[Music] Top of the morning from Yow Fines's New York City headquarter studios. I'm Yao Fines executive editor Brian S. You're watching Optimal Bank Holdings ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on this Monday and fortunate getting trading underway over at the NASDAQ.promises to be a super busy week for the markets. And if you are ready for the smoke, I encourage you to get ready starting right this very moment. The Fed is likely get likely to cut rates for the second straight time in its ...

Market Performance - The three major US stock indices opened higher, with the Dow Jones up 0.56%, S&P 500 up 0.86%, and Nasdaq up 1.38%, all reaching new historical highs [1] - Major tech stocks saw significant gains, with Nvidia, Google A, and Tesla rising over 2%, while Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Broadcom, and Apple increased by more than 1% [2] - Most large bank stocks also rose, with Barclays up over 2%, and Citigroup, UBS, and Morgan Stanley up over 1% [3] Economic Indicators - The upcoming "Super Central Bank Week" is anticipated, with the Federal Reserve's meeting scheduled for October 28-29, where a 25 basis point rate cut to the 3.75%-4% range is widely expected [3] - According to CME's FedWatch, the probability of a 25 basis point cut in October is 98.3%, while the chance of maintaining the current rate is only 1.7% [3] Chinese Market Insights - The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index surged over 2% in early trading [3] - Popular Chinese stocks mostly rose, with Baidu up over 5%, Vipshop up over 4%, and NIO, Xpeng, and JD.com up over 3% [6] Currency and Commodity Trends - The offshore RMB strengthened, rising over 200 basis points against the US dollar [8] - Gold prices experienced a significant drop, with London gold and COMEX gold both falling nearly 3%, and London gold dropping below $4000 per ounce [9] - Capital Economics has revised down its gold price forecast, expecting it to fall to $3500 per ounce by the end of 2026 [10] - However, Fidelity International remains bullish on gold, citing factors like Fed rate cuts and geopolitical risks as supportive for gold's performance [11]

[Music] Hello and welcome to Morning Brief Market Sunrise. I'm Ramsan Karamali live from Yahoo Finance Studios in London. It's Monday 27th October. It's a big tech earnings week coming up on the show. So the US and China agree on a framework for a trade deal. Then there were five. Trump says he could name his next Fed chair before year end. and I'll tell you about a stock that's up nearly 900% in just six months. So, grab your coffee and let's own the morning. [Music] Well, the first thing you need to know ...

Core Insights - The focus of Wall Street is shifting from traditional metrics like revenue and profit to capital expenditure, particularly in light of the AI investment plans by major tech companies [1][2] - The upcoming earnings reports from Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, and Apple will provide insights into how these companies are positioning themselves in the AI landscape [1][2] - The competition for AI capabilities is driving significant capital investments, with OpenAI leading a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that sets a high benchmark for the industry [2] Group 1: Capital Expenditure Trends - Major tech companies are expected to increase their capital expenditures significantly, with Morgan Stanley predicting a 24% growth to nearly $550 billion next year [2] - Microsoft anticipates a capital expenditure of $30 billion for the current quarter, with a year-over-year growth rate exceeding 50% [4] - Alphabet has raised its capital expenditure forecast for the year from $75 billion to $85 billion, with plans for further increases in 2026 [5] Group 2: Company-Specific Plans - Meta has increased its 2025 capital expenditure forecast by $1 billion to $69 billion, emphasizing the role of AI infrastructure in enhancing advertising capabilities [6] - Amazon plans to spend over $100 billion on capital expenditures this year, with a focus on chips, data centers, and logistics [7] - Apple’s capital expenditure for fiscal year 2024 is projected at $9.4 billion, with a strategy of leasing cloud services rather than operating its own [8]

Economic Overview - The economy is performing well, with a growth rate of 3.9% according to the Atlanta Fed tracker, and the Federal Reserve is expected to implement more easing measures soon [2] - Earnings growth is currently at 15%, surpassing initial expectations of 10-12%, with revenue growth at 8% and expanding margins [3] Market Sentiment - Management teams are expressing increased confidence, particularly regarding the tax bill and tariffs, which they are managing better than anticipated [4] - The banking sector has shown strong performance, with the banking ETF up over 3% recently, indicating positive sentiment in the financial industry [4] Company-Specific Insights - Major tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Meta are set to report earnings soon, with expectations for strong performance in cloud revenues [5][8] - Meta is trading at 21 times forward estimates, with a revenue growth rate of 22% and operating margin expansion, reflecting improved expense management [7] - Boeing's stock has increased by 26% year-to-date, driven by the approval to increase 737 Max production from 38 to 42 planes per month, which is expected to enhance free cash flow significantly [9][10] - Boeing's management has been effective in addressing past execution and safety issues, leading to improved operational performance [11]

Group 1 - The US stock market, particularly technology stocks, is showing bullish signals following constructive trade discussions between the US and China in Kuala Lumpur [1][2] - Futures linked to the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq indices rose by 0.6%, 0.7%, and 1.0% respectively on October 26, indicating a positive market sentiment [1][2] - A recent survey revealed that nearly half (47%) of professional investors are optimistic about the US stock market's outlook for 2026, a significant increase from 28% in the spring survey [2][3] Group 2 - The S&P 500 index reached a historic high on October 24, and the market continued to rebound due to favorable signals [2] - The upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate decision on October 29 is anticipated to result in another rate cut, which is expected to benefit major tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon [2][4] - The survey conducted by Erdos Media Research and Barron's involved 122 fund managers and investment strategists, indicating a strong correlation between the recent market performance and the return of bullish sentiment [3] Group 3 - Fund managers predict a continuation of the upward trend until the end of 2026, with expected gains of 9% to 10.5% for major indices driven by corporate earnings growth and advancements in AI technology [4][5] - Approximately 38% of respondents expect S&P 500 earnings per share to grow by 6% to 10%, while 13% predict growth exceeding 10% [4] - Concerns about high stock valuations persist, with 57% of top fund managers believing the current market is overvalued, and 38% anticipating a bear market within the next 12 months [5][6] Group 4 - Nearly 60% of respondents have increased investments in non-US assets, reflecting a broader market strategy [6] - The majority (57%) of respondents view the current Federal Reserve policy stance as appropriate, with expectations for continued rate cuts [6][7] - There is a division of opinion regarding the next Federal Reserve chair, with support for candidates who advocate further rate cuts [7]

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Core Viewpoint - The upcoming earnings reports from major tech companies raise concerns about whether the current AI hype is leading to a new bubble, despite strong revenue growth expectations [1] Group 1: AI Investment and Returns - Major cloud service providers, including Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta, are expected to invest $400 billion in AI infrastructure this year, but the return on investment remains uncertain [1] - A widely cited MIT study indicates that only about 5% of over 300 analyzed AI projects have achieved measurable benefits, with many remaining in pilot stages due to integration and scalability challenges [1] Group 2: Systemic Risks from Circular Trading - Circular trading reminiscent of the 1990s internet bubble is raising systemic risk concerns, with Nvidia potentially investing $100 billion in OpenAI, which has signed a $1 trillion AI computing deal without clear financing details [2] - Debt financing is becoming increasingly important for large tech companies' AI infrastructure investments, differing from past investment cycles [2] - When companies mutually finance and depend on each other, decision-making may shift from genuine demand to reinforcing growth expectations, increasing systemic risk [2] Group 3: Cloud Business Growth and Profitability - Despite bubble concerns, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are expected to report strong growth in their cloud computing divisions, although capacity constraints limit their ability to meet AI demand [3] - Microsoft Azure is projected to grow by 38.4%, surpassing Google Cloud's 30.1% and Amazon Web Services' (AWS) 18% growth expectations [3] - While AWS remains the largest player, it faces scrutiny after service outages affected popular applications, and profit growth for these companies is expected to slow due to rising costs [3] Group 4: Investor Sentiment on Application Rates - Some investors believe that beneath the bubble, real value is emerging, citing double-digit revenue growth and strong cash flow as indicators of healthy balance sheets for tech giants [4] - Eric Schiffer, CEO of Patriarch Organization, argues that low current application rates are not indicative of future potential, suggesting that increased investment and model innovation will drive growth [4] Group 5: Industry Maturity Concerns - Andrej Karpathy, co-founder of OpenAI and former AI lead at Tesla, expressed concerns about the overall immaturity of AI models, suggesting that the industry is overestimating its advancements [5]

Core Insights - Meta and ENGIE are expanding their power purchase agreements in the U.S. to over 1.3 gigawatts (GW) with a new 600 megawatt (MW) solar project in Texas [1] Group 1: Company Developments - Meta is collaborating with ENGIE to enhance its renewable energy portfolio through the addition of a significant solar project [1] - The new solar project will contribute to Meta's sustainability goals and energy needs [1] Group 2: Industry Impact - The expansion of power purchase agreements reflects a growing trend among tech companies to invest in renewable energy sources [1] - The addition of 600 MW of solar capacity is part of a broader movement towards sustainable energy solutions in the utility sector [1]

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The focus is on the humanoid robotics and physical AI sector, with major players including SoftBank, ABB, Apple, Meta, Google, and Tesla [1][2][3][5][6]. Core Developments 1. **SoftBank's Acquisition of ABB Robotics**: - SoftBank agreed to purchase ABB's Robotics division for $5.4 billion, shifting from a previous plan to spin off the business due to competition from Chinese firms [5][39]. - Masayoshi Son, SoftBank's founder, emphasized that "SoftBank's next frontier is Physical AI," aiming to integrate AI and robotics to drive innovation [5][39]. 2. **Meta's Humanoid Robot Initiative**: - Meta is developing a humanoid robot called 'Meta-Bot' and aims to become a software/AI provider for various hardware developers [5][39]. - The company has formed a robotics team to create datasets and world models for enhanced robot capabilities [5][39]. 3. **Google's Robotics Advancements**: - Google DeepMind released the Gemini Robotics series, enhancing robots' ability to perform complex tasks through embodied reasoning [5][46]. - Google and Meta are both building world models that allow agents to interact in simulations, with potential applications in robotics [5][6]. 4. **Tesla's Optimus Robot**: - Tesla plans to unveil the fully redesigned Optimus v3 in Q1 2026, with ambitious production goals of 1 million units for v3 and up to 100 million for future versions [7][53]. - CEO Elon Musk highlighted the challenges in developing humanoid robots, particularly in creating dextrous hands [7][53]. 5. **China's Dominance in Industrial Robotics**: - China accounted for 54% of global industrial robot installations in 2024, marking a significant increase from 26% a decade ago [7][8]. Financial Insights - The Humanoid 100 index has increased by 27% since its inception on February 6, 2025, outperforming the S&P 500 and other indices [11]. - Tesla's stock rating is currently "Overweight" with a price target of $410, while its market cap stands at approximately $1.58 trillion [3][7]. Notable Partnerships and Funding 1. **Figure AI's Series C Funding**: - Figure AI raised $1 billion in a Series C round, valuing the company at $39 billion, aimed at scaling humanoid robots for home and commercial use [29]. 2. **Strategic Partnerships**: - Figure AI partnered with Brookfield to build a real-world database for its Helix VLA model [35]. - Telexistence and Seven-Eleven Japan are collaborating to deploy humanoid robots in stores by 2029 [35]. 3. **Apple's Robotics Development**: - Apple is reportedly collaborating with BYD to manufacture AI-enabled robots, with products expected to launch in 2026 and 2027 [7][39]. Emerging Trends and Future Outlook - The development of humanoid robots is seen as a significant opportunity, with many companies investing heavily in AI and robotics [5][6][39]. - The integration of AI with robotics is expected to drive advancements in various sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, and consumer applications [5][39]. Conclusion - The humanoid robotics and physical AI industry is rapidly evolving, with significant investments and developments from major tech companies. The competitive landscape is intensifying, particularly with China's growing influence in industrial robotics. The future of humanoid robots appears promising, with potential applications across various sectors.