New York, March 2, 2026, 06:00 EST — Premarket
- Alphabet (GOOGL) slipped 2.3% before the bell, following a Friday close at $311.76
- Futures slipped as oil prices surged, putting pressure on megacap tech out of the gate.
- Today’s ISM factory survey and Friday’s U.S. jobs data are in focus as investors search for fresh signals on rates.
Shares of Alphabet Inc’s Class A (GOOGL) slipped 2.3% to $304.45 before the bell on Monday.
U.S. stock index futures dropped over 1% following intensifying conflict in the Middle East over the weekend, driving a spike in crude prices and prompting a flight to classic safe-haven assets, Reuters said.
The setup is key for Alphabet, considering it’s among the heaviest hitters in both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500. When volatility ramps up, those megacaps tend to move the needle.
First up for investors this week: the ISM Manufacturing PMI lands at 10:00 a.m. EST. That survey has long been a key barometer for factory activity.
The U.S. jobs report for February lands at 8:30 a.m. ET Friday—a headline release that tends to jolt Treasury yields and shape predictions on what the Federal Reserve does next.
Alphabet shares finished Friday at $311.76, climbing 1.42% for the session.
The stock remains tangled in a now-standard argument: can the company translate aggressive artificial intelligence investment into lasting profit, and how soon? Alphabet is projecting capital expenditures of $175 billion to $185 billion in 2026, with much of that earmarked for servers and data centers. CEO Sundar Pichai, speaking to analysts, said, “We are seeing our AI investments and infrastructure drive revenue and growth across the board.” Reuters
The AI race isn’t letting up. Bridgewater Associates figures Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft together are on track to pour roughly $650 billion into expanding AI infrastructure by 2026. That’s a major ramp-up. Greg Jensen, Bridgewater’s co-chief investment officer, described it as a “more dangerous phase” where “compute demand continues to significantly outpace supply.” Reuters
Beyond Alphabet, traders have stayed alert, watching for any news that could upend the AI landscape. “There is very little definitive right now” on which companies will come out ahead or fall behind as AI shakes up industries, Kristina Hooper, chief market strategist at Man Group, told Reuters. Reuters
Dividend-focused investors are eyeing Alphabet’s upcoming payout: $0.21 per share, set for March 16. Shares go ex-dividend on March 9, Dividend.com notes.
The downside? It’s right there in the tape. Persistent oil strength and renewed inflation angst could easily prompt traders to defer bets on rate cuts — a move that usually pressures pricey growth names before anything else. Some analysts are sticking to calls for crude to stay high over the next few days, with attention zeroed in on the Strait of Hormuz and what’s happening with shipping flows.
Traders are watching for a string of key events: ISM’s factory numbers hit at 10:00 a.m. today, the U.S. jobs report lands March 6, and the Fed convenes March 17–18.
