Market Overview - Major U.S. indices experienced slight declines, with the S&P 500 down 0.3%, the Nasdaq Composite down 0.3%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.4% to 46,473.14 [1] - Despite the pullback, all three indices remain near historic highs, indicating strong market confidence [9] Sector Performance - The technology sector continues to lead, driven by AI-related companies and large tech firms, which have shown strong gains and attract long-term investors [24][25] - Energy and healthcare sectors are demonstrating resilience, supported by stable oil prices and steady demand in biotechnology [6][25] - Financial stocks are also performing well, benefiting from favorable interest rate expectations [25] Notable Company Movements - Nvidia (NVDA) reached a new all-time intraday high of $195.30, up nearly 3%, following an analyst's price target increase to $300, the highest on Wall Street [2][14] - Costco (COST) reported an 8% increase in sales, totaling $26.58 billion for the five weeks ending October 5, with online sales rising 26.1% [21] - Delta Air Lines (DAL) exceeded earnings expectations, resulting in a 7% stock increase, which positively impacted other airline stocks [18] Global Influences - New export restrictions from China on key minerals have led to a surge in rare earth stocks, as these materials are essential for various technologies [10][11] - Geopolitical uncertainties and global economic data are influencing U.S. market sentiment, with investors closely monitoring these developments [7][23] Earnings Season - The third-quarter earnings season has begun, with PepsiCo (PEP) delivering a modest earnings beat, marking the official start of this period [18] - Analysts are watching for positive news in earnings reports to potentially reverse current market declines [5]

Market Overview - U.S. stocks are experiencing modest movements near record highs, with the S&P 500 rising 0.1% and marking its eighth gain in the last nine days [1] - Futures for major indices like S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones are virtually unchanged before the market opens, following record highs on Wednesday [2] Company Earnings - Delta Air Lines reported a stronger-than-expected profit for the third quarter, forecasting a full-year profit of $6 per share, which is in the upper half of its previous guidance range. Delta shares rose 5.8% in premarket trading [4] - PepsiCo's shares increased by less than 1% after reporting better-than-expected revenue in Q3, despite an 11% decline in net income to $2.6 billion. Adjusted earnings per share were $2.29, beating analysts' forecasts by 3 cents [3] Mergers and Acquisitions - Novo Nordisk announced the acquisition of Akero Therapeutics for $4.7 billion in cash, leading to an 18% increase in Akero's shares before market opening [5] Commodity Prices - Oil prices fell slightly, with U.S. benchmark crude dipping 21 cents to $62.34 per barrel and Brent crude down 18 cents to $66.07 per barrel [8] - Gold prices remain high at $4,054.50 per ounce, despite shedding some gains [8]

Market Overview - The S&P 500 increased by 0.1%, marking eight gains in the past nine sessions, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 21 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite remained virtually flat [4][6] - Gold prices climbed by 0.1% following a strong rally this year, and Treasury yields remained steady amid expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts to support economic growth [4][6] Airline Industry - Delta Air Lines surged by 6.4% after reporting stronger-than-expected summer profits and projecting full-year earnings above forecasts, with broad-based sales acceleration noted, particularly in domestic business travel [4][6] - Other airline stocks also benefited, with American Airlines gaining 3.3%, United Airlines rising by 5.3%, and Southwest Airlines adding 3.3% [4][6] Corporate Earnings - PepsiCo's stock rose by 1.3% after reporting better-than-expected quarterly profits, driven by improved momentum in its North American drinks business [5][6] - Tesla's stock fell by 1.1% following a preliminary evaluation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding safety concerns over its full self-driving system [5][6] - Akero Therapeutics jumped by 16.8% after news of a potential acquisition by Novo Nordisk for up to $5.2 billion, contingent on federal approval of its lead product candidate [5][6] - MP Materials climbed by 5.2% after China announced export curbs on rare earths, which are essential for electronics and aerospace components [5][6] Global Market Trends - Global markets showed mixed results, with Shanghai's index rising by 1.3% and Japan's Nikkei 225 gaining 1.8%, led by SoftBank Group, which surged by 11.4% after announcing a $5.4 billion deal to acquire the robotics unit of Swiss engineering firm ABB [5][6] - In the US bond market, the 10-year Treasury yield edged up to 4.14% from 4.13% [5][6]

All right, we got to talk to you about it. Um, shutdown just in in its ninth day. Uh, we got that data from Moody's that we always bring up.For every week of the government shutdown, quarterly GDP is impacted by a tenth of a percent. What's the impact on the manufacturing sector. Are there certain parts of it that are impacted more than others.Well, I think overall, Frank, the business community in general, but certainly manufacturing depends on certainty and uh having this kind of uncertain time where we d ...

Federal Reserve and Economic Outlook - The Federal Open Market Committee's minutes indicate openness to further interest rate cuts this year, despite concerns over elevated inflation [1] - A majority of policymakers emphasized upside risks to inflation while acknowledging increased labor market risks [1] - Officials stressed a balanced approach to achieving employment and inflation goals [1] Stock Market Performance - Wall Street's major indexes, including the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, reached new record highs, with Nvidia and Amazon.com showing gains [3] - Advanced Micro Devices surged over +11% after an upgrade to Buy from DZ Bank, while Confluent climbed more than +7% amid sale exploration [3] - Fair Isaac's stock fell over -9% following a competitive pricing response from Equifax [3] Upcoming Earnings Reports - Companies like PepsiCo and Delta Air Lines are starting the U.S. third-quarter reporting period, with major banks set to report next week [4] - Tesla will report on October 22nd, followed by Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms on October 29th [4] Global Market Developments - The Euro Stoxx 50 Index fell -0.18%, with bank stocks underperforming, particularly HSBC and Lloyds [12] - Germany's exports unexpectedly fell -0.5% in August, while imports decreased -1.3% [13] - China's Shanghai Composite Index hit a 10-year high, driven by gold mining and semiconductor stocks amid geopolitical tensions [14][15] Pre-Market Stock Movements - Nvidia advanced over +1% in pre-market trading after U.S. approval of chip exports to the UAE [16] - Delta Air Lines climbed over +5% following positive FQ3 results and reaffirmed annual earnings guidance [17] - Akero Therapeutics jumped more than +19% after agreeing to be acquired by Novo Nordisk for up to $5.2 billion [17]

Core Viewpoint - Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams advocates for additional interest rate cuts this year due to concerns over a potential slowdown in the labor market [1][2] Group 1: Interest Rate Policy - Williams expressed that he supports lowering interest rates this year, but the exact implications of such cuts remain to be seen [1] - The Federal Reserve recently reduced its rate by a quarter percentage point during its September meeting, which was described as a measure to maintain a balance between restraining the economy and preventing a rapid decline in the job market [4] Group 2: Inflation Concerns - Williams highlighted the significant risk of inflation exceeding the 2% target, which could harm the economy and the Federal Reserve's credibility [2] - He emphasized the need to manage inflation carefully to avoid a sharper cooling of the labor market [2]

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures declined on Thursday following a mixed close on Wednesday, with major benchmark indices showing lower futures [1][3] - The Nasdaq Composite reached new all-time highs, driven by a surge in technology stocks, particularly Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and Micron Technology Inc. (MU) [1][8] Federal Reserve Insights - The Federal Reserve's minutes indicated that President Trump's trade tariffs are impacting growth and inflation outlooks, raising concerns about the sustainability of interest rate cuts [2] - Market expectations for a rate cut in the upcoming October meeting are high, with a 94.6% likelihood priced in [3] Company Performance - PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) is set to release earnings, with analysts expecting $2.26 per share on revenue of $23.83 billion, while maintaining a weaker price trend [6] - Turn Therapeutics Inc. (TTRX) saw a significant increase of 271.43% after starting trading on the Nasdaq [7] - AiRWA Inc. (YYAI) gained 47.72% following a rebranding, shifting focus to Web3 and blockchain services [7] - Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) is expected to report earnings of $1.52 per share on revenue of $15.04 billion, with a mixed price trend [7] - Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI) anticipates quarterly earnings of 31 cents per share on revenue of $1.50 billion, showing a stronger price trend [7] Sector Performance - The industrials, information technology, and utilities sectors led the S&P 500 to a positive close, while energy and financial stocks performed poorly [5] - The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) both experienced declines in premarket trading [3] Economic Indicators - Crude oil futures increased by 0.32% to approximately $62.68 per barrel, while gold prices fell slightly [13] - Upcoming economic data includes initial jobless claims and wholesale inventories, with several Federal Reserve officials scheduled to speak [14]

Core Insights - Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) experienced significant stock performance, reaching an all-time high of $13.36, closing up 11.63% at $13.34, driven by a rally in silver and gold prices [1][2] Group 1: Market Performance - Hecla Mining's stock surged as investor sentiment improved due to expectations of interest rate cuts, which typically benefit mining firms [2][3] - Silver prices increased by 3.2% to $49.39, with a record high of $49.57, while gold prices rose 1.7% to $4,050, surpassing the $4,000 mark [2] Group 2: Economic Factors - The upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on October 28 and 29 is anticipated to result in interest rate cuts, which would weaken the US dollar and make precious metals cheaper for foreign buyers [3] - The last FOMC meeting of the year is scheduled for December 9 and 10, where another rate cut is expected [3] Group 3: Price Forecasts - HSBC raised its average silver price forecast to $38.56 per ounce from $35.14, with expectations for silver prices to reach $44.50 in 2026 and $40 in 2027 [4]

Core Insights - The U.S. dollar is experiencing a strong performance, on track for its best week in nearly a year, primarily due to the weakness of the Japanese yen and political turmoil in Japan and France [10][11] - The Japanese yen is expected to weaken further, especially with the confirmation of Takaichi as Prime Minister and the upcoming Bank of Japan (BOJ) meeting, which may signal no interest rate hikes in the near term [1][10] - The euro is facing pressure from France's political crisis, following the resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, although a new prime minister is expected to be appointed soon [2][11] Currency Performance - The euro last traded 0.09% higher at $1.1639, reversing three consecutive days of losses, but remains nearly 0.9% down for the week [3][11] - The U.S. dollar is up more than 1% for the week, supported by the movements in the yen and euro, while the British pound rose 0.07% to $1.3413 and the Australian dollar increased by 0.11% to $0.6594 [3][11] - The New Zealand dollar edged up 0.1% to $0.5792 after a significant interest rate cut of 50 basis points by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, indicating concerns about the economy [5][11] Federal Reserve Insights - Federal Reserve officials acknowledged increased risks to the U.S. job market that may justify a rate cut, but they remain cautious about high inflation [6][11] - Markets are still pricing in two more rate cuts by year-end, with expectations of approximately 44 basis points of easing by December, despite potential delays in economic data due to a prolonged U.S. government shutdown [7][9][11]

Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts will significantly impact banks, with DBS likely to perform better than OCBC in this new environment [1][6]. DBS Group Holdings Ltd - DBS is the largest bank in Singapore, showing resilience with stable net interest income (NII) despite falling interest rates [2][3]. - For 2Q2025, DBS reported NII of S$3.6 billion, a 2% year-on-year increase, supported by a 4% growth in its deposit book [2][3]. - The net interest margin (NIM) decreased to 1.95% from 2.05%, but NII for 2025 is still expected to be higher year-on-year [3]. - Fee income increased by 10.4% year-on-year to S$1.4 billion, with wealth management contributing significantly [4]. - Dividends remain robust, with a declared S$0.75 per share for 2Q2025, consisting of S$0.60 in ordinary dividends, an 11% increase year-on-year [5]. Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd - OCBC faces more challenges in the new interest rate environment, with NII declining 6% year-on-year to S$2.28 billion for 2Q2025 [6][8]. - The insurance arm, Great Eastern, contributed to volatility, with a 23.1% year-on-year decline in contributions due to lower interest rates [8]. - OCBC's interim dividend for 1H2025 was reduced to S$0.41 per share, a 6.8% decline year-on-year [8]. Comparison: Valuation, Yields, and Exposure - DBS has a trailing price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 2.3 times, significantly higher than its three-year average of 1.57 times, indicating a premium valuation [13]. - OCBC's trailing P/B ratio is 1.30 times, which is more attractive compared to its historical average of 1.1 times [13]. - DBS's annual dividend yield is 4.2%, while OCBC's is higher at 4.8% based on ordinary dividends [9]. - DBS has a diversified exposure with 45% in Singapore, 26.5% in Greater China, and 19.7% in the Rest of the World [10]. - OCBC has a similar exposure to Singapore (42.8%) but greater exposure to Southeast Asia (13.7%) [11]. Investment Implications - DBS offers stronger diversification and resilience due to its fee income growth, particularly in wealth management [14]. - OCBC may appeal to value-seeking investors despite its weaker fundamentals, as it is priced more attractively [15][16]. - The choice between DBS and OCBC depends on investor preference for resilience and growth versus value and insurance exposure [16].