 0.76%; and the U.S. Dollar Index was near 99.99, up about 0.10%. Cboe’s official delayed feed put the 3 August VIX close at 15.70, down about 1.01% from 15.86. Official Treasury data showed 4.25% for the 2-year and 4.70% for the 10-year at the 3 August close, a positive 45-basis-point slope.

Today has two verified U.S. macro checkpoints. BEA schedules June international trade for 08:30 ET on 4 August, and BLS schedules June Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey data for 10:00 ET. The sequence can separate an early earnings-led technology move from a later rates-and-growth reaction. Neither release was available at this snapshot, so no value or surprise is assumed.

Your tickers

PLTR: Palantir’s official Q2 release says total revenue grew 93% year over year and 19% quarter over quarter to $1.935 billion. U.S. revenue reached $1.573 billion, up 115% year over year; within it, U.S. commercial revenue was $764 million, up 149%, and U.S. government revenue was $809 million, up 90%. Those are issuer-reported, unaudited quarterly figures, not independent forecasts.

Management now guides Q3 revenue to $2.160–$2.164 billion and full-year revenue to $8.150–$8.158 billion. It also guides U.S. commercial revenue above $3.424 billion, representing at least 134% growth, and adjusted free cash flow to $4.5–$4.7 billion. The release says cash, cash equivalents and short-term U.S. Treasury securities were $9.2 billion at quarter-end. Guidance is a company estimate and can change; it is not a realized result.

What to watch today

• 09:30 ET — cash-market confirmation: compare the +0.61% Nasdaq-100 futures signal with breadth, semiconductor participation and PLTR’s opening liquidity.
• 08:30 ET — international trade: rebuild the rates, dollar and cyclicals read only after the official June release lands.
• 10:00 ET — JOLTS: distinguish the reported openings, hires and quits details from the headline before attaching a labour-demand narrative.
• PLTR guidance bridge: track whether discussion centres on the $2.160–$2.164 billion Q3 range, the $8.150–$8.158 billion full-year range or the durability of the 62% adjusted operating margin.
• Cross-asset check: compare live 2-year and 10-year yields with Monday’s 4.25% / 4.70% close and WTI with the $80.73 overnight snapshot.

The morning board therefore begins with a clear company result and a modestly green futures backdrop, but today’s macro releases can change the rates narrative after the open. The disciplined read keeps reported PLTR results separate from management guidance, and both separate from market price. This article is educational information, not personalized financial advice or an order recommendation.