Micron tops Wall Street expectations, how the Fed is impacting markets

Group 1: Market Overview - Stocks closed lower, retreating from record levels, indicating a shift in market sentiment [1] - The Federal Reserve's recent rate cuts have influenced market dynamics, leading to a slight rally in the bond market [3][4] - Increased retail participation in meme stocks and unprofitable tech stocks reflects a similar energy to the post-COVID environment [5][6] Group 2: Micron's Performance - Micron reported fourth-quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations, with adjusted earnings per share of $3.30 and revenue of $11.32 billion [24][26] - The company provided an optimistic outlook for the upcoming first quarter, guiding for revenue of $12.5 billion and EPS of $3.75, surpassing analyst expectations [26][27] - Micron's growth is closely tied to the AI sector, particularly through its production of high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips that complement Nvidia's GPU chips [30][32] Group 3: Federal Reserve's Mandates - The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices, with a third mandate of moderate long-term interest rates recently highlighted [39][40] - Long-term interest rates impact borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, as well as federal budget implications [46][47] - The Fed's approach to managing these rates is crucial, as surging long-term rates could tighten financial conditions despite short-term rate cuts [49]