Earnings Reports - Meta reported a 26% revenue growth, reaching $51.2 billion, but aggressive AI spending raised concerns, increasing to $70-72 billion from $66-72 billion [2] - Microsoft achieved $77.7 billion in revenue, an 18% increase, with Azure growth at 40%, but AI spending surged 74% during the quarter, causing investor unease [3] - Alphabet generated $102.3 billion in revenue, a 16% growth, with AI capex rising to $91-93 billion, but confidence remained due to strong cloud performance [4] - Overall, the earnings from these companies indicate aggressive AI investment and sustained earnings power, though investor anxiety about future payoffs persists [5] Trade Agreement - President Trump and President Xi agreed to a trade deal, reducing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from approximately 57% to 47% [5] - China committed to resuming large-scale purchases of U.S. soybeans and delaying rare-earth export restrictions for one year [5] - This agreement provides a degree of stability for investors, particularly those with exposure to China and U.S. agricultural exports [6][7] Nuclear Sector Developments - The U.S. government plans to invest at least $80 billion in nuclear reactors to meet the energy demands of AI technologies [11] - The announcement led to significant gains in the uranium sector, with companies like Energy Fuels, Uranium Energy, and Cameco seeing stock increases of 9%, 14%, and 23% respectively [12] - China's nuclear ambitions are projected to consume one-third of global uranium supply by 2030, indicating a structural shift in the market [10][14] Private Credit Market Concerns - The private credit market has grown from around $300 billion in 2010 to approximately $3 trillion last year, raising concerns about potential debt issues [21] - Recent bankruptcies in the sector have prompted caution among investors, with JPMorgan's CEO warning of possible underlying problems [23][24] - Investors are advised to review their portfolios for exposure to private credit and assess the extent of lending operations in affected companies [25][26]
The Numbers that Spooked Wall Street Today