Youtubeยท2025-10-15 21:00Market Overview - Gold prices have reached an all-time high of $4,200 per ounce, driven by renewed trade tensions and investor diversification into gold [1] - Gold has surged nearly 58% this year due to geopolitical tensions, rate cut expectations, central bank buying, and strong ETF inflows [2] Federal Reserve Insights - Federal Reserve Governor Steven Meyer warned that renewed US-China trade tensions, particularly regarding rare earth exports, pose a downside risk to economic growth [3] - Meyer advocated for more aggressive interest rate cuts to achieve a neutral policy stance, stating that current policy settings are overly restrictive [3][4] - He downplayed near-term inflation risks, suggesting that softer inflation allows the Fed to act more decisively [4] Corporate Developments - Apple is increasing its investment in China despite trade war concerns, with CEO Tim Cook promoting the new iPhone release [6] - LVMH shares experienced their largest increase since 2001, reporting a surprise return to sales growth with Q3 revenue rising 1% after two quarters of decline, driven by improved demand in China [7] - ASML, a Dutch semiconductor equipment maker, expects significant demand growth in China next year, despite a mixed third-quarter earnings report [8] Semiconductor Industry Focus - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is set to report earnings, with consensus estimates for revenue at $966.96 billion and expected earnings of $15.64 per share [10] - TSMC reported a 31.4% increase in September sales year-over-year, with a run rate from January to September at 36.4% [11] Banking Sector Outlook - Following strong earnings from major banks, attention will shift to regional banks, focusing on net interest margins and consumer spending [12] - Analysts anticipate that the upcoming reports will provide insights into consumer behavior and debt levels among smaller lenders [12][13]