Market Overview - The US stock market experienced a significant decline, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 581 points to 49,540, the S&P 500 dropping 1.15% to 6,861, and the Nasdaq Composite sliding 1.56% to 22,707 due to fears surrounding artificial intelligence disruption [1][18] - Major technology and AI-linked stocks faced pressure, including NVIDIA Corporation, which hovered near $190 on heavy volume, Intel Corporation falling over 2%, Netflix, Inc. dropping more than 4%, and Palantir Technologies Inc. sliding more than 6% [1][18] Triggering Factors - The catalyst for the market crash was a press release from Algorhythm Holdings, claiming its AI freight platform could scale shipping volumes by 300% to 400% without increasing headcount, which raised concerns about margin pressure and job displacement in logistics and transportation sectors [3][18] - This reaction is part of a broader trend where each new AI announcement is perceived as a potential threat to existing business models across various industries [5][18] Sector Impact - Semiconductor stocks, previously viewed as major beneficiaries of AI, are now undergoing valuation reassessment, with NVIDIA trading near $190, below its 52-week high of $212, as investors question the sustainability of peak AI demand [6][18] - Intel's stock fell over 2% to around $47, reflecting a broader weakness in the chip sector as investors shifted towards defensive and cyclical stocks [7][18] - Palantir shares dropped over 6%, indicating a reassessment of disruption risks even among leading AI platform providers, as commoditization of AI platforms could diminish pricing power across the sector [8][18] Broader Market Sentiment - The iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF remains approximately 30% below its recent highs, signaling ongoing weakness in enterprise software stocks [9][18] - Streaming and e-commerce stocks also declined, with Netflix falling more than 4% to near $76 and Amazon dropping over 2% to around $199, reflecting both AI fears and macroeconomic pressures [10][18] - The market is currently facing dual pressures from AI disruption risks and higher interest rates, leading to a lack of dip-buying support that has characterized previous tech selloffs [11][12][18] Future Outlook - Investors are closely monitoring upcoming Consumer Price Index data, with expectations of a 0.3% monthly rise in both headline and core CPI, which could influence Federal Reserve rate cut decisions and further impact tech stocks [13][18] - The overall sentiment in the market is dominated by uncertainty regarding who will benefit from AI advancements and who may face disruption, suggesting that volatility in AI-related stocks like NVIDIA, Intel, Netflix, and Palantir is likely to persist [15][18]

Recent Events - Nvidia's potential investment of up to $100 billion in OpenAI has not been finalized, leading to stock price fluctuations. CEO Jensen Huang reiterated the company's significant investment intentions but did not confirm specific amounts, indicating that the market will continue to monitor the transaction's progress and its financial and strategic implications [2]. Company Status - In February 2026, Nvidia plans to moderately adjust GPU supply for the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 (starting late January 2026), with an expected reduction of approximately 30% in overall supply to the Chinese mainland market. This adjustment is primarily due to tight DRAM market supply and rising PC memory prices affecting demand, which may impact business performance [3]. Business and Technology Development - At the 2026 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Nvidia announced that its next-generation AI platform, Rubin, has entered full-scale production. This platform includes several new chip models, with Microsoft and CoreWeave expected to be among the first deployment customers in the second half of 2026. This technological advancement may enhance Nvidia's competitiveness in the AI infrastructure sector [4].

Group 1 - Gold prices experienced a sudden drop, with spot gold falling over 3% and nearly $200 during the day, while spot silver prices dropped over 8% [1] - Major U.S. stock indices saw a collective decline, with the Nasdaq down over 1.5%, the Dow Jones down nearly 1%, and the S&P 500 down 1% [1] Group 2 - Apple shares fell over 3%, resulting in a market value loss exceeding $120 billion (approximately 82 billion RMB), with other tech stocks like Microsoft, Amazon, Tesla, Meta, and Nvidia also experiencing declines [2] - The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index, which tracks Chinese stocks listed in the U.S., dropped nearly 3%, indicating a broader decline in Chinese stocks [4]

Core Insights - Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick received a significant raise, with his compensation package increasing from $34 million to $45 million, marking a 32% rise [1] - The bank reported its strongest year ever in 2025, achieving all-time high earnings per share, which contributed to the increase in Pick's salary [1][2] - Three quarters of Pick's bonus will be deferred over the next three years in equity, linking his compensation to the company's stock performance [2] Compensation Comparisons - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's salary increased by 22% to $96.5 million, with a $17 million raise [3] - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's salary rose to $49.9 million, with a 49% increase in his base salary to $1.5 million, marking his first base salary increase in a decade [3] - JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon reportedly earned around $770 million last year from various compensation sources [3] High-Profile Pay Packages - Elon Musk's potential compensation from Tesla could reach $1 trillion if he meets specific ambitious benchmarks, significantly overshadowing other CEO pay packages [4]

Timothy Arcuri, an analyst at UBS, has called trading conditions for Nvidia (NVDA) stock “favorable” for investors as the company heads into its fiscal Q4 earnings report on Feb. 25. The analyst believes numerous factors are looking positive for the stock, including supply chain issues and a not-so-impressive stock performance. Arcuri expects $76 billion in revenue from the chipmaker in the recently concluded quarter. While analysts have questioned the company’s expected 75% gross margins, Arcuri suggest ...

Market Overview - US stocks experienced a significant decline, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling over 500 points, approximately 1%, ending a three-day winning streak [1] - The S&P 500 dropped by 1.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell nearly 2% [1] Earnings and Sector Performance - Investors are closely analyzing earnings reports for insights into sectors at risk from AI disruption, which has negatively impacted software stocks [2] - Cisco Systems saw its stock decline over 11% due to a pessimistic profit outlook despite an increase in sales [2] - Major tech companies like Nvidia and Microsoft both experienced declines of over 1%, while Meta, Amazon, and Apple faced even larger losses [2] Economic Indicators - Attention is shifting towards the upcoming Consumer Price Index report, with expectations that a softer reading could indicate easing price pressures while maintaining economic growth [3] - Recent jobless claims data showed a smaller decline than anticipated, following a nonfarm payrolls report indicating the US economy added twice as many jobs as expected in January [4] - The robust labor market, combined with persistent inflation, is likely to complicate Federal Reserve policy expectations, reducing the chances of near-term interest rate cuts [4] Company Highlights - McDonald's shares increased after reporting earnings that exceeded expectations [5] - Upcoming earnings reports to watch include Coinbase, Applied Materials, and Rivian, all scheduled for release after market close [5]

Market Overview - The broader US tech sector experienced significant pressure, with the Nasdaq Composite dropping over 300 points, or more than 1%, trading at 22,764.90 [1] - The S&P 500 decreased by 0.6% to 6,902.80, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 249.27 points, or 0.50%, to 49,872.10 [1] Company Performance - Cisco's stock plummeted by 11%, while major companies such as Apple, Nvidia, and IBM saw declines of up to 6% [2] - Indian IT stocks faced a steep sell-off, with Infosys' American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) dropping more than 7% to an intraday low of $14.59, and Wipro's ADRs falling by 5.4% to $2.26 [3] - The Nifty IT index in India settled 5.5% lower, with all 10 stocks in the index slipping into negative territory [3]

TSMC (NYSE: TSM), the world's largest and most advanced contract chipmaker, might not initially seem like a high-growth artificial intelligence (AI) stock. Yet over the past five years, its shares have rallied by more than 170% as AI chipmakers lined up to use its plants. Let's see why it could still be one of the best AI stocks hiding in plain sight for 2026 and beyond. Why is TSMC a top AI stock? TSMC, based in Taiwan and operating plants in other countries, manufactures the world's smallest, densest, ...

Market Overview - The U.S. stock market showed mixed results with the Dow Jones up by 0.46%, while the Nasdaq fell by 0.31% and the S&P 500 increased by 0.09% [1] - Major tech stocks experienced varied performance, with Nvidia rising by 0.7% and Amazon and Apple both declining by over 1% [3] Semiconductor Sector - Storage concept stocks continued to perform well, with Seagate Technology rising by 11%, Western Digital by over 8%, SanDisk by over 8%, and Micron Technology by over 3% [3] - Micron Technology announced that its new NAND flash wafer plant is on track to begin shipments in the second half of 2028, with HBM4 customer shipments expected to increase in the first quarter of 2028, one quarter ahead of schedule. The CFO indicated that market demand exceeds supply, and this tight supply situation is expected to persist until after 2026 [3] Retail Sector - Major U.S. retailers saw collective gains, with Walmart rising over 2% to reach a historical high, Macy's up nearly 4%, Kohl's up nearly 3%, and Ross Stores up over 2% [4] - McDonald's reported a 9.5% year-over-year revenue increase to $7 billion for the fourth quarter, with adjusted earnings per share of $3.12, exceeding expectations [4] Software Sector - Software stocks faced significant sell-offs, with Cisco's stock plummeting over 9%, marking its largest drop in 2023. Despite an increase in AI demand leading to an upward revision of annual guidance, the gross margin guidance for the current quarter fell short of expectations [4] - Other software stocks showed mixed results post-earnings, with Fastly surging over 60%, HubSpot up over 10%, and Applovin dropping over 14% [4][5] Chinese Stocks - Chinese stocks listed in the U.S. experienced a collective decline, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index falling by 1.4%. Tencent Music dropped nearly 6%, while other companies like Huya, Boss Zhipin, and Beike fell over 4% [6] Commodity Market - Precious metals saw a decline, with spot gold down by 0.37% at $5065 per ounce and spot silver down by 1.43% at $83 per ounce [8] - International oil prices also fell, with Brent crude futures down about 1% to $68.75 per barrel and WTI crude futures down about 1% to $63.99 per barrel [8] Cryptocurrency Market - The majority of cryptocurrencies saw an increase, with Bitcoin rising by 0.96%, remaining below $68,000. In the last 24 hours, 118,000 individuals experienced liquidations [10][11]

Market Overview - The U.S. stock market opened higher but then retreated, with the Nasdaq down 0.71%, the Dow Jones up 0.13%, and the S&P 500 also turning negative, with over 3,200 stocks declining [1] - Last week, initial jobless claims in the U.S. were reported at 227,000, higher than the forecast of 224,000 and the previous value of 231,000 [3] Technology Sector Performance - The performance of the "Magnificent Seven" tech stocks was mixed, with Nvidia and Google slightly up by 0.1%, while Tesla, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Apple saw declines, with Apple nearing a 2% drop and its market cap falling below $4 trillion [3] - Semiconductor stocks experienced volatility, with SanDisk rising over 5% and Micron Technology up over 2% [3] Chinese Stocks - Chinese stocks listed in the U.S. faced widespread declines, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index dropping nearly 2%. Notable declines included Huya down over 7%, Tencent Music down over 6%, and Beike down over 4% [5] Trading Volume and Market Dynamics - The average daily trading volume in the U.S. stock market reached a record $1.03 trillion in January, a 50% increase compared to the same period in 2025, with over 19 billion shares traded daily, marking the second-highest in history [8] - The rise in trading volume is attributed to increased retail participation, the popularity of "zero-day-to-expiration" options, and a significant shift in investor focus from tech giants to underperforming sectors like energy and industrials [8] Hedge Fund Activity - Hedge funds have significantly increased their short positions in U.S. stocks, with the nominal short selling of individual stocks reaching the highest level since 2016. Short positions are now double the long positions [9] - Concerns over the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence on business models have led to a tumultuous week on Wall Street, with a total market value loss of $611 billion across 164 stocks in software, financial services, and asset management [9] Sector Rotation - The semiconductor and IT services sectors were among the few to see net buying last week, with semiconductor stocks rising, highlighting a divergence between chip stocks and software stocks [10] - Hedge funds are rotating into defensive sectors, with healthcare becoming the most favored sector for fund inflows, surpassing industrials [10]