Investor Place·2025-07-31 21:19Group 1: Economic Indicators - The June Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index increased by 0.3%, surpassing the revised May figure of 0.2%, with an annual rate of 2.6% compared to 2.4% in May [2][3] - Core PCE also rose by 0.3% in June, maintaining a yearly increase of 2.8%, which reflects a larger increase in May than initially reported [2][3] Group 2: Market Reactions - The odds of a Federal Reserve rate cut in September have decreased from 47.7% to 39.2% following the PCE report, indicating a shift in market expectations [3] - Markets reacted positively to news of a potential trade deal between the U.S. and China, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing confidence in finalizing the agreement [4][5] Group 3: Company Earnings - Meta and Microsoft reported better-than-expected earnings, with Meta's stock rising by 12% and Microsoft's by 5% following their earnings announcements [7] - Both companies are heavily investing in artificial intelligence, with Meta projecting capital expenditures between $66 billion and $72 billion for the year, and Microsoft expecting over $30 billion in capital expenditures for the fiscal first quarter [8][9] Group 4: AI Impact on Employment - AI is projected to potentially eliminate 20 to 30 million U.S. jobs by 2035, representing nearly 20% of the current U.S. payroll employment of around 160 million jobs [11][14] - Jobs at high risk of automation include administrative support, customer service, and transportation, with significant portions of these roles likely to be displaced [12][16] Group 5: Investment Strategies - Companies involved in AI infrastructure and applications are seen as key investment opportunities, with a focus on those that will benefit from the transition to a robotic workforce [25][26] - Investors are advised to be selective with AI stocks, as not all companies labeled as "AI" will be long-term winners, emphasizing the need to differentiate between hype and substance [28]