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09-11-26

NYSE:ORCLFollow

Oracle Stock Jumps 6% Premarket as AI Cloud Infrastructure Revenue More Than Doubles

Oracle shares rose 6% in premarket trading Friday after the company reported strong fiscal first-quarter results, driven by triple-digit growth in its cloud infrastructure business and rapidly expanding demand for AI computing capacity.

Fiscal Q1 revenue jumped 30% year-over-year to a record $19.3 billion. Total cloud revenue surged 62% to $11.6 billion, led by a 121% increase in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure revenue to $7.4 billion. Cloud applications revenue rose 10% to $4.2 billion. Non-GAAP EPS increased 30% to $1.92, while non-GAAP operating income climbed 31% to $8.2 billion.

AI demand was a major highlight. Oracle booked more than $30 billion of additional AI cloud contracts during the quarter, pushing remaining performance obligations to $664 billion, up $209 billion from a year earlier. The company also delivered more than 300,000 GPUs to AI cloud customers since the end of Q4, nearly tripling the capacity delivered in the previous quarter.

Oracle expects Q2 revenue growth of 30% to 34%, with cloud revenue projected to rise 65% to 71% in U.S. dollars. For fiscal 2027, the company now expects at least $90 billion in revenue and non-GAAP EPS of $8.10.

The results reinforce Oracle’s increasingly important position in AI infrastructure, although the expansion remains capital intensive. Free cash flow was negative $5 billion in Q1 as the company continued investing heavily in additional cloud capacity.

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European Investor 09-11-26

Oracle Stock Gains 2.7% as Morgan Stanley and RBC Reiterate Positive Ratings

Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) shares rose about 2.7% as analysts at Morgan Stanley and RBC Capital Markets reiterated positive ratings on the enterprise software and cloud computing company.

Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss maintained a Positive rating on Oracle with a $210 price target, implying roughly 33% upside from the stock’s indicated price of $158.28.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Rishi Jaluria reiterated a Sector Perform rating with a $190 price target, representing approximately 20% upside.

AI and Cloud Position Support Oracle Sentiment

The ratings come as Oracle strengthens its position in the cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence markets. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure has become an increasingly important competitor in AI computing, benefiting from demand for high-performance infrastructure needed to train and deploy large AI models.

Oracle also combines its cloud infrastructure with a large installed base across databases and enterprise software, giving the company opportunities to capture AI-related spending from existing corporate customers.

The 2.7% gain suggests positive sentiment around Oracle, with both analysts maintaining constructive price targets even as their ratings reflect different levels of conviction.

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Global Finance News 09-04-26

Oracle Stock Falls 3.7% After TD Cowen Cuts Price Target to $240

Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) shares fell about 3.7% Tuesday after TD Cowen lowered its price target on the enterprise software and cloud computing company.

TD Cowen analyst Derrick Wood reduced his Oracle price target to $240 from $300 while maintaining a Buy rating. The revised target still represents substantial upside from the current stock price of $143.64.

Oracle has become increasingly tied to the AI infrastructure investment cycle through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, where demand for computing capacity has been supported by generative AI workloads and large-scale data center projects. The company competes with major cloud providers including Amazon, Microsoft and Google while partnering with AI companies to expand its infrastructure business.

The large reduction in TD Cowen’s target may have contributed to Tuesday’s selling pressure, although the continued Buy rating indicates the analyst remains constructive on Oracle’s longer-term prospects.

Oracle’s decline also comes amid broader weakness in technology stocks, with the Nasdaq down around 1% as elevated U.S. Treasury yields pressure growth-stock valuations. The combination of a lower analyst target and a difficult market backdrop appears to be weighing on ORCL shares.

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WS Investor 09-01-26

Oracle Slides 12% Despite Broad Wall Street Support as Analysts Trim Targets After Earnings

Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) shares fell roughly 12% on Thursday following its earnings report, even as most Wall Street firms maintained bullish ratings and continued to view the company as a major beneficiary of the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom.

The sharp decline appears to be driven less by analyst sentiment and more by investor disappointment relative to elevated expectations after Oracle's strong rally since February. However, today's analyst reactions suggest that Wall Street remains largely constructive on the company's long-term outlook.

Wedbush's Daniel Ives lowered his price target from $275 to $240 while maintaining an Outperform rating, reflecting a more conservative valuation despite continued confidence in Oracle's AI and cloud growth strategy. Scotiabank also reduced its target from $290 to $241 but kept its Sector Outperform rating.

Importantly, the target reductions were not accompanied by rating downgrades. Several major firms reiterated bullish views, including Wolfe Research (Outperform), Citigroup (Market Outperform), and Scotiabank (Sector Outperform). Sanford C. Bernstein established a notably optimistic $325 price target, implying substantial upside from current levels.

The analyst responses suggest that while expectations have been reset following the earnings release, Wall Street still sees Oracle as one of the key infrastructure providers benefiting from the massive wave of AI-related spending. Investors remain focused on the company's cloud business, AI training workloads, and expanding data center footprint, which have become major drivers of future growth expectations.

The stock's decline therefore appears to reflect a valuation adjustment rather than a fundamental shift in analyst opinion. With most firms maintaining positive ratings and price targets that remain well above current trading levels, today's selloff highlights the market's tendency to punish even strong companies when results fail to exceed increasingly ambitious expectations.

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European Investor 06-11-26

Oracle Falls 5% After Earnings as AI Spending Surge and Cloud Growth Questions Weigh on Shares

Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) shares fell 6% in after-hours trading despite reporting record quarterly and full-year results, as investors focused on both the massive capital requirements of its AI expansion and signs that some areas of cloud growth may not be keeping pace with lofty expectations.

The company reported record fourth-quarter revenue of $19.2 billion, up 21% year-over-year, while total cloud revenue rose 47% to $9.9 billion. Cloud Infrastructure (IaaS) remained the standout performer, surging 93% to $5.8 billion as demand for AI computing capacity continued to explode.

However, investors appeared less enthusiastic about Oracle's Cloud Applications (SaaS) business, which grew just 10% to $4.1 billion. While respectable by most software industry standards, that growth rate was far slower than the company's infrastructure business and may have disappointed investors hoping for broader acceleration across Oracle's cloud portfolio.

Software revenue also declined 2% during the quarter, reflecting the ongoing migration from on-premise products to cloud offerings. The contrast between hypergrowth in AI infrastructure and more modest growth in applications likely contributed to concerns that Oracle's cloud momentum remains heavily dependent on AI-related infrastructure demand.

The company also unveiled a staggering $638 billion Remaining Performance Obligation (RPO) backlog, up 363% year-over-year, and reaffirmed its goal of reaching $90 billion in revenue during fiscal 2027. First-quarter guidance was strong, with total revenue expected to grow between 27% and 29%.

Despite those positives, investors focused on the enormous spending required to support Oracle's AI ambitions. The company disclosed that it raised $43 billion in debt and $5 billion in equity during fiscal 2026 and expects to raise approximately another $40 billion in fiscal 2027. Oracle also reported negative free cash flow of $23.7 billion as it aggressively builds AI data center capacity.

The market reaction suggests investors are becoming more selective about AI stories. While Oracle's infrastructure growth and AI demand remain exceptionally strong, concerns about capital intensity, future dilution, and slower growth in its SaaS business appear to have overshadowed otherwise record-breaking results.

In short, Oracle delivered impressive headline numbers, but investors were looking for stronger cloud applications growth and may be questioning whether the enormous investment required to capture the AI opportunity will generate sufficient returns in the years ahead.

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WS Investor 06-10-26

Oracle Slips Despite Major Price Target Increase from Bank of America

Oracle (ORCL) shares fell 1.24% despite receiving a significant vote of confidence from Bank of America, which raised its price target to $240 from $200 while maintaining a Buy rating.

The target increase reflects growing optimism surrounding Oracle's position in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure markets. Investors and analysts have increasingly focused on Oracle's ability to secure large cloud contracts and benefit from surging demand for AI computing capacity, an area that has become one of the company's most important growth drivers.

Despite the bullish analyst action, the stock traded lower as investors appeared to take profits following Oracle's strong recent performance. Shares have rallied significantly over the past year as the company emerged as one of the major beneficiaries of AI-related infrastructure spending.

Bank of America's higher target suggests confidence that Oracle can continue gaining market share in cloud services while leveraging its extensive enterprise customer base. The firm is also expected to benefit from increasing demand for database services, cloud applications, and AI training workloads hosted on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

The modest decline in the stock price appears more related to short-term market dynamics than to any deterioration in Oracle's fundamental outlook. In fact, today's analyst update points in the opposite direction, highlighting expectations for continued revenue growth and expanding opportunities tied to the global AI investment cycle.

With the new $240 target implying meaningful upside from current levels, Wall Street's focus remains on Oracle's ability to convert strong cloud demand into sustained revenue growth and margin expansion over the coming years.

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Global Finance News 06-09-26

Oracle Drops 9% in Tech Rout Despite Continued Wall Street Optimism

Oracle shares plunged nearly 10% on Friday, closing at $213.41 as investors aggressively sold technology stocks following stronger-than-expected U.S. employment data and rising Treasury yields. The decline came despite a series of bullish analyst updates that underscore Wall Street's confidence in Oracle's long-term AI and cloud computing opportunities.

Several firms reaffirmed positive views on the company during the week. Guggenheim analyst John DiFucci maintained a Buy rating, while BTIG Research also reiterated its Buy recommendation with a notably bullish $400 price target. Meanwhile, Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target from $229 to $284 and maintained an Overweight rating, signaling growing confidence in Oracle's growth trajectory.

The contrast between Friday's sharp decline and the optimistic analyst commentary highlights the market's current focus on macroeconomic factors rather than company-specific fundamentals. Higher interest rates tend to weigh on technology valuations, particularly among companies expected to generate a significant portion of their growth in future years.

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The Investor 06-06-26

Oracle Extends Rally as Citigroup Reiterates Buy Rating

Oracle (ORCL) shares gained about 1.9% today after Citigroup reiterated its Buy rating, adding to growing optimism surrounding the software giant's position in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure market.

The analyst reaffirmation comes as Oracle continues to attract investor attention for its cloud business and increasing role in supporting AI workloads. The company has emerged as one of the key beneficiaries of surging demand for data center capacity, cloud computing resources, and AI training infrastructure.

Oracle's cloud division has been growing at a strong pace, supported by enterprise customers seeking alternatives to larger cloud providers and by AI companies requiring large-scale computing power. Investors have become increasingly optimistic that Oracle's cloud infrastructure business could deliver sustained growth as artificial intelligence adoption accelerates across industries.

Citigroup's decision to maintain a Buy rating suggests continued confidence in Oracle's ability to capitalize on these trends. Analysts remain encouraged by the company's expanding cloud footprint, strong backlog of future business, and strategic positioning within the AI ecosystem.

With shares already among the stronger performers in the technology sector this year, today's gain reflects ongoing investor belief that Oracle remains well positioned to benefit from the multi-year wave of AI and cloud infrastructure spending. The latest analyst endorsement reinforces Wall Street's increasingly positive view of the company's long-term growth prospects.

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WS Investor 06-04-26

Oracle reported strong fiscal third-quarter 2026 results, with revenue rising 22% year over year to $17.2 billion and cloud revenue increasing 44% to $8.9 billion. The company’s cloud infrastructure (IaaS) segment grew 84% to $4.9 billion, driven by demand for AI computing, while cloud applications (SaaS) revenue reached $4.0 billion.

GAAP net income totaled $3.7 billion and earnings per share rose 24% to $1.27, while non-GAAP EPS increased 21% to $1.79. Remaining performance obligations surged 325% year over year to $553 billion, largely reflecting major AI-related cloud contracts.

Oracle said demand for AI cloud capacity continues to outpace supply and expects strong growth to continue, guiding fourth-quarter revenue growth of about 19%–21% and non-GAAP EPS of roughly $1.96–$2.00.

PRNewswire

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The Investor 03-11-26

Oracle Corporation announced plans to raise $45–$50 billion in gross proceeds during calendar year 2026 to fund the expansion of its rapidly growing Oracle Cloud Infrastructure business, as it builds capacity to meet rising demand from major customers including AMD, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI, TikTok, and xAI.

Oracle said it will use a balanced mix of equity and debt financing to maintain an investment-grade balance sheet. Roughly half of the funding will come from equity, including mandatory convertible preferred securities and a newly authorized at-the-market equity program of up to $20 billion, while the remaining portion will be financed through a single issuance of investment-grade senior unsecured bonds early in 2026.

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Global Finance News 02-02-26

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U.S. Consumer Sentiment Drops as Inflation Expectations Jump to 4.6%

U.S. consumer sentiment deteriorated sharply in September while near-term inflation expectations climbed, adding to concerns about the outlook for household spending and price pressures.

The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 47.8 from 51.7, well below the 51.0 forecast. Consumer expectations weakened even more, dropping to 45.8 from 51.5 and missing expectations of 50.5.

At the same time, one-year inflation expectations jumped to 4.6% from 4.0%, significantly above the 4.2% forecast. The increase comes as elevated oil prices and broader inflation concerns remain in focus.

The data presents a difficult combination for the Federal Reserve: weakening consumer confidence alongside rising inflation expectations. It follows August CPI data showing headline inflation at 3.4% year-over-year and could complicate the Fed’s policy decision next week.

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Global Finance News 09-11-26

U.S. Stock Futures Jump After CPI Data as Oracle Rally and Oil Pullback Lift Sentiment

U.S. stock futures moved sharply higher Friday after August inflation data came broadly in line with expectations, while a pullback in oil prices and strong Oracle earnings helped improve sentiment. S&P 500 futures rose 0.92%, Dow futures gained 0.94%, and Nasdaq futures advanced 1.06%.

Headline CPI increased 0.4% month-over-month in August, matching expectations but accelerating from 0.1% in July. Annual inflation held at 3.4%. Core CPI rose 0.3% on the month, slightly above the 0.2% forecast, while the annual core rate eased to 2.4% from 2.5%. The mixed report leaves inflation concerns alive ahead of next week’s Federal Reserve meeting, particularly after Thursday’s hotter producer-price data.

Energy markets provided some relief. Brent crude fell about 3% to around $104 a barrel after briefly approaching $110, although it remains up strongly for the week. Reports of diplomatic efforts to establish temporary shipping arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz helped cool prices. However, geopolitical risks remain elevated as the U.S.-Iran conflict and attacks on regional shipping continue to restrict oil flows.

Technology stocks were also supported by Oracle, which jumped about 6% in premarket trading after reporting a 30% increase in Q1 revenue to $19.3 billion. Cloud infrastructure revenue surged 121% to $7.4 billion, while remaining performance obligations reached $664 billion amid strong AI demand.

Despite the equity rebound, bond yields remain a key risk. The 10-year Treasury yield is hovering near 4.94%, leaving markets sensitive to inflation, oil prices and changing expectations for the Fed’s September decision.

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WS Investor 09-11-26

Trump promises Americans $5,000. On our numbers, an 85% chance you never see it. | Noah Intelligence

Congress has to pass it, somebody has to find $1.35 trillion, and no bill exists. Three scenarios put abandonment or dilution at 85%, leaving a 15% chance the $5,000 as promised reaches anyone at all.

(noah-news.com)

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WS News 09-11-26

U.S. Jobless Claims Remain Stable as Housing Sales Fall and GDPNow Estimate Eases

U.S. economic data released Thursday painted a mixed picture, with the labor market remaining relatively resilient while housing activity weakened and the Atlanta Fed lowered its estimate for third-quarter economic growth.

Initial jobless claims came in at 206,000, slightly above the 205,000 forecast but down from 207,000 previously. Continuing claims declined to 1.774 million from 1.775 million, also coming in below expectations of 1.780 million. The figures suggest layoffs remain contained despite tighter financial conditions.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow estimate for third-quarter growth was lowered to 4.4% from 4.7%, pointing to some moderation in the pace of economic expansion.

Housing data showed clearer weakness. Existing home sales fell 2.0% month over month in August to an annualized 3.98 million units, matching expectations but declining from 4.06 million in July.

Overall, the data showed an economy that remains relatively firm but is losing some momentum. For the Federal Reserve, resilient jobless claims combined with elevated inflation and surging energy prices could complicate the case for monetary easing, even as softer housing activity and the lower GDPNow estimate point to emerging growth risks.

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The Investor 09-10-26

U.S. Stocks Fall as Hot PPI, Surging Oil and Treasury Yields Pressure Markets

U.S. stocks traded lower Thursday as stronger producer inflation, surging oil prices and rising Treasury yields renewed concerns over the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.82% to 26,038.95, while the S&P 500 declined 0.52% to 7,596.27 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.24% to 52,256.80.

August producer prices rose 0.4% month over month, matching expectations but accelerating from July. Annual PPI climbed 5.4%, above the 5.3% forecast and up from 4.8%. Core PPI provided some relief, increasing 0.2% month over month versus the 0.3% expected.

Oil extended its surge Thursday, with Brent crude futures jumping 3.5% to $104.75 a barrel. Supply concerns intensified after Saudi Arabia’s August production reportedly plunged 23% to about 6.2 million barrels per day, its lowest level since 1990, as regional conflict disrupted export routes (Financial Times).

Bond markets reacted sharply to the combination of inflation and energy concerns. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.922%, up roughly 8 basis points on the session. Higher yields weighed particularly heavily on technology and other growth stocks, helping explain the Nasdaq’s underperformance.

With Brent now above $104 and producer inflation accelerating, investors face the risk that the energy shock could keep inflation elevated for longer. Attention now turns to Friday’s U.S. CPI report, which could play a decisive role in expectations for next week’s Federal Reserve decision.

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WS News 09-10-26

U.S. Consumer Sentiment Improves in September, While Confidence Weakens in Canada and Mexico

Consumer sentiment across North America diverged in September, according to the latest Thomson Reuters/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index readings.

In the United States, the PCSI rose to 50.45 from 49.38 in August, indicating an improvement in household sentiment after the previous month’s decline. The index measures consumers’ views on economic conditions, personal finances, purchasing comfort, job security and expectations.

Canada moved in the opposite direction, with the index falling to 47.35 from 48.19. Canadian households have remained cautious amid affordability pressures, trade uncertainty and concerns about inflation and the broader economic outlook.

Mexico’s PCSI also weakened, declining to 50.84 from 52.77 in August.

The September figures therefore point to improving consumer confidence in the U.S., while sentiment deteriorated in both Canada and Mexico.

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WS Investor 09-09-26

U.S. Stocks Open Lower as Oil Tops $100 and Inflation Concerns Persist

U.S. stocks opened lower Wednesday, extending the previous session’s losses as sharply higher oil prices fueled concerns over inflation and the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.55% to 52,497.96, while the S&P 500 declined 0.32% to 7,648.70. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.34% to 26,331.54.

Higher oil prices were a key source of pressure. Brent crude climbed above $100 per barrel for the first time since July as escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and attacks on tankers and energy infrastructure increased concerns about prolonged Middle East supply disruptions. Brent was recently up about 2.8% at $100.66, while WTI gained roughly 3% to $95.77.

The oil rally is adding to inflation concerns ahead of key U.S. inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting next week. Higher energy costs could keep price pressures elevated and complicate the Fed’s interest-rate decision.

Meanwhile, the latest weekly ADP employment estimate showed private payrolls increasing by 12,000, up from the previous week’s 10,000 gain. The modest increase points to continued but relatively subdued hiring momentum.

With oil prices rising and bond yields remaining elevated, investors are increasingly focused on whether renewed energy-driven inflation will force the Fed to maintain a tighter monetary-policy stance.

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WS Investor 09-09-26

U.S. Consumer Inflation Expectations Hold at 3.6% in August

U.S. consumers’ short-term inflation expectations remained unchanged in August, according to the latest New York Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Expectations.

Median inflation expectations one year ahead held at 3.6%, unchanged from July. The stable one-year reading comes as inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target and oil prices have risen sharply amid the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict.

Attention now turns to Friday’s U.S. CPI report, which could play a decisive role in the Fed’s September 15–16 interest-rate decision.

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The Investor 09-08-26

U.S. Stocks Fall as Rising Oil Prices and Fed Rate-Hike Fears Pressure Wall Street

U.S. stocks opened lower Tuesday as surging oil prices fueled renewed inflation concerns, while investors assessed escalating tensions in the Middle East and the possibility of another Federal Reserve rate hike.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 1.2% in morning trading, while the S&P 500 declined 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite lost roughly 0.5%.

Rising energy prices were a major source of pressure. Brent crude climbed toward the psychologically important $100-per-barrel level as the U.S.-Iran conflict escalated and concerns grew about further disruptions to Middle Eastern oil supplies.

Higher crude prices present a broader problem for equities because sustained increases in energy costs could feed into inflation and make it more difficult for the Fed to ease monetary policy. The concern has intensified following Friday’s stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report, which pushed expectations toward tighter monetary policy.

Treasury yields also remained elevated, adding pressure to equity valuations, particularly in rate-sensitive growth and technology stocks.

Investors are now turning their attention to this week’s U.S. inflation reports. Hotter-than-expected inflation, particularly with oil prices approaching $100, could strengthen expectations for a September Fed rate hike and add further pressure to Wall Street.

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The Investor 09-08-26

U.S. Oil Rig Count Rises to 449 as Total Drilling Activity Holds Steady

The number of active U.S. oil rigs increased in the latest Baker Hughes survey, while overall drilling activity remained unchanged.

The U.S. oil rig count rose to 449 from 447 in the previous week, an increase of two rigs. Meanwhile, the total U.S. rig count held steady at 588.

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European Investor 09-05-26

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Brent Crude Falls 3% as Diplomatic Hopes Trigger Pullback From Near $110

Brent crude futures fell sharply on Friday, retreating 3.02% to $104.38 a barrel after briefly approaching $110 earlier in the session. The decline follows Thursday’s 6.3% surge, when Brent settled at $107.63 amid escalating attacks on shipping in the Middle East.

The pullback came as traders reacted to reports that Gulf ministers are expected to meet Iran next week in an effort to secure temporary access through the Strait of Hormuz. Any improvement in shipping conditions could ease some of the supply-risk premium that has rapidly built into crude prices. (Financial Times)

Still, supply risks remain elevated. Traffic through Hormuz continues to be constrained, while the Iran-aligned Houthis’ seizure of Yemen’s Mocha port has increased concerns over another critical shipping route near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Despite Friday’s decline, Brent remains on track for a weekly gain of roughly 10% and is set to finish the week above $100 for the first time since mid-May, underscoring how strongly the prolonged Middle East conflict continues to influence global energy markets.

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European Investor 09-11-26

Brent Crude Surges Above $105 as Middle East Supply Crisis Deepens

Brent crude oil extended its powerful rally Thursday, climbing 4.28% to $105.54 a barrel as escalating Middle East tensions and severe supply disruptions intensified concerns over global oil availability. Brent has now gained more than 10% over the past five sessions.

A sharp deterioration in Saudi Arabian supply has become a major catalyst. Saudi crude production reportedly fell to around 6.2 million barrels per day in August, down roughly 23% and reaching levels last seen in the 1990s, as regional conflict disrupted exports and shipping routes (Financial Times).

The broader supply picture is also tightening. Flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain severely constrained amid the U.S.-Iran conflict. The disruptions have increased concerns that available supply may struggle to compensate for lost Gulf barrels.

The oil rally is also spilling into global financial markets. U.S. producer inflation accelerated to 5.4% year over year in August, while the 10-year Treasury yield climbed to around 4.92% as investors assessed the risk that higher energy costs could prolong inflation and force the Federal Reserve to maintain tighter monetary policy.

With Brent now firmly above $100, markets are closely watching developments around Hormuz and Saudi production. Further supply disruptions could keep upward pressure on crude prices and reinforce inflation concerns across the global economy.

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The Investor 09-10-26

Brent Crude Touches $100 as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Supply Risks Mount

Brent crude oil futures climbed to the $100-per-barrel threshold on Wednesday as escalating conflict involving the U.S., Iran and regional allies intensified concerns over Middle Eastern oil supplies.

Brent was trading at $99.97, up $2.05, or 2.09%, after briefly rising above $100 earlier in the session. Reuters reported an intraday high of $100.19, marking the benchmark’s first move above $100 since July 24.

The latest rally follows a sharp escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict. U.S. forces said they destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday, while Iran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at a U.S.-used base in Jordan and attacking vessels attempting to cross an area of the Strait of Hormuz that Tehran has declared unsafe. (Reuters)

Supply concerns have also increased after Iran-backed Houthis attacked Saudi cities and energy facilities, causing fires and temporarily halting operations at some sites.

Shipping data underline the pressure on regional energy flows. Only six commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, compared with a 10-day average of about 12, according to preliminary Kpler data cited by Reuters.

Brent has now risen roughly 25% since early August as hopes for a lasting resolution to the conflict have faded. A sustained move above $100 would increase inflation concerns globally and could further complicate the outlook for interest rates ahead of upcoming U.S. inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s September meeting.

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European Investor 09-09-26

Brent Nears $100 as U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate, While Gold Falls on Rate-Hike Fears

Brent crude surged toward the psychologically important $100-per-barrel level on Tuesday as the U.S.-Iran conflict intensified, while gold moved sharply lower as rising oil prices reinforced inflation concerns and expectations for tighter Federal Reserve policy.

Brent futures climbed 2.51% to $98.70 per barrel, reaching an intraday high above $99. The rally comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted. Geopolitical tensions have continued to deteriorate. Iran has threatened retaliation for further U.S. attacks and warned that energy infrastructure across the Gulf could be targeted. Tehran is also preparing a new restricted maritime zone around the Gulf and Hormuz area. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi forces attacked Saudi energy facilities on Tuesday, further expanding concerns about regional energy infrastructure. (Reuters)

Gold, however, has not benefited from the escalating geopolitical risk. December futures fell *0.83% to $4,439.50*, extending their retreat after Friday’s strong U.S. employment report.

The key connection is oil. Higher crude prices increase the risk that energy costs will reignite inflation, potentially forcing the Fed to maintain tighter monetary policy. Markets are currently pricing roughly a 60% probability of a Fed rate hike. Higher expected rates raise the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold.

The U.S.-Iran conflict is therefore producing an unusual divergence: Brent is benefiting directly from fears of physical supply disruption, while gold’s traditional safe-haven support is being overwhelmed by the inflation and interest-rate implications of the oil surge. U.S. inflation data later this week will be crucial for determining whether that divergence continues.

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Global Finance News 09-08-26

Brent Oil Holds Near $97 as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates

Brent crude oil traded higher on Monday as escalating military exchanges between the United States and Iran intensified concerns about prolonged disruptions to Middle Eastern oil supplies.

Brent was trading around $96.75 per barrel, up 0.49%. The latest escalation came over the weekend. U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships. Iran subsequently said it targeted three tankers using unauthorized routes through the Strait of Hormuz as well as additional U.S. vessels. (Reuters)

The Strait of Hormuz remains the central risk for crude prices. Tanker traffic through the waterway has fallen to its lowest level since May, while Iran said Monday that it plans to establish a new restricted shipping zone in the Gulf. (Reuters)

Supply concerns are therefore keeping a substantial geopolitical premium embedded in Brent. Further attacks on tankers or a deeper disruption to Hormuz traffic could push oil toward the psychologically important *$100-per-barrel level*, while any meaningful de-escalation between Washington and Tehran could quickly remove part of that risk premium.

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European Investor 09-07-26

Iran Says It Targeted Oil Tankers in Response to US Strikes

Iran said it targeted three oil tankers using an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as a number of US-linked ships, in retaliation for American attacks on Iranian tankers over the weekend.

(finance.yahoo.com)

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WS News 09-06-26

Brent Crude Jumps 7.8% for the Week as U.S.-Iran Conflict Revives Supply Fears

Brent crude posted a strong weekly gain as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran brought Middle East supply risks back to the forefront.

December Brent futures finished Friday at $96.28 a barrel, up 0.8% on the session and roughly 7.8% over the five-day period. The rally accelerated early in the week after renewed U.S.-Iran strikes raised fears of further disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

For the coming week, *Hormuz remains the key catalyst*. Further escalation between the U.S. and Iran could push Brent toward the psychologically important $100 level, while improved tanker flows or signs of de-escalation could quickly remove part of the geopolitical premium.

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WS Investor 09-05-26

U.S. Oil Rig Count Rises to 449 as Total Drilling Activity Holds Steady

The number of active U.S. oil rigs increased in the latest Baker Hughes survey, while overall drilling activity remained unchanged.

The U.S. oil rig count rose to 449 from 447 in the previous week, an increase of two rigs. Meanwhile, the total U.S. rig count held steady at 588.

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European Investor 09-05-26

Gold and Brent Oil Edge Lower as Markets Weigh Fed Outlook and U.S.-Iran Conflict

Gold and Brent crude futures edged lower Friday, although both remain supported by shifting Federal Reserve expectations and escalating U.S.-Iran tensions.

December gold futures slipped 0.26% to $4,528 per ounce, while Brent crude fell 0.47% to $95.07 per barrel. Despite the pullback, both commodities remain on track for weekly gains.

Gold Holds Above $4,500

Gold jumped more than 2% Thursday after Fed Governor Christopher Waller indicated he would support keeping rates unchanged in September if inflation continues to cool. His comments reduced rate-hike expectations and pushed U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar lower.

The move partially reversed pressure following Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s hawkish Jackson Hole speech, which had driven Treasury yields higher and weighed on bullion.

Attention now turns to Friday’s U.S. jobs report. Economists expect payrolls to rise by around 56,000 in August after falling by 23,000 in July. A weaker report could further reduce expectations for a Fed hike and support gold.

Brent Near $95 on U.S.-Iran Supply Risks

Brent remains elevated following renewed U.S. attacks on Iran and retaliatory hostilities, which have increased concerns about oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Shipping activity through the critical waterway remains heavily disrupted, while Iranian crude exports have also fallen sharply. Brent is up roughly 7.6% this week, with WTI gaining around 10.4%.

For gold, the key near-term drivers are U.S. employment data, Treasury yields and Fed expectations. For oil, attention remains firmly on the U.S.-Iran conflict and whether disruptions to Gulf exports intensify or begin to ease.

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WS Investor 09-04-26

Brent Crude Rises Toward $97 as U.S.-Iran Attacks and Trump Warnings Keep Supply Risks Elevated

Brent crude oil futures climbed 0.87% to $96.46 a barrel Thursday, extending a sharp recent advance as escalating U.S.-Iran hostilities and continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz kept geopolitical risk firmly embedded in energy prices.

Oil initially traded below $95 before reversing sharply and briefly moving above $97 during the session. The rebound comes as the conflict continues to generate direct risks to Gulf energy infrastructure and shipping. Iran said it launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates early Thursday, adding another round of escalation to the recent U.S. attacks on Iran. (rferl*org)

President Donald Trump’s recent speeches and public warnings toward Iran have also reinforced the geopolitical risk premium. Trump has alternated between signaling willingness to negotiate and warning of further military action if Tehran does not meet U.S. demands, leaving traders reluctant to price in a durable de-escalation. The latest attacks show that the conflict remains capable of intensifying quickly.

The oil rally is also feeding directly into the broader U.S. inflation debate. Thursday’s ISM services prices index rose to 72.6 from 70.3, already signaling elevated cost pressures. Crude near $100 could further lift transportation and energy costs, complicating the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook even as labor-market indicators soften.

For Brent, the immediate direction is therefore likely to remain closely tied to developments around Iran and Hormuz. A further deterioration in shipping conditions or additional U.S. and Iranian attacks could push the geopolitical premium higher, while credible progress toward a ceasefire or restoration of normal tanker traffic would remove one of the strongest supports behind the recent oil rally.

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European Investor 09-03-26

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US BondsFollow

U.S. 10-Year Treasury Yield Nears 5% as Inflation and Oil Keep Bond Markets Under Pressure

U.S. Treasury yields remained near multi-year highs Friday, with the benchmark 10-year yield trading around 4.94%, just below the psychologically important 5% level. The yield briefly reached about 4.97% earlier as a global bond selloff continued.

The sharp rise in yields has been driven by renewed inflation concerns and expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates next week. U.S. producer prices rose 0.4% in August and 5.4% year-over-year, while the surge in oil prices above $100 a barrel has increased concerns that energy costs could keep inflation elevated. Markets are currently pricing roughly a 70% chance of a 25-basis-point Fed hike. (Reuters)

Pressure has also emerged from the supply side of the Treasury market. The government bought back $5.2 billion of longer-dated bonds in its latest operation, below the $6 billion maximum and well below the $10.5 billion offered by investors. Concerns about heavy government borrowing are adding to the premium investors demand for holding longer-term debt. (Reuters)

Attention now turns to Friday’s U.S. CPI report. A hotter-than-expected inflation reading could push the 10-year yield through 5%, while softer inflation could provide some relief to the bond market ahead of the Fed’s September 15–16 meeting.

Graph: cnbc*com

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European Investor 09-11-26

U.S. 10-Year Treasury Yield Surges Above 4.92% as Oil and Inflation Revive Rate-Hike Fears

The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.922% on Thursday, rising about 8 basis points and reaching its highest level since 2023 as escalating Middle East tensions, surging oil prices and persistent U.S. inflation fueled a sharp bond-market selloff.

Geopolitical developments remain a major driver. The U.S.-Iran conflict has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, while attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure have intensified supply concerns.

The resulting oil rally is feeding directly into inflation expectations. Brent crude has climbed above $104 a barrel, while WTI briefly crossed $100 on Thursday. Higher energy costs raise the risk that inflation remains elevated, reducing the likelihood that the Federal Reserve can ease monetary policy and increasing the possibility of another rate hike.

Thursday’s macro data reinforced those concerns. U.S. producer prices rose 0.4% month over month in August, while annual PPI accelerated to 5.4% from 4.8%, slightly exceeding the 5.3% forecast. Traders subsequently raised the probability of at least a 25-basis-point Fed rate hike next week to nearly 70%. (Reuters)

The 10-year yield has now risen sharply from around 4.75% over the past five sessions. With oil prices elevated and Friday’s U.S. CPI report still ahead, the 5% level is increasingly coming into focus as the next major threshold for the Treasury market.

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The Investor 09-10-26

Apple event live updates: First foldable, the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, watches, and more

Apple is hosting its annual fall event at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters.

(finance.yahoo.com)

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WS Investor 09-09-26

U.S. 10-Year Treasury Auction Yield Jumps to 4.834% as Oil Fuels Inflation Concerns

The U.S. Treasury’s 10-year note auction cleared at 4.834% on Wednesday, sharply above the 4.683% yield at the previous auction, reflecting the broader rise in long-term U.S. borrowing costs.

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WS Investor 09-09-26

US Stocks Rise as Treasury Bond-Market Support Eases Yield Pressure

U.S. stocks were mostly higher Wednesday as the Treasury Department’s expanded bond-buyback operations continued to support sentiment by easing pressure in the government debt market.

The S&P 500 was up 0.37% at 7,719.85, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.46% to 53,588.62. The Nasdaq Composite, however, slipped 0.05% to 26,277.81, giving back its earlier gains as technology stocks lagged the broader market.

Treasury Intervention Brings Relief to Bonds and Stocks

The main catalyst supporting risk sentiment was Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s move to bolster liquidity in the Treasury market. The department said it would at least double the maximum size of liquidity-support buybacks for longer-dated Treasury securities, increasing operations from $2 billion to at least $4 billion and targeting the 10- to 30-year portion of the curve.

Bond yields dropped sharply following the announcement. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield fell about 6 basis points to around 4.65%, while the 30-year yield declined roughly 9 basis points to around 5.20%. Treasury prices and yields move inversely.

The action has provided some relief after the recent surge in long-term borrowing costs became a major headwind for equities. The 30-year Treasury yield had climbed to around 5.34% on Tuesday, its highest level in nearly two decades, amid concerns over government borrowing, inflation, the U.S.-Iran conflict and elevated energy prices.

Dow Leads While Nasdaq Loses Momentum

The latest market action shows a divergence beneath the headline indexes. The Dow is now outperforming with a 0.46% gain, while the S&P 500 remains moderately higher. The Nasdaq has reversed its earlier advance and is trading slightly lower.

The reversal suggests that lower Treasury yields have not been enough to sustain the initial rebound in technology stocks. Growth and technology shares remain particularly sensitive to changes in long-term rates because higher yields reduce the present value of expected future earnings.

For the broader market, however, Treasury intervention has eased one of Wall Street’s most immediate concerns and helped stabilize financial conditions.

Investors will continue to monitor the Treasury market, oil prices and developments surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict. The Federal Reserve’s July meeting minutes are also in focus for additional clues about the outlook for monetary policy, inflation and interest rates.

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Global Finance News 08-19-26

U.S. Stocks Fall as Iran Conflict, Rising Oil Prices and Treasury Yields Pressure Markets

U.S. stocks traded lower Tuesday as the continuing U.S.-Iran conflict pushed oil prices higher and intensified concerns about inflation and interest rates, with technology stocks leading the decline.

The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.3% to 26,301, underperforming the broader market. The S&P 500 declined 0.49% to 7,707, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.06% at 53,429.

The risk-off move comes as hopes for a lasting resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict fade. Iran has shifted toward a more offensive military posture after efforts to negotiate a permanent end to the conflict stalled, while Washington declined to extend the temporary ceasefire.

Oil and Bond Yields Add Pressure

Energy markets remain one of the main channels through which the conflict is affecting U.S. equities. Brent crude rose for a third consecutive session Tuesday, trading around $91 per barrel and reaching its highest level in nearly three weeks as continued restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz raised concerns about global oil supplies.

Higher oil prices are feeding concerns that energy costs could keep inflation elevated, complicating the outlook for monetary policy.

Those concerns have spilled into the bond market. The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield climbed as high as 5.327%, its highest level since 2007, while the benchmark 10-year yield was also around 4.73%. The rise in long-term yields reflects a combination of inflation concerns related to the conflict and oil prices, alongside broader worries about U.S. borrowing and debt issuance.

The combination of higher energy prices and rising bond yields is particularly challenging for growth and technology stocks, helping explain the Nasdaq's sharper decline.

Latest U.S. Data Point to Softer Economic Momentum

Tuesday's economic releases added another layer of uncertainty.

U.S. housing starts dropped 12.4% month-over-month in July to an annualized 1.239 million units, well below expectations of 1.340 million and down sharply from 1.415 million previously.

Industrial production increased just 0.2% month-over-month in July, below the 0.3% forecast and previous reading. On a year-over-year basis, production growth slowed to 1.08% from 1.29%.

The labor market offered a somewhat stronger signal. Weekly ADP employment growth came in at 9,500 jobs, up from 8,300 previously.

Taken together, the data point to uneven economic momentum: employment continues to expand, but housing activity weakened sharply and industrial production grew more slowly than expected.

For Wall Street, however, geopolitics remains the dominant driver Tuesday. As long as the U.S.-Iran conflict keeps Brent crude elevated and pushes longer-term Treasury yields higher, pressure on equity valuations — particularly in the technology sector — is likely to remain a central market risk.

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The Investor 08-18-26

Inflation is increasingly in focus for the US bond market and the Fed, says Mike Mitchell, head of US Treasury and Inflation Trading at Goldman Sachs.

(goldmansachs.com)

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European Investor 08-15-26

U.S. 6-Month Treasury Bill Yield Falls to 3.830%

The U.S. Treasury's latest six-month bill auction produced a yield of 3.830%, down slightly from 3.855% at the previous auction.

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WS Investor 08-10-26

U.S. Treasury Auction Yields Rise Ahead of Fed Decision as Investors Demand Higher Returns

U.S. Treasury yields moved higher on Monday after the Treasury’s latest debt auctions cleared at higher yields than the previous sales, reflecting investor caution ahead of this week’s Federal Reserve meeting and a busy slate of economic data.

The U.S. Treasury’s $69 billion 2-year note auction stopped at a high yield of 4.315%, up from 4.189% at the previous auction. Later in the day, the $70 billion 5-year note auction also cleared at a higher yield of 4.408%, compared with 4.200% previously.

The higher stop-out yields suggest investors demanded greater compensation to hold U.S. government debt, a sign that bond markets remain cautious about the outlook for interest rates and inflation. Treasury auctions are closely watched because they provide insight into investor demand for government securities and can influence borrowing costs across financial markets.

The auctions came just hours after softer-than-expected U.S. durable goods orders data, which pointed to moderating business investment but did little to change expectations that the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates unchanged at this week’s policy meeting.

Higher Treasury yields can weigh on equity valuations, particularly in growth sectors such as technology, by increasing discount rates used to value future earnings.

With the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement, key inflation data, and earnings from several mega-cap technology companies all due later this week, investors are likely to remain focused on the bond market for further signals about the direction of monetary policy and the broader U.S. economy.

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WS News 07-28-26

The U.S. Treasury's latest 10-year note auction attracted solid investor demand, with the high yield settling at 4.538%, modestly above the previous auction's 4.468% level.

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WS Investor 06-10-26

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NASDAQ:NVDAFollow

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NVIDIA Says Its AI Platform Is Powering the Global Robotaxi Expansion

NVIDIA is expanding its role in autonomous transportation as robotaxi developers, mobility platforms and automakers increasingly adopt the company’s computing technologies to train, simulate and operate driverless vehicles. NVIDIA says every major robotaxi program currently operating at commercial scale uses at least part of its modular technology stack.

The platform combines three major computing layers: NVIDIA DGX systems for AI model training, Omniverse and Cosmos running on RTX PRO servers for simulation and validation, and DRIVE Hyperion with DRIVE AGX Thor for in-vehicle computing. DRIVE Hyperion 10 uses dual Blackwell-based DRIVE AGX Thor chips alongside cameras, radar, lidar and ultrasonic sensors to provide 360-degree perception and redundant computing.

NVIDIA’s ecosystem now spans many of the biggest names in autonomous mobility. Uber plans to scale NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion-based robotaxis to 28 cities by 2028 and is working with companies including Lucid, Mercedes-Benz, Nuro, Pony*ai, Wayve and WeRide. Lyft, Bolt, May Mobility and Waymo are also using or working with NVIDIA technologies.

Automakers including Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Hyundai, Kia, Geely and Zeekr are also integrating NVIDIA technology into autonomous-driving programs, while Tesla uses NVIDIA supercomputers to train its autonomous-driving neural networks.

The expansion positions NVIDIA to capture computing demand beyond data centers as physical AI moves toward commercial deployment in transportation.

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Global Finance News 09-11-26

US Justice Department probes Nvidia's licensing deal with Groq amid antitrust concerns | Noah Intelligence

The US Department of Justice is examining whether Nvidia's licensing agreement with AI startup Groq was structured to evade antitrust scrutiny, signalling intensified regulation of AI industry mergers.The US Department...

(noah-news.com)

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WS News 09-11-26

NVIDIA and Palantir Partner to Bring Sovereign AI to Critical Supply Chains

NVIDIA and Palantir Technologies announced a new collaboration Thursday to develop a sovereign AI stack designed to optimize complex supply chains, with the technology initially being deployed across NVIDIA’s own operations.

The platform combines NVIDIA’s Nemotron open AI models with Palantir Foundry and its Artificial Intelligence Platform, or AIP. Grounded in Palantir’s Ontology, the system is designed to identify supply constraints, improve visibility and help organizations make operational decisions while maintaining control of proprietary data.

NVIDIA is using the technology to manage one of the semiconductor industry’s most complicated supply chains. The company said each Vera Rubin rack requires about 1.3 million parts, with production dependent on coordinated supplies of compute, memory, networking, power, cooling and mechanical components.

The companies plan to extend the technology beyond NVIDIA to industries including manufacturing, energy, healthcare, automotive and aerospace. Customers will be able to deploy the AI stack on-premises, in colocation facilities or in the cloud while retaining ownership and control of their models and operational data.

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The Investor 09-10-26

Nvidia Gains 2.5% as Rosenblatt and Needham Reiterate Buy Ratings

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) shares rose about 2.5% as two Wall Street firms reiterated bullish ratings on the AI chip leader.

Rosenblatt Securities analyst Kevin Cassidy maintained a Buy rating on Nvidia with a $390 price target, implying substantial upside from the stock’s current price of $234.07.

Needham & Company analyst N. Quinn Bolton also reiterated a Buy rating, setting a $300 price target.

AI Leadership Supports Bullish Sentiment

The positive analyst calls reinforce Wall Street confidence in Nvidia’s position at the center of the artificial intelligence infrastructure market. The company remains the dominant supplier of GPUs used to train and run advanced AI models, while its broader ecosystem spanning networking, software and accelerated computing strengthens its competitive position.

The two price targets indicate different expectations for Nvidia’s upside, but both firms remain bullish on the stock. Rosenblatt’s $390 target is particularly aggressive, representing roughly 67% upside from the indicated price, while Needham’s $300 target implies about 28% upside.

Nvidia’s 2.5% gain suggests the reiterated Buy ratings are adding to positive sentiment around the AI semiconductor leader.

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Global Finance News 09-04-26

NVIDIA to Acquire Hugging Face for $12.93 Billion, Expanding Its Reach Across the AI Ecosystem

NVIDIA has agreed to acquire Hugging Face for approximately $12.93 billion, bringing one of the world’s largest open artificial intelligence developer platforms under the AI chip leader as it expands its influence beyond computing hardware and deeper into the software and model ecosystem.

Hugging Face has become a central hub for open-source and open-weight AI development. According to NVIDIA, more than 18 million developers, researchers and creators use the platform, which hosts over 3 million models, 500,000 datasets and 1 million applications. More than 200,000 companies use Hugging Face to discover, evaluate, customize and deploy AI models.

Importantly, NVIDIA said Hugging Face will remain an open platform rather than becoming tied exclusively to NVIDIA hardware. Developers will continue to be able to choose their preferred models, frameworks, cloud providers, inference services and computing platforms, and NVIDIA compute will not be required to use Hugging Face. The platform will also continue supporting models from competing developers and multi-cloud and multi-accelerator deployments.

The acquisition could significantly expand NVIDIA’s position across the AI technology stack. NVIDIA already dominates the market for accelerators used to train and run advanced AI models, while Hugging Face provides a major distribution and collaboration layer connecting model developers with enterprises and researchers. NVIDIA said it has already published more than 500 models and over 250 open datasets on Hugging Face and describes itself as the platform’s largest contributor of open models and data.

NVIDIA plans to use its infrastructure, engineering capabilities and global reach to improve Hugging Face’s reliability, model evaluation, safety, inference and deployment capabilities while preserving its open ecosystem.

The $12.93 billion deal represents another major strategic expansion for NVIDIA as competition increasingly moves beyond GPUs toward complete AI platforms encompassing chips, networking, software, models and deployment. Owning Hugging Face could give NVIDIA a much broader role in how millions of developers build and deploy AI while maintaining the platform as a hardware-neutral gateway to the wider AI ecosystem.

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European Investor 09-03-26

Nvidia's next act is bigger than selling AI chips: Chart of the Day

CEO Jensen Huang wants Nvidia to become the architecture of AI, not merely its dominant chipmaker.

(finance.yahoo.com)

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WS News 09-02-26

Nvidia Can Clearly Afford a Bigger Dividend. Why Its Payout Hasn’t Grown.

Nvidia left its quarterly dividend unchanged at $0.25 after reporting Q2 revenue of $96.2 billion, even though the company clearly has the cash to pay more.

(finance.yahoo.com)

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WS News 09-01-26

Analysts Expect Nvidia Stock to Soar 47%, But You Shouldn’t Rush to Buy NVDA Here

Nvidia's mean target price calls for a 47% upside over the next year, but the returns might be much more muted.

(finance.yahoo.com)

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WS News 09-01-26

NVIDIA and MediaTek Expand AI Partnership With $3.5 Billion Investment

NVIDIA and MediaTek announced an expanded strategic partnership Monday covering AI infrastructure, local AI computing and automotive technology. As part of the agreement, NVIDIA has invested $3.5 billion in convertible bonds issued by MediaTek.

A key part of the collaboration will see MediaTek adopt NVIDIA’s NVLink Fusion platform, allowing hyperscalers, cloud providers and AI developers to build custom XPUs that integrate with NVIDIA’s rack-scale AI infrastructure.

The move is strategically important as major technology companies increasingly develop custom AI accelerators. NVLink Fusion allows these chips to operate within NVIDIA’s broader infrastructure ecosystem, potentially helping NVIDIA maintain a central role in AI data centers even as demand for custom silicon grows.

The companies are also expanding their work in local AI computing. MediaTek previously collaborated with NVIDIA on the GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip used in DGX Spark, and the companies will now work together across multiple generations of RTX Spark and DGX Spark chips for PCs, developer systems and enterprise workstations.

Their partnership also extends to automotive computing, where MediaTek’s Dimensity Auto platforms integrate NVIDIA AI and RTX technologies for intelligent and software-defined vehicles.

The expanded agreement strengthens NVIDIA’s position across AI data centers, custom silicon, AI PCs and automotive computing. For MediaTek, it provides deeper access to NVIDIA’s AI ecosystem while expanding its opportunities beyond its traditional mobile and connectivity businesses.

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The Investor 08-31-26

AWS and NVIDIA Expand AI Partnership With 2 Million Additional GPUs

Amazon Web Services and NVIDIA announced a major expansion of their AI infrastructure partnership, with AWS planning to deploy 2 million additional NVIDIA GPUs across its global infrastructure in 2027 and 2028.

The expansion comes as demand for AI computing continues to accelerate. AWS said the new capacity will include NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra, Rubin and Rubin Ultra GPUs, supporting workloads ranging from agentic AI and scientific computing to enterprise automation and robotics.

The partnership extends well beyond GPUs. AWS plans to introduce infrastructure based on NVIDIA’s Vera CPUs, expand NVLink Fusion integration with Amazon’s Trainium chips, and use NVIDIA’s new high-bandwidth memory technology. The companies also plan to build secure AI factories for the U.S. government, including infrastructure incorporating 100,000 GPUs for federal and national-security workloads.

The agreement further expands NVIDIA’s presence across AWS software and services. Nemotron open models will remain available through Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker, while NVIDIA technology will accelerate data processing, vector indexing and Amazon’s robotics development.

The scale of the commitment is another strong signal that hyperscaler AI infrastructure spending remains robust. For NVIDIA, the planned deployment strengthens visibility for demand extending into the Rubin generation through 2028. For Amazon, it significantly expands AWS’s ability to compete for increasingly compute-intensive AI workloads.

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European Investor 08-27-26

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COINBASE:BTCUSDFollow

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Gold, Silver and Bitcoin Fall as Higher Yields Keep Pressure on Alternative Assets

Gold, silver and Bitcoin traded lower Friday as elevated Treasury yields and persistent uncertainty over the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook continued to weigh on non-yielding and risk-sensitive assets.

December gold futures fell 0.51% to $4,384.70 an ounce, although prices recovered substantially from an intraday low near $4,350. December silver declined 0.66% to $64.50 an ounce after also rebounding from earlier losses.

Bitcoin was down 1.04% over the past 24 hours at around $77,151. The cryptocurrency briefly fell toward $76,500 before recovering, but remained well below the $78,000 area seen earlier in the period.

The moves come after Thursday’s stronger-than-expected U.S. producer inflation data pushed Treasury yields sharply higher and revived concerns that the Fed could maintain a tighter policy stance. Meanwhile, oil prices remain above $100 a barrel despite Friday’s pullback, keeping energy-driven inflation risks in focus.

Investors are now turning their attention to Friday’s U.S. consumer inflation data, which could provide the next major signal for Treasury yields, the dollar, precious metals and Bitcoin ahead of next week’s Federal Reserve meeting.

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European Investor 09-11-26

Gold, Silver and Bitcoin Slide as Surging Treasury Yields Trigger Broad Selloff

Gold, silver and Bitcoin fell sharply Thursday as rising U.S. Treasury yields and renewed inflation concerns pressured both precious metals and cryptocurrencies.

December gold futures dropped 1.23% to $4,405.70 an ounce, while December silver futures plunged 4.98% to $65.23. Bitcoin fell 2.71% over 24 hours to around $77,016, briefly approaching $76,700.

The selloff came as the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield surged to around 4.92%, its highest level since late 2023. Higher yields increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as gold and silver and can also tighten financial conditions for risk assets including Bitcoin.

Inflation concerns intensified after August U.S. producer prices rose 0.4% month over month and 5.4% year over year, slightly above the 5.3% annual forecast. At the same time, Brent crude surged above $104 a barrel as supply disruptions and a sharp decline in Saudi production heightened fears that energy costs could keep inflation elevated.

Silver significantly underperformed gold, reflecting its greater volatility and sensitivity to both investment flows and industrial demand. Bitcoin also came under pressure as higher bond yields reduced investors’ appetite for risk.

Markets now turn to Friday’s U.S. CPI report. Another strong inflation reading could reinforce expectations for tighter Federal Reserve policy and keep upward pressure on Treasury yields, creating further headwinds for precious metals and cryptocurrencies.

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WS News 09-10-26

Gold and Bitcoin Rise as Middle East Tensions Drive Volatility Across Markets

Gold and Bitcoin moved higher Wednesday as escalating Middle East tensions, oil prices above $100 and renewed inflation concerns drove volatility across global markets.

December gold futures rose 0.77% to $4,473.10 per ounce, extending an intraday rebound as investors sought traditional safe-haven assets. Spot gold was also higher on the day as global equities declined.

Geopolitical risk remains a major catalyst. Brent crude climbed above $100 per barrel for the first time since July as renewed U.S.-Iran attacks, strikes on tankers and attacks on Saudi energy facilities intensified concerns over Middle East oil supplies. Brent reached an intraday high of $100.90, while flows through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen sharply.

Bitcoin also advanced, rising 1.76% over the past 24 hours to around $79,303 after trading below $78,000 earlier in the period. The cryptocurrency’s recovery came despite pressure on U.S. equities and rising Treasury yields, suggesting some improvement in crypto risk appetite.

However, higher oil prices create a competing risk for both assets. The energy surge is increasing inflation concerns and strengthening the case for tighter monetary policy. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was around 4.81%, near a three-year high, as markets await producer and consumer inflation reports later this week.

Gold is currently benefiting more directly from safe-haven demand, while Bitcoin remains sensitive to the outlook for interest rates and broader risk sentiment. Upcoming U.S. inflation data could therefore be the next major catalyst for both markets.

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WS Investor 09-09-26

Bitcoin Falls Below $79,000 as Fed Rate-Hike Bets and U.S.-Iran Conflict Weigh

Bitcoin extended its decline on Monday, falling below $79,000 as stronger U.S. interest-rate expectations and escalating tensions between the United States and Iran pressured risk appetite.

Bitcoin was trading at $78,866.34, down 1.02% over 24 hours. The cryptocurrency briefly traded above $80,000 earlier in the period before falling toward an intraday low near $78,500.

The decline follows Friday’s stronger-than-expected U.S. employment report. The economy added 162,000 jobs in August versus expectations of roughly 55,000, pushing the probability of a September Federal Reserve rate hike back toward 60%. Higher Treasury yields and tighter financial conditions tend to weigh on speculative assets including cryptocurrencies and gold.

Geopolitical risks are adding another layer of pressure. The U.S.-Iran conflict escalated over the weekend, driving Brent crude toward $97 as investors assessed the risk of further disruptions to Middle Eastern energy supplies. Higher oil prices could reinforce inflation pressures and make it harder for the Fed to adopt a more accommodative stance.

Bitcoin had climbed above $82,000 last week, but the combination of rising rate expectations, higher oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty has reversed part of that rally.

Attention now shifts to this week’s U.S. inflation data. A stronger-than-expected reading could reinforce expectations for a September rate hike and put further pressure on Bitcoin, while softer inflation could help restore risk appetite.

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WS Investor 09-07-26

Bitcoin Holds Near $80,000 After Strong U.S. Jobs Report Triggers Sharp Reversal

Bitcoin traded near $79,641 on Saturday, up 0.24%, after recovering from a sharp selloff triggered by stronger-than-expected U.S. employment data.

Bitcoin had climbed above $82,000 before the August jobs report, supported partly by Fed Governor Christopher Waller’s comments favoring unchanged rates if inflation continued to cool. The rally reversed after nonfarm payrolls increased by 162,000, far above expectations, while unemployment remained at 4.1%.

The strong labor data pushed Treasury yields higher and increased expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike in September, pressuring rate-sensitive assets including cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin subsequently fell below $79,000 before recovering toward $80,000.

Despite the volatility, Bitcoin remains up about 1.4% over the five-day period shown in the chart. Attention now turns to the September 11 U.S. CPI report, which could play a major role in determining the Fed’s next move and Bitcoin’s near-term direction.

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WS Investor 09-05-26

Bitcoin Jumps Above $81,000 as Fed Fears Ease; Strategy and Coinbase Rally

Bitcoin climbed above $81,000 on Friday as easing Federal Reserve rate-hike expectations, lower U.S. Treasury yields and improving regulatory sentiment boosted demand for crypto assets.

Bitcoin traded around $81,089, up 4.2% over 24 hours, after briefly topping $82,000 and reaching its highest level in nearly four months.

Fed Shift Fuels Crypto Rally

The rally accelerated after Fed Governor Christopher Waller signaled support for keeping rates unchanged in September if inflation continues to moderate. The comments pushed Treasury yields lower and reduced expectations for another rate hike.

Crypto-related stocks rallied even more sharply. Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) surged roughly 18% Thursday, while Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) gained around 10%, benefiting from Bitcoin's rebound and expectations for stronger crypto trading activity.

Regulatory optimism also helped sentiment, with investors watching potential progress on U.S. crypto legislation.

Attention now turns to Friday's U.S. jobs report. Softer employment data could further reduce Fed rate-hike expectations and support Bitcoin, while a stronger report could push Treasury yields higher and challenge the rebound.

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WS Investor 09-04-26

Gold Jumps 2.2% Above $4,500 as Iran Conflict, Lower Yields and Weaker Dollar Fuel Safe-Haven Demand

Gold surged Thursday, with December COMEX futures climbing 2.24% to $4,513.60 an ounce, as renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities combined with falling Treasury yields and a weaker dollar to trigger a sharp rebound in precious metals. Bitcoin also rallied, rising 3.02% to $79,342, as demand strengthened across alternative stores of value.

Gold’s move represents a significant reversal from earlier this week, when rising Treasury yields and expectations for another Federal Reserve rate increase pressured the non-yielding metal. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield has since retreated toward 4.75%, while the dollar has weakened, reducing two important headwinds for bullion. Spot gold was already advancing before the U.S. session, supported by the pullback in both yields and the dollar.

Geopolitical demand has added another layer of support. The renewed U.S.-Iran conflict has pushed Brent crude back toward $100 a barrel and raised concerns over energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump has indicated that the latest U.S. military operations may not last long, which has provided some hope that the conflict could be contained, but continued attacks and retaliation have kept uncertainty high. (Reuters)

Gold is therefore benefiting from two competing consequences of the conflict. The immediate geopolitical uncertainty increases demand for safe-haven assets, while the recent retreat in bond yields makes holding gold more attractive. At the same time, oil-driven inflation remains a major risk: persistent energy inflation could force the Fed to maintain a more hawkish stance and eventually send yields higher again.

Bitcoin’s simultaneous 3% advance is also notable. BTC has recently benefited from improving technical momentum after a roughly 30% rally, while the U.S. Treasury’s expansion of long-duration debt buybacks has contributed to the move.

Attention now shifts to Friday’s U.S. employment report. A weak payrolls number could reduce expectations for a September Fed rate hike, potentially extending the decline in yields and providing another catalyst for both gold and Bitcoin. Conversely, a strong jobs report could revive rate-hike expectations and test Thursday’s rally, particularly for gold, which remains highly sensitive to real interest rates.

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European Investor 09-03-26

Bitcoin Slides Below $78,000 as Hawkish Fed Outlook Pressures Risk Assets

Bitcoin fell sharply into the weekend, dropping below $78,000 as investors reacted to a more hawkish U.S. monetary-policy outlook and rising short-term Treasury yields.

Bitcoin was trading around $77,521 on Saturday, down 2.51% over the previous 24 hours and about 1.9% over five days. The cryptocurrency briefly traded above $81,000 earlier in the week before reversing sharply on Friday, with the chart showing selling accelerating after Bitcoin lost the $79,000 area.

The key macro catalyst was Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech on Friday. Warsh stressed that inflation remains too high and reinforced the Fed’s commitment to returning inflation to its 2% target. Markets responded by increasing expectations for further monetary tightening, pushing the policy-sensitive two-year U.S. Treasury yield higher.

That environment is generally unfavorable for Bitcoin and other risk assets. Higher Treasury yields increase the return available from relatively low-risk assets, while expectations for tighter monetary policy reduce liquidity and can strengthen the U.S. dollar. Bitcoin’s sharp Friday decline therefore broadly coincided with the selloff in gold and the repricing of Fed expectations.

Bitcoin nevertheless remains caught between competing forces. Institutional adoption and long-term demand continue to provide structural support, but the near-term direction may depend heavily on U.S. inflation data and Treasury yields. After falling through $79,000, the $77,000 area has emerged as an important near-term level; a failure to hold it could leave Bitcoin vulnerable to another leg lower.

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WS Investor 08-29-26

Bitcoin Climbs 1.3% as Treasury Buybacks and ETF Inflows Support Crypto Rally

Bitcoin traded around $77,750 on Monday, up roughly 1.3% over the past 24 hours, extending its recent recovery after one of the cryptocurrency's strongest weeks in years.

The move follows a sharp rally that pushed Bitcoin from below $65,000 earlier this month to above $77,000, with the cryptocurrency gaining more than 20% over the past week.

U.S. Treasury bond buying remains a major catalyst

A key driver continues to be the U.S. Treasury's surprise decision to double planned buybacks of longer-dated Treasury securities. The program is intended to improve liquidity in the government bond market, but investors have also interpreted the increased purchases as supportive for financial-market liquidity.

The announcement initially pushed long-term yields lower and weakened the dollar, improving conditions for risk assets such as Bitcoin. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's strategy involves increasing purchases of longer-term government debt while relying more heavily on short-term Treasury bill issuance.

Institutional demand adds support

Crypto-specific flows are also strengthening the move. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted approximately $1.9 billion in net inflows last week, with inflows recorded during five consecutive trading sessions. The Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index also turned positive, indicating improving U.S. spot-market demand. Bitcoin is now consolidating near $78,000 after briefly approaching $80,000 last week. The ability to hold the $77,000 area could be important for maintaining the current momentum, while the $79,000-$80,000 region remains a significant near-term resistance zone. (KuCoin)

The combination of Treasury liquidity measures, strong ETF inflows, a softer-dollar narrative and improving regulatory sentiment has therefore created a substantially more supportive backdrop for Bitcoin after months of weakness.

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The Investor 08-24-26

Bitcoin Surges 8% Above $77,000 as Treasury Bond Buybacks and Crypto Policy Optimism Fuel Rally

Bitcoin extended its powerful rebound on Friday, jumping 8.2% to around $77,757 and briefly approaching $80,000. The cryptocurrency has now gained roughly 24% this week, putting it on course for its strongest weekly performance since March 2023.

The latest advance is closely linked to the U.S. Treasury's decision to substantially increase buybacks of longer-dated government bonds. Treasury plans to at least double liquidity-support buybacks of 10- to 30-year securities to $4 billion per operation. Markets have interpreted the move as an attempt to relieve pressure on long-term yields and improve liquidity in the Treasury market.

While the program is not Federal Reserve quantitative easing, it has nevertheless encouraged a "debasement trade." The dollar has weakened as investors question whether attempts to suppress long-term borrowing costs could shift some of the pressure from the bond market into the currency. That environment has simultaneously supported assets such as Bitcoin and gold.

Crypto-specific developments are providing another tailwind. Investors have become more optimistic about U.S. digital-asset regulation following renewed political momentum around the Clarity Act and broader efforts to establish clearer rules for cryptocurrency markets.

The rally is also broad rather than limited to Bitcoin. Ethereum, Solana and XRP have advanced strongly alongside Bitcoin, while crypto-related equities have benefited from the renewed risk appetite.

Bitcoin's move above $77,000 therefore reflects several catalysts working simultaneously: Treasury bond-market intervention, dollar weakness, expectations for improved financial liquidity and regulatory optimism. The combination has transformed what began as a rebound earlier this week into one of Bitcoin's strongest rallies in several years.

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Global Finance News 08-21-26

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S&P 500 Rises Nearly 1% as Oil Retreat and Tech Rally Lift Wall Street

U.S. stocks rallied Friday, with the S&P 500 rising 0.96% to 7,664.52 in afternoon trading as a pullback in oil prices and strength across technology-related sectors helped Wall Street rebound from Thursday’s decline.

Communication services led the S&P 500 with a 1.48% gain, followed by information technology at 1.37%, industrials at 1.13% and consumer discretionary at 1.11%. Ten of the 11 major sectors were higher, while health care fell 0.26% and utilities slipped 0.12%.

Investors were also digesting August inflation data. Headline CPI increased 0.4% month over month and 3.4% from a year earlier, both matching expectations. Core CPI rose a hotter-than-expected 0.3% monthly, strengthening expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise rates next week. Market-implied odds of a quarter-point hike climbed to nearly 90%. (Reuters)

Technology shares benefited from renewed optimism around AI infrastructure following Oracle’s earnings. Meanwhile, Brent crude retreated about 3% to around $104 a barrel after approaching $110 earlier, providing some relief from the inflation concerns that pressured equities and pushed Treasury yields sharply higher earlier in the week.

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The Investor 09-11-26

U.S. Stock Futures Jump After CPI Data as Oracle Rally and Oil Pullback Lift Sentiment

U.S. stock futures moved sharply higher Friday after August inflation data came broadly in line with expectations, while a pullback in oil prices and strong Oracle earnings helped improve sentiment. S&P 500 futures rose 0.92%, Dow futures gained 0.94%, and Nasdaq futures advanced 1.06%.

Headline CPI increased 0.4% month-over-month in August, matching expectations but accelerating from 0.1% in July. Annual inflation held at 3.4%. Core CPI rose 0.3% on the month, slightly above the 0.2% forecast, while the annual core rate eased to 2.4% from 2.5%. The mixed report leaves inflation concerns alive ahead of next week’s Federal Reserve meeting, particularly after Thursday’s hotter producer-price data.

Energy markets provided some relief. Brent crude fell about 3% to around $104 a barrel after briefly approaching $110, although it remains up strongly for the week. Reports of diplomatic efforts to establish temporary shipping arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz helped cool prices. However, geopolitical risks remain elevated as the U.S.-Iran conflict and attacks on regional shipping continue to restrict oil flows.

Technology stocks were also supported by Oracle, which jumped about 6% in premarket trading after reporting a 30% increase in Q1 revenue to $19.3 billion. Cloud infrastructure revenue surged 121% to $7.4 billion, while remaining performance obligations reached $664 billion amid strong AI demand.

Despite the equity rebound, bond yields remain a key risk. The 10-year Treasury yield is hovering near 4.94%, leaving markets sensitive to inflation, oil prices and changing expectations for the Fed’s September decision.

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WS Investor 09-11-26

U.S. Stocks Fall as Hot PPI, Surging Oil and Treasury Yields Pressure Markets

U.S. stocks traded lower Thursday as stronger producer inflation, surging oil prices and rising Treasury yields renewed concerns over the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.82% to 26,038.95, while the S&P 500 declined 0.52% to 7,596.27 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.24% to 52,256.80.

August producer prices rose 0.4% month over month, matching expectations but accelerating from July. Annual PPI climbed 5.4%, above the 5.3% forecast and up from 4.8%. Core PPI provided some relief, increasing 0.2% month over month versus the 0.3% expected.

Oil extended its surge Thursday, with Brent crude futures jumping 3.5% to $104.75 a barrel. Supply concerns intensified after Saudi Arabia’s August production reportedly plunged 23% to about 6.2 million barrels per day, its lowest level since 1990, as regional conflict disrupted export routes (Financial Times).

Bond markets reacted sharply to the combination of inflation and energy concerns. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.922%, up roughly 8 basis points on the session. Higher yields weighed particularly heavily on technology and other growth stocks, helping explain the Nasdaq’s underperformance.

With Brent now above $104 and producer inflation accelerating, investors face the risk that the energy shock could keep inflation elevated for longer. Attention now turns to Friday’s U.S. CPI report, which could play a decisive role in expectations for next week’s Federal Reserve decision.

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WS News 09-10-26

U.S. Stocks Open Lower as Oil Tops $100 and Inflation Concerns Persist

U.S. stocks opened lower Wednesday, extending the previous session’s losses as sharply higher oil prices fueled concerns over inflation and the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.55% to 52,497.96, while the S&P 500 declined 0.32% to 7,648.70. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.34% to 26,331.54.

Higher oil prices were a key source of pressure. Brent crude climbed above $100 per barrel for the first time since July as escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and attacks on tankers and energy infrastructure increased concerns about prolonged Middle East supply disruptions. Brent was recently up about 2.8% at $100.66, while WTI gained roughly 3% to $95.77.

The oil rally is adding to inflation concerns ahead of key U.S. inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting next week. Higher energy costs could keep price pressures elevated and complicate the Fed’s interest-rate decision.

Meanwhile, the latest weekly ADP employment estimate showed private payrolls increasing by 12,000, up from the previous week’s 10,000 gain. The modest increase points to continued but relatively subdued hiring momentum.

With oil prices rising and bond yields remaining elevated, investors are increasingly focused on whether renewed energy-driven inflation will force the Fed to maintain a tighter monetary-policy stance.

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WS Investor 09-09-26

U.S. Stocks Fall as Rising Oil Prices and Fed Rate-Hike Fears Pressure Wall Street

U.S. stocks opened lower Tuesday as surging oil prices fueled renewed inflation concerns, while investors assessed escalating tensions in the Middle East and the possibility of another Federal Reserve rate hike.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 1.2% in morning trading, while the S&P 500 declined 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite lost roughly 0.5%.

Rising energy prices were a major source of pressure. Brent crude climbed toward the psychologically important $100-per-barrel level as the U.S.-Iran conflict escalated and concerns grew about further disruptions to Middle Eastern oil supplies.

Higher crude prices present a broader problem for equities because sustained increases in energy costs could feed into inflation and make it more difficult for the Fed to ease monetary policy. The concern has intensified following Friday’s stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report, which pushed expectations toward tighter monetary policy.

Treasury yields also remained elevated, adding pressure to equity valuations, particularly in rate-sensitive growth and technology stocks.

Investors are now turning their attention to this week’s U.S. inflation reports. Hotter-than-expected inflation, particularly with oil prices approaching $100, could strengthen expectations for a September Fed rate hike and add further pressure to Wall Street.

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The Investor 09-08-26

Inflation data, Oracle earnings, and an energy supply crunch: What to watch this week

Two questions are set to lead the week: Will the data push the Fed toward a rate hike, and what can Oracle tell Wall Street about the state of Big Tech's AI debt load?

(finance.yahoo.com)

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WS News 09-06-26

U.S. Stocks Slip as Strong Jobs Report Revives Fed Rate-Hike Fears

U.S. stocks traded slightly lower Friday after a much stronger-than-expected August employment report revived expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates at its September meeting.

The S&P 500 fell 0.21% to 7,731.74, while the Dow Jones dropped 0.46% to 53,436.70. The Nasdaq was nearly flat at 26,583.15.

U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 162,000 in August, nearly triple expectations of around 55,000. July's figure was also revised sharply higher to a gain of 21,000 from an initially reported decline of 23,000. Private payrolls rose by 127,000, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%.

Strong Labor Market Pushes Treasury Yields Higher

The unexpectedly strong report challenged hopes that the Fed could keep rates unchanged. Markets increased bets on a 25-basis-point September hike, with the implied probability rising to around 60% following the data. U.S. Treasury yields moved sharply higher in response.

The report comes just a day after Fed Governor Christopher Waller suggested he could support holding rates steady if inflation continues to cool. With the labor market showing renewed strength, next week's inflation data could now prove decisive for the Fed's September decision.

The modest decline in equities suggests investors are balancing evidence of a resilient U.S. economy against the risk that stronger employment gives the Fed more room to tighten monetary policy further.

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Global Finance News 09-04-26

U.S. Stocks Rise as Strong Services Activity and Lower Treasury Yields Offset Inflation Concerns

U.S. stocks traded higher Thursday as investors weighed stronger-than-expected services activity against signs of a cooling labor market and renewed inflation pressure from rising oil prices. The S&P 500 gained 0.37% to 7,694.65, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.46% to 53,304.90, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.66% to 26,391.59.

Economic data painted a mixed but generally resilient picture. Initial jobless claims increased slightly to 206,000 from 204,000, marginally above the 205,000 consensus, while continuing claims climbed to 1.779 million from 1.771 million. The figures suggest layoffs remain relatively limited even as hiring momentum has weakened ahead of Friday’s closely watched August employment report.

Services activity was considerably stronger. The ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI rose to 55.4 in August from 54.1, comfortably beating expectations for an unchanged 54.1 reading. S&P Global’s Services PMI also increased to 56.5 from 54.6, although it came slightly below the 56.8 forecast. Together, the readings indicate that the dominant U.S. services sector continues to expand at a healthy pace.

The inflation component, however, complicated the outlook for the Federal Reserve. ISM services prices jumped to 72.6 from 70.3, well above the 70.0 forecast, signaling persistent input-cost pressures. Investors are already sensitive to inflation after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s hawkish Jackson Hole message increased expectations that monetary policy may need to remain restrictive.

Oil remains another major inflation risk. Brent crude climbed to around $97 a barrel and WTI moved above $93 as renewed U.S. strikes on Iran and threats of further escalation raised concerns about supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite those risks, declining Treasury yields are currently providing support to equities, particularly technology stocks, helping the Nasdaq outperform. Markets now turn to Friday’s U.S. employment report, which could determine whether investors focus more heavily on slowing labor demand or the increasingly visible inflation pressures coming from services and energy markets.

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European Investor 09-03-26

U.S. Stocks Trade Mixed as Weak Jobs Data Collides With Oil-Driven Inflation Fears

U.S. stocks traded mixed Wednesday as investors weighed softer-than-expected labor-market data against rising oil prices, elevated Treasury yields and renewed concerns that energy costs could keep inflation above the Federal Reserve’s target.

The S&P 500 was nearly flat at 7,638.19, up 0.09%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.39% to 52,975.28. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.08% to 26,079.81, with technology shares remaining more sensitive to elevated bond yields.

Fresh labor data provided some support for equities. ADP reported that private employers added only 38,000 jobs in August, below expectations for 47,000 and down from an upwardly revised 46,000 in July. It was the weakest pace of private-sector job creation since January. Manufacturing lost 17,000 jobs and professional and business services shed 16,000, while education and health services added 45,000.

Ordinarily, weaker employment growth would strengthen expectations for easier monetary policy. This time, however, the signal is being complicated by renewed inflation risks. Escalating U.S.-Iran hostilities have pushed crude prices sharply higher, with Brent trading around $95 a barrel Wednesday after surging in recent sessions. Concerns over disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have put an additional geopolitical premium into energy markets.

Higher oil prices are feeding directly into inflation expectations and challenging hopes that slowing employment will quickly translate into lower interest rates. U.S. Treasury yields have consequently remained elevated, with the 10-year yield reaching roughly 4.8%, its highest level since late 2023. Markets have also increased expectations for another Federal Reserve rate hike following Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s recent hawkish comments on inflation.

The result is an increasingly difficult backdrop for equities: labor-market momentum is weakening at the same time that an external energy shock is threatening to revive inflation. That combination helps explain Wednesday’s divergence, with the Dow advancing while the rate-sensitive Nasdaq remains under pressure. Investors will now turn to Friday’s official U.S. employment report for a clearer indication of whether labor-market cooling is becoming significant enough to alter the Fed’s inflation-focused policy stance.

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The Investor 09-02-26

U.S. Stocks Fall as Treasury Yields and Mixed Economic Data Pressure Tech Shares

U.S. stocks traded lower Tuesday as a renewed selloff in government bonds pushed Treasury yields higher, while investors assessed mixed manufacturing and labor-market data ahead of Friday’s key U.S. jobs report.

The S&P 500 fell about 0.6% to 7,640, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined roughly 0.4%. The Nasdaq Composite underperformed with a drop of about 1%, reflecting greater pressure on technology and other growth stocks as borrowing costs increased.

Treasury yields remained one of the biggest headwinds for equities. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield climbed to around 4.79%, its highest level since January 2025, as a global government-bond selloff continued. Higher yields make bonds more competitive with equities and reduce the present value of future corporate earnings, putting particular pressure on richly valued technology companies.

Tuesday’s economic data provided a mixed picture. The S&P Global Manufacturing PMI was finalized at 53.9 for August, above the 53.2 preliminary estimate and signaling continued expansion. The ISM Manufacturing PMI, however, declined to 54.6 from 55.6 and missed the 55.2 forecast. ISM’s prices index remained elevated at 71.1, slightly above expectations, keeping inflation concerns in focus.

The labor market also showed signs of cooling. JOLTS job openings increased to 7.271 million in July from 7.182 million but remained below the 7.330 million forecast. ISM manufacturing employment fell to 51.2 from 52.8, while construction spending unexpectedly declined 0.5% in July.

The combination is uncomfortable for markets: economic activity remains relatively resilient, but employment indicators are softening while price pressures remain elevated. That makes the Federal Reserve’s next move more difficult, particularly after Chair Kevin Warsh’s recent hawkish Jackson Hole remarks increased expectations for another rate hike.

Geopolitical risks are adding to those inflation concerns. Brent crude traded above $92 per barrel as renewed U.S.-Iran fighting raised fears of further disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. Higher energy prices have contributed to the global bond selloff by increasing concerns that inflation could remain above central-bank targets for longer.

Investors will now focus heavily on Friday’s August employment report. Strong jobs data could reinforce expectations that the Fed has room to raise rates, potentially keeping Treasury yields elevated and technology stocks under pressure. Weaker employment figures, however, would highlight the growing tension between slowing labor demand and persistent inflation.

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WS Investor 09-01-26

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Track all markets on TradingView - Prices are not updated in real time

UK Growth Momentum Improves as NIESR GDP Tracker Rises to 0.5%

The UK economy showed signs of stronger momentum in August, with the NIESR Monthly GDP Tracker rising to 0.5% from 0.4% previously.

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WS Investor 09-11-26

UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Industrial Production and Trade Improve

The UK economy expanded more strongly than expected in July, with GDP rising 0.4% month-over-month. The increase exceeded expectations for no growth and followed a 0.3% expansion in June.

Industrial activity also surprised to the upside. Industrial production increased 0.2% in July, compared with expectations for a 0.2% decline and reversing the previous month’s 0.2% contraction.

Meanwhile, the UK trade deficit narrowed to £20.97 billion from £23.01 billion, coming in better than the £22.60 billion deficit expected.

The combination of stronger GDP growth, improving industrial output and a narrower trade deficit points to resilient economic momentum at the start of the third quarter. The stronger data could also complicate expectations for further Bank of England monetary easing if inflation pressures remain elevated.

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European Investor 09-11-26

UK Retail Sales Growth Slows to 0.5% in August, Missing Forecasts

UK retail sales growth weakened more than expected in August, signaling softer consumer spending momentum.

The BRC Retail Sales Monitor increased 0.5% year over year, well below the 1.2% consensus forecast and slowing from 1.0% growth in the previous month.

The weaker reading suggests British consumers remained cautious as household budgets continued to face pressure from elevated living costs and borrowing expenses.

The data adds to signs of softer momentum in the UK economy and could reinforce expectations for a cautious Bank of England policy stance. Upcoming inflation, wage and broader retail-sales figures will be important in determining whether the slowdown in consumer demand persists.

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WS News 09-08-26

UK House Prices Fall 0.2% in August, Missing Expectations

UK house prices declined more than expected in August, pointing to renewed weakness in the residential property market.

The Lloyds House Price Index fell 0.2% month over month, compared with expectations for a 0.2% increase and following a 0.1% decline previously.

On an annual basis, house prices fell 0.4%, deteriorating from 0.1% growth in the previous month and marking a shift into negative territory.

Meanwhile, the average UK mortgage rate remained unchanged at 6.58% in August. Elevated borrowing costs continue to constrain housing affordability and buyer demand.

The weaker-than-expected housing data adds to signs of pressure on the UK property market, with high mortgage rates limiting demand despite expectations surrounding the Bank of England’s future monetary policy path.

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European Investor 09-07-26

UK Construction PMI Falls to 44.3 in August, Missing Expectations

The UK construction sector contracted at a faster pace in August, as a sharp downturn in housebuilding weighed on overall activity and demand conditions remained subdued.

The S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 44.3 in August from 44.7 in July, missing market expectations of 45.8. A reading below 50 indicates contraction in construction activity. The sector has now recorded declining activity for 20 consecutive months.

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WS Investor 09-04-26

UK House Prices Rise 0.2% in August but Annual Growth Misses Forecast

UK house prices returned to monthly growth in August, although the housing market remained subdued amid elevated mortgage rates and broader economic uncertainty.

Nationwide’s House Price Index increased 0.2% month over month, beating expectations for a 0.1% rise and reversing July’s revised 0.1% decline. It was the first monthly increase since April.

On an annual basis, house prices rose 1.6%, accelerating from 1.4% in July but falling short of the 2.1% forecast provided in the economic calendar. The average UK home price stood at £275,465 in August.

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European Investor 09-01-26

UK Services Growth Accelerates in August While Manufacturing Slows

UK business activity remained in expansion territory in August, led by stronger services growth.

The S&P Global Services PMI rose to 52.8 from 52.1, beating expectations of 51.8 and signaling an acceleration in the UK's dominant services sector.

Manufacturing was softer, with the PMI falling to 51.5 from 51.9 and slightly missing the 51.6 forecast. However, the reading remained above the 50 threshold, indicating continued expansion.

Overall, the data suggest resilient UK economic activity, with stronger services helping offset some loss of momentum in manufacturing.

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Global Finance News 08-21-26

# UK Retail Sales Slow Sharply in July, Missing Forecasts

UK retail sales growth weakened significantly in July, pointing to softer consumer spending.

Headline retail sales rose 1.6% year over year, below the 2.2% forecast and sharply slower than the previous 3.8% increase.

Core retail sales, which exclude fuel, increased 2.3%, also missing expectations of 3.3% and slowing from 5.0% previously.

The weaker-than-expected figures suggest household demand lost momentum entering the second half of the year. For the Bank of England, softer consumption could reinforce concerns about economic growth and support a more cautious monetary-policy stance.

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Global Finance News 08-21-26

UK Inflation Accelerates to 2.9% in July

UK inflation accelerated in July, adding to concerns that price pressures remain persistent despite signs of easing costs at the producer level.

The Consumer Price Index rose 2.9% year-over-year, matching market expectations but accelerating from 2.6% in June. On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased 0.3%, also in line with forecasts and above the previous 0.1% increase.

Producer-level pressures were considerably weaker. PPI input prices fell 1.7% month-over-month, compared with expectations for no change. The decline was slightly smaller than the previous month's 1.9% fall.

The combination presents a mixed inflation picture: businesses are seeing lower input costs, but consumer inflation is moving higher. For the Bank of England, the acceleration in headline CPI could reinforce a cautious approach toward monetary-policy easing, particularly if stronger consumer-price pressures persist in coming months.

Graph: Office for National Statistics UK

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WS Investor 08-19-26

UK Labor Market Sends Mixed Signals as Unemployment Holds at 4.9%

The UK labor market delivered mixed signals in the latest data, with unemployment remaining elevated even as the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits declined.

The claimant count fell by 11,000 in July, considerably better than expectations for an increase of 16,500 and following a revised decline of 6,400 in the previous month.

Employment increased by 83,000 in the three months through June compared with the previous three-month period. However, the pace of employment growth slowed from 147,000 previously.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained at 4.9% in June, slightly above the 4.8% market forecast and unchanged from the previous reading.

The figures suggest the UK labor market remains resilient but is gradually losing momentum. The unexpected decline in benefit claimants provides a positive signal, while slower employment growth and an unemployment rate near 5% point to softer underlying labor demand.

For the Bank of England, the mixed report keeps attention on whether cooling employment conditions will translate into weaker wage and inflation pressures, an important factor in determining the path of UK interest rates.

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Global Finance News 08-18-26

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NYSE:VICIFollow

VICI Properties announced that it expects to close its $1.16 billion acquisition of a portfolio of seven casino properties from Golden Entertainment around April 30, 2026, after receiving all required regulatory and shareholder approvals.

Following the transaction, VICI will enter into a long-term triple-net lease agreement with a newly formed operating entity, with an initial annual rent of $87 million and a 30-year term. The deal also includes a mix of stock and cash consideration for Golden Entertainment shareholders, along with the repayment of $426 million in debt.

The acquisition strengthens VICI’s portfolio of gaming and entertainment real estate assets and reinforces its strategy of partnering with leading operators under long-term lease agreements.

Source: Business Wire

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Global Finance News 04-24-26

VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE: VICI) announced today that it will release its first quarter 2026 financial results on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 after the close of markets

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European Investor 03-31-26

VICI Properties Inc. announced a CAD$200.6 million (USD$144.4 million) acquisition of casino and hospitality real estate assets in Alberta, Canada, as part of a sale-leaseback transaction.

The portfolio includes Deerfoot Inn & Casino, Great Northern Casino, and adjacent hotels, and will be leased to Pure Casino Entertainment Limited Partnership under a long-term triple-net lease.

Following the transaction, annual rent is expected to increase by CAD$16.1 million, with built-in escalation tied to inflation and a 25-year base lease term, extendable through renewal options.

The deal, expected to close in mid-2026 pending approvals, will expand VICI’s presence in the Canadian gaming market and is anticipated to be immediately accretive to earnings.
Business Wire

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WS Investor 03-30-26

VICI Properties announced it has increased its investment in the One Beverly Hills development, committing a total $1.5 billion mezzanine loan as part of the project’s construction financing.

The financing supports a major luxury mixed-use project featuring an Aman-branded hotel and residences, alongside retail, dining, and public spaces, with phased completion expected from 2027.

VICI also expanded its strategic partnership with Cain and Eldridge Industries, with plans to collaborate on future experiential real estate investments through a new cross-capital venture.
Business Wire

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WS Investor 03-23-26

VICI Properties Inc. reported fourth-quarter 2025 revenue of $1.0 billion, up 3.8% year over year, while net income attributable to common stockholders declined 1.6% to $604.8 million, or $0.57 per share, reflecting the impact of a change in the CECL allowance. Adjusted Funds From Operations (AFFO) rose 6.8% to $642.5 million, or $0.60 per share.

For full-year 2025, revenue increased 4.1% to $4.0 billion, and net income grew 3.6% to $2.8 billion, or $2.61 per share. AFFO climbed 6.6% to $2.5 billion, or $2.38 per share. The company announced approximately $2.1 billion in capital commitments during 2025 at a weighted average initial yield of 8.9% and increased its annualized cash dividend by 4%, marking its eighth consecutive annual dividend increase since its 2018 IPO.

VICI ended the year with $563.5 million in cash and announced several strategic transactions, including a $1.16 billion agreement to acquire seven Nevada casino properties from Golden Entertainment and a new lease related to MGM Northfield Park. The company also established full-year 2026 guidance.

Source: VICI Properties, Business Wire

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Global Finance News 02-28-26

VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE: VICI) announced today that it will release its fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 after the close of markets.

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WS Investor 01-08-26

VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE: VICI) announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.45 per share of common stock for the period from October 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. The dividend will be payable on January 8, 2026 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 17, 2025.

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WS Investor 12-07-25

VICI Properties Announces $1.16 Billion Sale-Leaseback Deal With Golden Entertainment

VICI Properties (NYSE: VICI) entered into a $1.16 billion sale-leaseback agreement with Golden Entertainment (NASDAQ: GDEN) for seven Nevada casino properties, including The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower and Arizona Charlie’s locations. The transaction establishes a new triple-net master lease with Golden’s operating company, initially generating $87 million in annual rent at a 7.5% cap rate and featuring 2% annual rent escalations from year three.

The deal expands VICI’s footprint into the Las Vegas Locals market, the second-largest U.S. gaming region by 2024 revenue, and adds Golden as its 15th tenant. VICI expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to AFFO per share and will fund it through cash on hand and credit facilities, without new capital market activity. The closing is targeted for mid-2026 pending shareholder and regulatory approvals.

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The Investor 11-06-25

VICI Properties Reports Solid Q3 2025 Results, Raises Dividend and Adds New Tenant

VICI Properties (NYSE: VICI) posted third-quarter 2025 revenue of $1.0 billion, up 4.4% year-over-year, driven by consistent growth across its experiential real estate portfolio. Net income rose 4% to $762 million ($0.71 per share), while Adjusted Funds From Operations (AFFO) increased 7.4% to $637.6 million ($0.60 per share).

The company declared its eighth consecutive annual dividend increase, raising the quarterly dividend by 4% to $0.45 per share. VICI ended the quarter with $507.5 million in cash and $244.9 million in pending equity proceeds, and updated full-year AFFO guidance to a range of $2.51–$2.52 billion ($2.36–$2.37 per share).

CEO Edward Pitoniak highlighted the company’s steady growth, disciplined capital allocation, and efficient business model—growing aggregate AFFO by 7.4% while increasing share count only 2.1%. Subsequent to quarter-end, VICI announced its 14th tenant, Clairvest, through a lease agreement involving the MGM Northfield Park property in Ohio, further diversifying its tenant base in the gaming sector.

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Global Finance News 10-30-25

VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE: VICI) announced new agreements related to MGM Northfield Park in Northfield, Ohio, as MGM Resorts International sells the property’s operations to an affiliate of Clairvest Group Inc. Under the deal, VICI will enter a new 25-year lease with Clairvest, beginning with an initial annual base rent of $53 million (or $54 million if closing occurs after May 1, 2026) and including 2% annual rent escalations and renewal options. The transaction also includes an amendment to VICI’s existing master lease with MGM, reducing its annual rent by the same amount to reflect the property’s transfer.

With this agreement, VICI gains its 14th tenant, further diversifying its experiential real estate portfolio of gaming, hospitality, and entertainment properties. Clairvest, a leading private equity firm with more than $4.6 billion in assets under management and extensive experience in gaming investments, will operate Northfield Park. The transactions are expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending customary approvals.

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Global Finance News 10-16-25

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NASDAQ:METAFollow

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Meta and Applied Materials Declare Quarterly Cash Dividends

Meta Platforms and Applied Materials announced quarterly cash dividends on September 10, continuing shareholder capital returns at two of the largest U.S. technology companies.

Meta’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share for both Class A and Class B common stock. The dividend will be paid on September 28 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 21.

Applied Materials separately declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, payable December 10 to shareholders of record on November 19. The semiconductor equipment company increased its quarterly dividend by 15% earlier this year, from $0.46 to $0.53, marking its ninth consecutive annual dividend increase.

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Global Finance News 09-11-26

Meta Expands WhatsApp Payments in India With New Bill-Pay Feature

Meta is expanding WhatsApp’s role in India’s digital payments market with the launch of a new feature allowing users to pay household and utility bills directly within the messaging app.

The service, powered by India’s Bharat Connect (BBPS) network, provides access to 22,722 billers across 30 categories, including electricity, gas, water, insurance, credit cards, FASTag and loan repayments.

Users can access the service through the ₹ icon in WhatsApp, view upcoming and previous bills, manage multiple accounts and make payments using UPI, debit cards or credit cards. The feature is being rolled out gradually to Android and iOS users across India.

WhatsApp Pushes Deeper Into India’s Digital Economy

The launch expands WhatsApp beyond messaging and commerce into another high-frequency financial activity. The platform already supports services in India such as mobile recharges, metro-ticket purchases and access to government services.

For Meta, integrating recurring payments could increase engagement with WhatsApp’s payments ecosystem and strengthen the app’s position as an everyday digital platform in one of its most important global markets.

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The Investor 09-04-26

Meta Stock Falls 9% Premarket Despite Strong Revenue Growth as Profit Margins Shrink on AI Spending

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) shares dropped 9% in premarket trading on Thursday after the social media giant reported second-quarter results that highlighted the growing cost of its aggressive artificial intelligence investments, overshadowing another quarter of strong revenue growth.

Revenue increased 28% year-over-year to $60.8 billion, driven by continued strength in digital advertising. Ad impressions rose 14%, while the average price per ad increased 12%. Family Daily Active People (DAP) reached 3.60 billion, up 3% from a year earlier, demonstrating continued user engagement across Meta's platforms.

## AI Investment Weighs on Profitability

Despite the robust top-line growth, investors focused on a sharp deterioration in profitability. Total costs and expenses surged 55% to $42.0 billion, reflecting massive AI infrastructure investments, $2.4 billion in legal-related charges and $1.18 billion in severance costs following the company's May workforce reduction.

As a result, operating income declined 8% to $18.8 billion, while operating margin contracted to 31% from 43% a year ago. Net income fell 14% to $15.8 billion, and diluted earnings per share decreased 13% to $6.18.

Meta also spent $31.1 billion on capital expenditures during the quarter and narrowed its full-year capital expenditure guidance to $130-145 billion, reinforcing expectations that AI infrastructure spending will remain elevated.

## Guidance Offers Limited Relief

For the third quarter, Meta expects revenue between $61 billion and $64 billion, while raising the lower end of its full-year expense guidance to $165-169 billion. The company maintained its expectation that full-year operating income will exceed 2025 levels, but investors appeared more concerned about the pace of spending than the revenue outlook.

## What to Watch

The sharp premarket decline suggests investors are becoming increasingly sensitive to profitability as large technology companies continue investing heavily in AI. Going forward, the market will closely monitor whether Meta can translate its record AI spending into stronger earnings growth while preserving operating margins.

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European Investor 07-30-26

Meta Beats Q1 Estimates, But Surging AI Capex Spooks Investors

Meta Platforms delivered a strong Q1 2026, yet shares slid after hours as Wall Street fixated on a massive spending hike.

Revenue climbed 33% year-over-year to $56.31 billion — the fastest growth since 2021 — beating estimates of $55.45 billion. Adjusted EPS came in at $7.31, topping the $6.79 consensus. Ad impressions jumped 19% year-over-year, while average price per ad rose 12%.

The trouble? AI spending. Meta raised its full-year 2026 capex guidance to $125–$145 billion, up from $115–$135 billion, citing higher component pricing and additional data center costs — and that single line item drove a ~6% after-hours decline.

META shares were trading at $613.00 in pre-market, down 8.39%.

Zuckerberg's AI investments have yet to produce new revenue streams but have strengthened the core advertising business. For now, markets want proof the bet will pay off (CNBC).

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WS Investor 04-30-26

Meta Posts 33% Revenue Growth in Q1 2026, Hits $56.3 Billion

Meta Platforms reported first-quarter revenues of $56.3 billion, up 33% year over year, with operating income rising 30% to $22.9 billion at a 41% margin. Net income surged 61% to $26.8 billion, though results were boosted by an $8 billion one-time tax benefit. Daily active users across Meta's family of apps averaged 3.56 billion in March, up 4% from a year ago. Ad impressions grew 19% and average ad prices rose 12%. Capital expenditures reached $19.8 billion for the quarter, with full-year capex guidance raised to $125-145 billion, reflecting higher component costs and expanded data center investment. For Q2, Meta guided revenues of $58-61 billion.

Source: Meta Platforms, Inc. Press Release, April 29, 2026

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Global Finance News 04-29-26

Meta has signed a major agreement with Amazon Web Services to deploy AWS Graviton processors at scale, supporting its next-generation AI infrastructure. The rollout will begin with tens of millions of Graviton cores, with capacity expected to expand as demand grows.

The partnership reflects increasing demand for CPU-intensive workloads driven by “agentic AI,” including real-time reasoning, code generation, and multi-step task orchestration. While GPUs remain key for training models, Graviton chips are positioned to handle large-scale operational AI processes more efficiently.

The deal strengthens Meta’s long-standing relationship with AWS and supports its broader AI strategy, leveraging Amazon’s cloud infrastructure and services to manage billions of AI-driven interactions.
Business Wire

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The Investor 04-26-26

Get Smart: Is It Too Late to Invest in US Stocks?

It’s never about getting the perfect price. It’s about getting the business right — and staying invested long enough for it to matter.

(thesmartinvestor.com.sg)

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European Investor 04-23-26

Meta Platforms, Inc. and CBRE Group, Inc. announced the launch of “LevelUp,” a multi-year workforce development program aimed at training thousands of technicians to support data center construction across the United States.

Under the initiative, CBRE will establish training centers nationwide, beginning in summer 2026, to prepare workers in installing fiber-optic cables, network infrastructure, and other mission-critical equipment. Graduates will have opportunities to work on Meta’s data center projects through its contractor network.

The program targets the growing shortage of skilled fiber technicians, while creating new career pathways for high school graduates and individuals seeking to enter the skilled trades. It is designed to provide broadly applicable technical skills relevant across the data center and construction industries.

Meta highlighted that the initiative supports its expanding infrastructure footprint, with 27 data centers currently operational or under construction in the U.S., and reinforces its broader investment in workforce development tied to AI-driven infrastructure growth.
Business Wire

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Global Finance News 04-20-26

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) announced that the company's first quarter 2026 financial results will be released after market close on Wednesday, April 29th, 2026.

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WS Investor 04-14-26

Corning and Meta Platforms announced the start of construction on a major optical cable manufacturing expansion in North Carolina to support growing demand for AI data center infrastructure.

The project is part of a multiyear agreement valued at up to $6 billion, under which Corning will supply advanced optical fiber and connectivity solutions for Meta’s data centers. Meta will serve as the anchor customer for the new facility, which is expected to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities and supply chains.

The expansion is also set to boost employment in the region, potentially increasing Corning’s workforce in North Carolina by up to 20%. Both companies highlighted the importance of high-performance connectivity in scaling AI infrastructure and maintaining U.S. leadership in advanced technologies.

The initiative underscores accelerating investment in data center capacity as demand for AI computing continues to grow.
Business Wire

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WS Investor 04-01-26

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