Core Viewpoint - The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised its policy rate by 25 basis points to 3.85%, marking its first rate hike since November 2023 due to rising inflation pressures [1][2]. Economic Indicators - Inflation in Australia is at its highest level in six quarters, with private demand growing faster than expected and capacity pressures increasing [2]. - The RBA's inflation target is set at 2.5%, and current conditions suggest that rate cuts are unlikely in the near term [3]. Economic Growth - Australia's economy grew by 2.1% in the third quarter, an increase from a revised 2% in the previous quarter, representing the fastest pace of expansion in about two years [5]. Future Rate Decisions - RBA officials, including Governor Michele Bullock, indicated that future interest rate decisions will be made on a "meeting-by-meeting" basis, depending on ongoing economic data and inflation trends [4].

Core Viewpoint - Saimemory, a subsidiary of SoftBank, has entered into a collaboration with Intel to develop next-generation memory technology aimed at supporting artificial intelligence and high-performance computing demands [1][2] Group 1: Partnership Details - The collaboration is focused on the "Z-Angle Memory program," or ZAM, which targets advancements in memory technologies [1] - Prototypes of the new memory technology are expected to be ready by the fiscal year ending March 31, 2028, with commercialization planned for fiscal 2029 [2] Group 2: Market Reaction - Following the announcement of the partnership, shares of SoftBank increased by 3.13%, while Intel's stock rose by 5% in overnight trading on Robinhood [2]

Core Viewpoint - Gold and silver prices have rebounded after a significant sell-off, indicating that the recent corrections may be more of a positioning reset rather than a long-term downturn [1][2][4]. Price Movements - Gold prices increased by over 2% to $4,771.76 per ounce after a nearly 10% drop on Friday, marking one of the steepest declines in decades [2]. - Silver prices saw a recovery of 2.6% to $81.3 per ounce after a dramatic 30% collapse, which was its worst one-day performance since 1980 [3]. Market Analysis - Analysts suggest that the recent sell-off was driven by short-term catalysts rather than a structural market shift, despite the significant scale of the decline raising questions about market positioning [4]. - Deutsche Bank strategists noted that while there has been an increase in speculative activity, it does not fully account for the extent of the recent price movements [4]. Investor Sentiment - The adjustment in precious metal prices has exceeded the impact of its apparent catalysts, indicating that investor intentions across various sectors (official, institutional, individual) have likely not deteriorated [5].

Core Insights - Elon Musk is merging SpaceX with his AI startup xAI to build "orbital data centers" for future AI compute needs, while xAI currently requires significant funding to expand its infrastructure and compete in the generative AI market [1][2] Group 1: Financial Aspects - xAI is in urgent need of capital, having reported a loss of approximately $9.5 billion in the first nine months of 2025 [6] - SpaceX is planning a public offering that could raise up to $50 billion, with a potential valuation of $1.5 trillion, which may provide the necessary funds for xAI [3] - The merger allows xAI to leverage investor interest in AI, potentially stabilizing its financial situation despite ongoing losses [6] Group 2: Business Operations - SpaceX's growth is significantly driven by its Starlink satellite internet service, which currently has around 9,000 satellites and approximately 9 million customers [4] - The Federal Communications Commission has authorized SpaceX to launch an additional 7,500 satellites, enhancing its operational capacity [4] - However, SpaceX faces limitations in deploying its satellites due to the finite number of rocket launches available each year [5] Group 3: Market Dynamics - The AI sector is currently attracting substantial investment, with companies receiving tens of billions of dollars, although this interest may fluctuate in the future [7] - Musk's strategy to merge xAI with SpaceX is seen as a way to capitalize on the current investor enthusiasm for AI technologies [6]

Core Viewpoint - The recent volatility in silver prices has led to comparisons with meme stocks, raising questions about whether silver is trading on fundamentals or behaving like a meme asset [1][2]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - Silver prices have surged dramatically, with spot silver advancing nearly 4% to $4,852.76 per ounce and silver futures rising over 9% to $84 per ounce [3]. - Over the past month, silver has experienced 10 price movements of 5% or more in either direction, indicating significant volatility [3]. Group 2: Retail Investor Behavior - Individual investors invested approximately $171 million net into the iShares Silver Trust on January 26, nearly double the previous peak during the "silver squeeze" of 2021 [3]. - Retail enthusiasm for silver has been likened to the behavior seen in meme stocks, with a growing community on platforms like Reddit actively discussing and promoting silver investments [4]. Group 3: Market Sentiment - Market strategist Michael Antonelli highlighted the disconnect between silver's price movements and traditional valuation models, suggesting that retail trading behavior is driving the current market dynamics [2]. - The narrative surrounding silver has gained traction among retail traders, indicating a shift in market sentiment that resembles the "zeitgeist" seen in previous meme stock phenomena [2].

U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 13, 2025.The world's largest economy has struck a deal with the most populous nation.U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that America will lower so-called reciprocal tariffs on India to 18% from 25%. As part of the deal, New Delhi will "BUY AMERICAN" at "a much higher level," and stop buying oil from Russia. Instead, India will im ...

Asia-Pacific markets rose Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington and India had struck a trade deal and would immediately begin cutting tariffs on each other's goods. Trump added that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to step up purchases of U.S. products, according to a Truth Social post on Monday following a call between the two leaders. Under the deal, India will also stop its purchases of Russian crude oil and instead buy more from the U.S., and potentially, Venezuela, Tru ...

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on the day he announced the creation of a critical mineral reserve, in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 2, 2026.President Donald Trump on Monday said a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell should continue, shrugging off a Republican senator's vow to block Trump's Fed chair replacement pick unless the probe is dropped.U.S. Attorney for Washington Jeanine Pirro, who is leading the unprecedented probe of the central bank chairman, should ...

Alphabet's self-driving car unit Waymo on Monday said it raised a $16 billion funding round that values the company at $126 billion "post-money."The new valuation is more than double from Waymo's last funding. That was a series C round of $5.6 billion at a $45 billion valuation, which closed in October 2024. Alphabet committed $5 billion in a multiyear investment to Waymo at the time."​​This milestone is built on a foundation of safety that is now statistically superior to human driving," Waymo co-CEOs Teke ...

Oracle's 5-year credit default swaps tumbled 17% after the software vendor's plan to raise $50 billion in debt and equity bolstered investor confidence that the company will be able to avoid a credit downgrade as it funds its artificial intelligence buildout. "Equity financing significantly inhibits the downside for credit," Andrew Keches, a credit analyst at Barclays, wrote in a note to clients on Monday. Keches upgraded Oracle's debt to overweight and said that its CDS should compress further.Credit defau ...