Company Interview / the open: ASX poised to rise, change of guard at Macquarie Group💼

Australian stocks are poised to rise today, with ASX futures up 72 points or 0.8% despite US stocks wavering on Wednesday as investors awaited results from Alphabet, Google’s parent, and Tesla which came through after the closing bell. The Nasdaq led Wall Street lower, while the S&P 500 fell slightly and the Dow Jones Index ended virtually unchanged. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ended up 0.4%, recovering from early losses for its third straight session of gains.Alphabet shares were down over 3% in extended trading after the search giant hiked its capital spending guidance for 2026 by $15 billion. Tesla missed analysts' profit forecasts for the second quarter and, for the first time in more than two years, reported negative free cash flow.  Super Micro Computer rallied 19.8%, after reporting more than $60 billion in new orders in the fourth quarter. IBM edged higher after it confirmed a cut in its full-year sales outlook that hammered the stock earlier this month.   And Paramount Skydance gained European Union antitrust approval for its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. The conflict in the Middle East continued to dominate sentiment as US President Trump vowed to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.Oil prices settled at their highest since June 11 on mounting supply concerns. The World Bank Chief Economist has warned escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran could reignite inflation, drive interest rates higher and knock global growth back to as low as 1.3%, down from 2.9% last year. Ahead today, June jobs data takes centre stage. Quarterly updates are due from Fortescue Metals Group, Karoon Energy, Santos and Sandfire Resources. Macquarie Group holds its AGM.