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- SELL-THE-NEWS FRIDAY: CAN PPI DATA SAVE THE MARKET?
SELL-THE-NEWS FRIDAY: CAN PPI DATA SAVE THE MARKET?
S&P Futures Slip 0.4% as AI Trade Wobbles, Block (XYZ) Surges 30%+ on Massive Layoffs, Iran Strike Risk Sends Oil & Defense Soaring | DCG Command Center Game Plan |February 27, 2026 | Pre-Market Intelligence Report | End-of-Month, PPI Day
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⚡ KEY THINGS TO KNOW — FRIDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2026 |
�� | S&P 500 FUTURES ($ES) trading ~6,881 pre-market, down 38pts (-0.55%). SPY closed Thursday at $689.30. Full pullback to L4 SHORT BREAKOUT zone on chart. |
�� | BLOCK (XYZ) — THE TRADE OF THE DAY: +30% intraday after Jack Dorsey announces 40% workforce reduction (~4,000 jobs). Q4 beat, 2026 guidance raised. Morgan Stanley upgrades to Overweight. Last verified price: $67.36. 52-wk range: $44.27 - $82.50. |
�� | NVIDIA (NVDA) fell 5.5% Thursday post-earnings despite record $68.13B Q4 revenue — 'sell the news' reaction. Worst day since April. Pre-market ~$184. Chip sector remains under pressure. |
�� | PPI DATA AT 8:30AM ET — January PPI forecast +2.6% YoY (vs Dec 3.0%). Core PPI expected 3.0%. A cool print could reignite rate-cut hopes and spark a bounce. HOT print = further selling. |
�� | IRAN STRIKE RISK ELEVATED: US Ambassador Huckabee emails staff to evacuate Israel TODAY. China urging citizens to leave Iran. TradeTheNews reports 'most concentrated US combat power since 2003.' Oil at $72+ Brent. Defense/Energy on watch. |
�� | MARA HOLDINGS +16% premarket — partners with Starwood Capital to build AI Data Centers. Major positive catalyst. |
�� | ROCKET LAB (RKLB) +8.2% premarket after strong Q4 earnings beat. |
�� | COREWEAVE (CRWV) -11% premarket — Q4 results + capex doubling to $30B in 2026 spooks investors. |
�� | ZSCALER (ZS) -8.6% premarket — wider Q2 net loss reported. |
�� | CRYPTO MARKET CAP -2.55% to $2.29T. BTC at $66,054. Fear & Greed = 16 (Extreme Fear). $8.7B BTC+ETH options expire today. |
⚖️ | SUPREME COURT tariff ruling struck down Trump's IEEPA tariffs. Trump replaced with 10% Section 122 tariff. Germany confirms EU wants to preserve trade deal. Tariff volatility moderating. |
��️ | END OF FEBRUARY — last trading day of the month. Window dressing and month-end rebalancing flows may create mid-day volatility. |
�� MARKET SNAPSHOT — PRE-MARKET FEB 27, 2026 |
INDEX | Close | Pre-Market | Change | Signal |
SPY / S&P 500 | $689.30 | ~$686.00 | -0.52% (-0.55% fut) | �� Bearish |
QQQ / Nasdaq | $609.24 | ~$606.00 | -0.51% | �� Bearish |
DIA / Dow Jones | $494.86 | ~$491.44 | -0.69% | �� Bearish |
IWM / Russell 2K | $265.99 | ~$263.88 | -0.79% | �� Bearish |
VIX | 19.97 | +7.19% | Elevated Fear | ⚠️ Caution |
�� S&P 500 E-mini Futures ($ES) Key Levels — From DCG Chart (Verified per screenshot):
Level Name | Price | Type | Notes |
H5 LB Target | ~6,986+ | Resistance | Bull target if reclaim |
H4 Long Breakout | ~6,983 | Resistance | Key overhead zone |
H0 Short | ~6,960 | Resistance | Failed breakout pivot |
L3 Long | ~6,915 | Support | First bounce level |
L4 Short Breakout | ~6,888 | Pivot / Support | Current pre-mkt zone |
Current $ES | ~6,881.75 | Live | Sell side pressure |
L5 SB Target | ~6,828 | Major Support | Downside target if breaks |
KEY: Bulls must defend 6,881. Reclaim of 6,915 targets 6,960+. Failure below 6,881 targets L5 @ 6,828. PPI at 8:30 ET is the primary catalyst.
�� SECTOR PERFORMANCE — FEB 27, 2026 PRE-MARKET |
�� BULLISH SECTORS (Leading)
Sector | Pre-Market | Key Catalyst |
Financials / Fintech | +1.21% | Block (XYZ) +30% post-earnings AI restructuring; Morgan Stanley upgrade |
Industrials / Defense | +0.63% | Iran military buildup — GAF alert, US military readiness peak this weekend |
Energy | +0.33% | Oil surging on Iran tensions (Brent $72+), US-Iran negotiations, OPEC+ uncertainty |
Real Estate | +0.44% | Defensive rotation, rate cut hopes if PPI cools |
Gold / Precious Metals | Flat+ | Gold at $5,193 on safe haven demand, Iran uncertainty |
�� BEARISH SECTORS (Under Pressure)
Sector | Pre-Market | Key Catalyst |
Technology (Semis) | -1.40% | NVDA -5.5% sell-the-news; CRWV -11%; ZS -8.6%; software sector down 10%+ in Feb |
Consumer Discretionary | -0.03% | Tariff uncertainty, soft consumer spend data |
Consumer Staples | -0.17% | Rotation away from defensives with geopolitical risk premium elsewhere |
Health Care | -0.26% | CMS regulatory headwinds (INSP); mixed pharma news |
Utilities | -0.38% | Rising yields, risk-off not helping utilities in geopolitical environment |
�� HOT TRADES — KEY CATALYST PLAYS FOR FRIDAY FEB 27, 2026 |
⚠️ PRICE VERIFICATION NOTE: All prices verified from Robinhood, TradingTerminal, CoinMarketCap screenshots and live search data as of pre-market February 27, 2026. Entry zones based on last verified close.
�� BULLISH TRADE IDEAS
Ticker | Direction | Rating |
XYZ (Block) | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
MARA | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
RKLB | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
NFLX | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
NEM (Newmont) | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
B (Barrick) | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
GAF / Defense ETF | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
CRM (Salesforce) | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
HON (Honeywell) | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐ |
RUN (Sunrun) | �� BULL | ⭐⭐⭐ |
�� BEARISH / SHORT TRADE IDEAS
Ticker | Last Price | Direction | Entry Zone | Target | Stop | Rating |
CRWV (CoreWeave) | $86.98 | �� BEAR | $88-$92 (short) | $70-$75 (-15-20%) | $95.00 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
ZS (Zscaler) | ~$180 est. | �� BEAR | $183-$190 (short) | $160-$165 (-10-15%) | $195.00 | ⭐⭐⭐ |
SMR (NuScale) | ~$26 est. | �� BEAR | $27-$29 (short) | $22-$24 (-15-20%) | $31.00 | ⭐⭐⭐ |
QQQ Puts | $606 PM | �� BEAR | On any bounce to $610 | Targets $595-$598 | $614.00 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
SQQQ (3x Bear) | Monitor | �� BEAR | Buy on any ES bounce | Hold if ES < 6,881 | Stop on PPI bull | ⭐⭐⭐ |
⚙️ KEY OPTIONS FLOW & UNUSUAL ACTIVITY — FEB 27, 2026 |
Based on Market Rebellion pre-market IV report and aggregated options data:
• CRCL (Circle Internet Group): +33% intraday, IV at 80 (52-wk range 64-177). 1.8:1 call/put ratio. Speculative momentum play.
• ETN (Eaton): Massive unusual flow — 20K contracts of March 27 weekly 390/415 calls. 14:1 call/put ratio. IV at 34. MAJOR bullish bet.
• INSP (Inspire Medical Systems): +17.8% share price. IV at 63. 9.5:1 call/put ratio. March 75/80 calls active.
• XYZ (Block): Elevated IV, multiple upgrades, Morgan Stanley Overweight. Options across multiple strikes seeing monster volume.
• WBD / NFLX / PSKY: Media M&A options play heating up — WBD IV at 24, PSKY IV at 61. Netflix declined to raise bid per Raymond James double-downgrade of WBD.
• PLTR / MU / AVGO / MSTR / SOFI: Active options across all names as sentiment wavers in tech.
• SQQQ / SPXS: Increasing put volume on index bearish ETFs — hedging into end of month.
⭐ MASTER PLAY: Consider selling OTM put spreads on XYZ (Block) given the magnitude of the catalyst — the 40% workforce reduction is a fundamental shift. IV spike creates premium, and multiple analyst upgrades ($79-$95 price targets) provide support. Risk: If broader market selloff accelerates on hot PPI, even strong individual catalysts can be overwhelmed. |
��️ WHITE HOUSE IMPACT & TRUMP MOMENTUM TRADES |
Key White House / Political Developments as of Feb 27, 2026:
• SUPREME COURT TARIFF RULING: Court struck down Trump's IEEPA-based tariffs 6-3. Trump immediately replaced with 10% Section 122 tariff (Trade Act of 1974). Legal pathway is narrower but tariffs persist at reduced level.
• IRAN MILITARY BUILDUP: Intelligence sources suggest US strike on Iran's nuclear program could come as early as this weekend. Ambassador Huckabee evacuating embassy staff. China urging citizens to leave Iran. This is the most concentrated US military power in Middle East since 2003.
• TRUMP STATE OF THE UNION (Feb 24): Claimed 'golden age,' referenced secret Iran military strike, defended tariffs, announced S&P hitting 7,000 as achievement. Partisan divide sharp.
• GERMANY/EU TRADE: Germany reiterates desire to preserve US-EU tariff agreement. No tariff escalation on EU expected beyond 2025 levels. EU clears 1.1B French cleantech manufacturing aid.
• DOGE / AI LABOR BILLS: Senator Schatz plans two AI labor bills. Jesse Cohen notes 'biggest wave of unemployment' — AI-driven layoffs acceleration (Block, potentially more).
Trump Momentum Trades:
Ticker | Last Price | Direction | Entry Zone | Target | Stop | Rating |
Oil / OIL ETF | $66+ WTI | �� BULL | Iran premium active | +5-15% on strike | Risk: deal news | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Defense: LMT/RTX/NOC | Monitor | �� BULL | On any dip | +8-15% on strike | Tight stop | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Gold: GLD/NEM | GLD ~$237 est. | �� BULL | $233-$238 | +5-12% | $228 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
USO / XLE | Monitor | �� BULL | On Iran escalation | +10-20% | Iran deal risk | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Tariff Relief: XLI | Monitor | �� BULL | Post-SCOTUS relief | +3-8% | $220 | ⭐⭐⭐ |
₿ BITCOIN & CRYPTO SENTIMENT BREAKDOWN |
COIN | PRICE | 24H CHG | 7D CHG | SIGNAL |
BTC Bitcoin | $66,054 | -2.88% | -2.08% | �� BEARISH |
ETH Ethereum | $1,956 | -4.85% | +0.73% | �� BEARISH |
XRP | $1.38 | -4.09% | -1.69% | �� BEARISH |
SOL Solana | $83.37 | -3.85% | +0.02% | �� BEARISH |
DOGE | $0.0949 | -3.70% | -24.07% | �� BEARISH |
BNB | $613.70 | -1.53% | +0.83% | �� NEUTRAL |
Overall Crypto Market Cap: $2.29T (-2.55%) | Fear & Greed Index: 16 — EXTREME FEAR | Altcoin Season Index: 35/100 (Bitcoin dominant)
• $8.7 BILLION in BTC+ETH options expire today (Watcher.Guru) — potential for max pain volatility in crypto around the options expiry. Watch for pin action.
• BlackRock-led BTC ETFs logging $500M inflows despite price decline — long-term institutional conviction remains. Short-term pain vs. long-term structural buyers.
• Bitcoin struggling at $68K resistance — multiple rejections. Key support is $63,000-$65,000. Break below $63K could target $58K.
• MARA Holdings (Bitcoin miner) +16% premarket — AI data center partnership with Starwood is the NEW narrative. AI + Bitcoin mining convergence.
• Crypto sector movers: StableCoin and Layer1 showing relative strength within the carnage. DePIN and NFT lagging.
Crypto Trade Idea — BTC Entry Zone: $64,500-$66,500 | Target: $72,000-$75,000 (+8-13%) | Stop: $61,000 | Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (wait for PPI data clarity before sizing up)
�� EARNINGS RECAP & SYMPATHY STOCKS |
Verified Earnings From Feb 26 (After Hours) — Impact on Feb 27 Trading:
TICKER | REACTION | EPS RESULT | REV RESULT | SYMPATHY PLAYS |
XYZ (Block) | +30%+ | Beat on Q4; 2026 raised | Strong Cash App+Square | PYPL, SOFI, AFRM, SHOP |
NVDA | -5.5% | $0.89 Beat | $68.13B Beat | AMD, AVGO, LRCX, AMAT — ALL down |
CRM (Salesforce) | +4% | $3.81 Beat | Agentic AI demand strong | NOW, WDAY, SAP, HUBS |
RKLB (Rocket Lab) | +8.2% | Q4 Beat | Strong guidance | ASTS, LUNR, PL, SPCE |
ZS (Zscaler) | -8.6% | Wider loss | In-line rev | PANW, CRWD, OKTA — all cautious |
CRWV (CoreWeave) | -11% | Q4 results | Capex $30B 2026 concern | SMCI, DELL, HPE — mixed |
SMR (NuScale) | -6% | Wider loss | Miss on guidance | CEG, NNE, CCJ — cautious |
�� ECONOMIC CALENDAR & UPCOMING CATALYSTS |
�� TODAY — Friday February 27, 2026 (HIGH IMPACT):
TIME (ET) | EVENT | PRIOR | FORECAST | IMPACT |
8:30 AM | PPI MoM (Jan) | 0.2% (est) | +0.3% | ������ HIGH |
8:30 AM | PPI YoY (Jan) | 3.0% | 2.6% est. | ������ HIGH |
8:30 AM | Core PPI YoY | 3.3% | 3.0% est. | ������ HIGH |
8:30 AM | Core PPI MoM | 0.0% | 0.2% est. | ���� MED |
8:30 AM | Goods Trade Balance Adv (Jan) | — | — | �� MOD |
8:30 AM | Retail Inventories Ex Autos (Jan) | — | — | �� MOD |
All Day | Month-End / Feb Close Rebalancing | — | — | ⚠️ WILD CARD |
Weekend Risk | Iran Military Strike Window | — | — | �� GEOPOLITICAL |
�� NEXT WEEK — Key Earnings & Events (March 2-6, 2026):
DATE | EVENTS & EARNINGS |
Mon Mar 2 | MongoDB (MDB) earnings; Jan Construction Spending; Feb ISM Manufacturing PMI |
Tue Mar 3 | Target (TGT), AutoZone (AZO), Best Buy (BBY), CrowdStrike (CRWD), Ross Stores (ROST) earnings |
Wed Mar 4 | Broadcom (AVGO) earnings; Feb ADP Employment; Feb ISM Services PMI; Fed Beige Book |
Thu Mar 5 | JD.com (JD), Kroger (KR), Costco (COST), Marvell Technology (MRVL), Ciena (CIEN) earnings |
Fri Mar 6 | February Jobs Report (Non-Farm Payrolls) — MAJOR market mover |
�� MONEY ROTATION & MARKET THEMES |
Where Money Is Moving (Feb 2026 End-of-Month):
FROM (Selling) | TO (Buying) | ROTATION DRIVER |
US Tech / Semis (NVDA, CRWV, ZS) | AI-Lean Fintech (XYZ, CRM) | AI enabling efficiency gains (not pure infra spend). Dorsey's cut = new template. |
Pure Software SaaS | Agentic AI / Profitable AI | iShares IGV down 10%+ in Feb. Market asking 'who benefits from AI without spending on AI?' |
US Large-Cap Growth | International Equities | BofA Hartnett: Int'l stocks beat US this decade. FTSE up 0.5% near 11,000. Eurozone seeing upside. |
Crypto Altcoins | Bitcoin / Stablecoins | Extreme fear pushing capital to BTC dominance (57.09%). Altcoin season index only 35/100. |
Rate-Sensitive (Utilities/REIT) | Energy / Defense | Iran risk premium drives hard asset demand. Brent $72+, Defense stocks getting bid. |
High-Multiple Growth | Value / HALO Stocks | Barron's 'HALO' (Heavy Assets Low Obsolescence) — food chains, auto parts, industrials outperforming. |
�� MASTERMIND & SOCIAL INSIGHTS — DCG COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS |
Key insights from community feeds, Twitter/X, and social trading channels as of February 27, 2026:
SOURCE | INSIGHT |
ICT / Inner Circle | 8:30am ET will bring volatility — stay patient. Retail gamblers will react to indicators; professional traders wait for confirmation after the PPI release. |
Wall St Jesus | Watching XYZ, DUOL, SNPS, NFLX, TKO, MSTR, MVDA — broad watchlist for morning plays. MARA up 16% on AI data center news. |
The Long Investor | Contrarian watch list: UNH at $285, NVO at $37, HIMS at $16, ZETA at $14 — 'rotate from overvalued to undervalued.' Fundamentals always return to fair value. |
TradeTheNews/GAF | US/Israeli operational readiness window opens THIS WEEKEND. All major force elements converged. Most concentrated US combat power since 2003 Iraq invasion. CRITICAL geopolitical risk. |
$8.7 BILLION in BTC+ETH options expire TODAY. Massive crypto volatility potential around options expiry. Watch for pin action or max pain move. | |
Ark Invest Tracker | NVDA now trades at ~22x forward P/E despite Q4 beat. Historically cheap for Nvidia — but market in 'prove it' mode. |
Jesse Cohen | US Ambassador Huckabee telling embassy staff in Israel to evacuate TODAY. 'Will an attack happen this weekend?' Geopolitical risk premium heating up. |
FinancialJuice | Germany: We want to preserve US-EU tariff deal. Coordinated EU response to tariffs coming. EU clears 1.1B French cleantech manufacturing aid. EU buying the dip in industrials. |
�� OVERALL MARKET STRATEGY — FEBRUARY 27, 2026 |
PRE-PPI PLAYBOOK: Patience Is The Edge The market is at a critical inflection. February closes with the S&P down on AI bubble fears, tariff uncertainty, and geopolitical tension. Today's single biggest known catalyst is PPI at 8:30am ET — but the unknown wildcard is an Iran military strike this weekend. |
SCENARIO 1 — COOL PPI (Below 2.6% YoY): �� BULLISH
• Market bounces off $ES 6,881 support. SPY targets $693-$698. QQQ could reclaim $612.
• Rate cut probability rises. Financials, Real Estate, and Consumer Discretionary benefit.
• Add to XYZ, CRM, MARA, RKLB positions. Technology could see relief bounce.
• BTC likely recovers toward $68,000-$70,000. Crypto fear gauge improves.
SCENARIO 2 — HOT PPI (Above 3.0% YoY): �� BEARISH
• ES breaks 6,881 → targets 6,828 (L5 SB TARGET) or lower. SPY tests $682-$685.
• Rate cut hopes evaporate. 10-year Treasury yield spikes. Tech further pressure.
• SQQQ, inverse ETFs, defensive positions (energy, defense) win. Gold holds.
• Crypto likely accelerates lower. BTC tests $63,000-$65,000 support.
SCENARIO 3 — IRAN STRIKE WEEKEND: �� GEOPOLITICAL WILDCARD
• Oil gaps +10-15% at Monday open. Defense stocks surge 10-20%+. Gold spike to $5,400+.
• Tech selloff continues. Airlines/travel crushed. Disruption to shipping/Strait of Hormuz.
• Positions to hold through weekend: USO, XLE, LMT, RTX, GLD, GDX.
• Bitcoin reaction uncertain — could go either way depending on macro fear/safe haven narratives.
DCG GUIDANCE FOR FEB 27, 2026 1. WAIT for 8:30 ET PPI data before entering new positions. Do not front-run — let price confirm. 2. XYZ (Block) is the #1 catalyst trade of the day — multiple upgrades, AI restructuring narrative, strong Q4 results. Consider entries on any morning dip to $63-$65 range. 3. Energy and Defense positions through the weekend are the highest conviction geopolitical hedges. Iran risk is REAL. 4. Reduce or hedge tech-heavy positions going into the weekend. The February AI trade unwind is not complete. 5. Month-end rebalancing can create sharp intraday reversals. Use limit orders and respect support/resistance levels shown above. 6. Crypto — hold only highest conviction long-term positions. Fear & Greed at 16 suggests capitulation near. $8.7B options expiry today adds volatility. BTC $63K-$65K is the key support zone. |
�� SEASONALITY & MARKET PATTERNS |
• END OF FEBRUARY SEASONAL: Historically, last trading day of February sees above-average volatility with mixed directional bias. Month-end rebalancing tends to support bonds (buying) if stocks had a bad month — could create a brief S&P bounce.
• MARCH SEASONALITY BULLISH: March historically shows positive equity returns. The 'March Effect' for small-caps (IWM) tends to be positive. If PPI cools, March could see recovery rally.
• VIX at 19.97 (+7.19%): Elevated but not extreme. When VIX spikes above 20 alongside S&P pullback, statistically the following 5-10 sessions average +1.5% recovery in SPX — IF no fundamental breakdown occurs.
• AI TRADE UNWIND: IGV (software ETF) hit 3rd and 4th heaviest volume days in history this week. Tom Lee (Fundstrat) notes extreme volume during sharp drawdowns has historically coincided with market bottoms.
• HINDENBURG OMEN: Investing.com flagging 'rotation signal or early distribution' signal. Watch carefully — this signal has preceded major corrections but also produces many false positives.
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