Finance1 min read

Global Market Today: Asia shares bend under AI stress; Apple earnings loom

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Tech shares face intense scrutiny following significant monthly declines for the Nasdaq and a steep drop in Intel stock. Beyond technology concerns, markets are grappling with customer withdrawals tied to a multi-billion-dollar hack at cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Meanwhile, commodity markets shifted as diplomatic discussions involving Iranian and Qatari officials pressured Brent crude futures down 1.5% to $111.72 per barrel.

Key points

  • Financial markets are pricing in a 72% probability of a quarter-point Federal Reserve int…: Financial markets are pricing in a 72% probability of a quarter-point Federal Reserve interest rate hike in December.
  • Upcoming earnings reports from Apple, AMD, and Palantir will serve as critical tests for…: Upcoming earnings reports from Apple, AMD, and Palantir will serve as critical tests for sustaining artificial intelligence valuations.
  • Global investors are tracking major monetary policy decisions from Australia, Sweden, and…: Global investors are tracking major monetary policy decisions from Australia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom alongside U.S. employment data.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Concerns about negative cash flow and the sheer scale of AI capex saw the cost of insuring against corporate defaults blow out last week, while gold hit a one-year low amid talk stressed investors were selling to raise money for margin calls.

An added wrinkle is the midterm elections in the United States, where a win by Democrats in either or both houses could result in more political hurdles for data centres.

Read more: Nifty’s next move hinges on breakout above 23,200: Analysts

Adding to the air of unease were withdrawals from Binance as the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange went back online on Sunday after hackers stole billions from the platform last week.

All of which raises the stakes for earnings this week with Apple, AMD and Palantir set to report in the wake of Intel's near 29% tumble on Friday.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs expect capex by hyperscalers to almost double to $800 billion this year, and rise further to $1.2 trillion in 2027. At the same time, they see S&P 500 EPS growth of nearly 30% in 2026,…

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