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Futures Steady as Tech Selloff Eases; Amazon Drops on AI Spending Surge

U.S. stock futures held steady in early premarket trading after a sharp tech-led decline earlier in the week, giving investors a moment to reassess the sector’s rapid pullback. Major index futures hovered near flat, suggesting a more measured tone after days of volatility. While sentiment remains cautious, some traders appear to be stepping back in following the recent selloff in high‑growth names. Amazon shares slipped in premarket action after the company signaled a significant increase in capital expenditures tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure. The planned investment highlights Amazon’s push to expand its AI capabilities, but the scale of spending raised concerns about near‑term pressure on margins. Market attention now turns to upcoming economic data and corporate earnings, which could help determine whether tech stocks regain momentum or continue to face headwinds. For the moment, futures point to a steadier start as investors look for the next catalyst.

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Global Technology Outage Causes Major Disruptions Worldwide

 


A widespread technology outage on July 19, 2024, has caused significant disruptions across various sectors globally. The outage, primarily affecting Microsoft services, grounded flights, knocked banks and hospital systems offline, and took media outlets off the air.

The issue, which was not a result of a cyberattack, stemmed from a faulty update deployed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This update affected computers running Microsoft Windows, leading to cascading problems in airline communications, banking systems, and media broadcasting.

Airlines in the U.S., Europe, and Asia experienced severe delays as they lost access to check-in and booking services. Banks in South Africa and New Zealand reported outages in their payment systems, while hospitals and doctor’s offices faced challenges with appointment systems. Media outlets in Australia were pushed off air for hours.

Microsoft has been working to reroute impacted traffic to alternate systems to alleviate the issue and has observed a positive trend in service availability. However, the disruptions have highlighted the global dependence on a few key technology providers and the potential vulnerabilities in such a centralized system.

This incident underscores the critical need for robust contingency plans and diversified technology solutions to mitigate the impact of such widespread outages in the future.


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