Markets Brace for US CPI; AI Firms Crush Earnings | The Asia Trade 8/12/2026

Artificial Intelligence and Technology Industry - CoreWeave and Super Micro reported strong after-hours earnings and raised sales outlooks, reinforcing robust demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure [6][10] - CoreWeave’s backlog for future sales reached 4 billion dollars at the end of the quarter [8] - Super Micro's preliminary results previously drove a 25% stock increase, and the company continued to exceed analyst expectations [11] - Nvidia announced a 500 billion dollar artificial intelligence financing coalition with Wall Street names like Apollo, BlackRock, and Blackstone, while Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang clarified that Nvidia would support up to 25% of project-based opportunities [12][48] - Tencent anticipated a 10% revenue growth and a 5% year-on-year profit increase, driven by advertising and mobile gaming, while monitoring the adoption of its desktop AI assistant, Work Buddy [169][170] Macroeconomic Trends and Monetary Policy - South Korea plans to deploy over 700 million dollars into a new strategic sovereign wealth fund next year, targeting artificial intelligence and other high-tech strategic industries [1][73] - South Korea's jobless rate for July rose to 2.8%, with the population over 15 years old increasing by 0.6% from a year ago [31] - South Korea's gross domestic product growth is expected to reach 3.3% for the year, supported by technology and semiconductor upside [178] - Brent crude traded higher over the 80 dollars a barrel level as traders monitored diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore energy flows [3] - U.S. regulatory outlook indicates supply disruptions from the war will reach about 600,000 barrels per day through the end of next year and could continue through 2027 [53]