AI & Technology - Bernie Sanders calls for AI datacenter moratorium, addressing AI's negative perception [1] - Discussion on whether anti-AI sentiment is manufactured by special interests [1] - China's AI breakthrough in lithography and its impact on the AI race [1] - Examination of China's efforts to build its own "Manhattan Project" to rival the West in AI chips [1] Economy & Labor Market - Analysis of unemployment, jobs, and inflation, questioning whether the economy is primed for a "Golden Age" [1] Geopolitics & Trade - The Trump administration pressed the Dutch hard to cancel a chip equipment sale to China [1]

Welcome to this week’s edition of Top Stock Highlights.This week brought positive developments across Singapore’s economy and property market. Economists sharply upgraded the city-state’s 2025 GDP growth outlook, while Keppel DC REIT moved to consolidate ownership of two data centres. Meanwhile, a CapitaLand-UOL consortium emerged as the top bidder for a landmark Hougang Central mixed-use site.MAS December 2025 Economic Survey Economists have sharply raised Singapore’s 2025 GDP growth forecast to 4.1%, up f ...

Market Performance - The S&P 500 rose 0.88% to 6,834.50, the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.31% to 23,307.62, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.38% to 48,134.89, all influenced by volatile quad-witching flows [1] - AI-linked and broader tech names led market gains, with Oracle and Micron Technology boosting prices, while consumer stocks like Nike and Lamb Weston lagged due to disappointing earnings and guidance [2] Economic Indicators - Reports of cooling inflation and a softer labor market have strengthened expectations for a potential Federal Reserve rate cut early next year [4] - The University of Michigan revised its December consumer sentiment expectations downwards, citing high prices and weak hiring as contributing factors [5] Sector Challenges - Mixed results from Nike and Lamb Weston highlight ongoing challenges in consumer-facing sectors, with Nike beating analyst estimates but experiencing a stock decline due to concerns over profits and sales in China [5] - Apollo Global Management has warned of stagflation risks next year, particularly if AI does not meet expectations [4]

“I think the president will take this as good news. The investors will think that interest rates will get cut more, so it was positive news — there’s no other way to spin it.”“I was surprised. It was a better number than anyone was expecting,” he said (4). “People were expecting it to be above 3% — it was well below 3%.”“I have not looked at the internals — I’ll look at them now — but it suggests that the internals are good as well,” he said. “Let's see. ... Seasonally adjusted index for all items, less foo ...

Core Insights - Delayed data on the job market and inflation has created uncertainty regarding the current state of the U.S. economy [1] Group 1 - The lack of timely information on employment figures and inflation rates complicates the assessment of economic conditions [1] - Investors and analysts are left without clear indicators to gauge economic performance, leading to potential volatility in market reactions [1]

Market Overview - Major indexes experienced a significant surge, with the Nasdaq leading due to a 7% increase in Oracle's stock, revitalizing interest in AI investments after a challenging period [4] - Nvidia's stock rose over 3% following reports that the Trump administration may allow the sale of advanced AI chips to China, although high valuations are causing concerns about market volatility into 2026 [5] - By the end of the week, the S&P 500 returned to flat, the Nasdaq achieved a modest gain, and the "Mag 7" stocks outperformed the remaining S&P 493, indicating a resurgence in AI-related stocks [6] Commodity Performance - Gold and silver reached record closing prices, with gold exceeding $4,350 and silver surpassing $67, while copper approached previous highs [6] - The overall market environment is characterized by easing bond yields and fluctuating Bitcoin prices, which ended slightly lower [6] Economic Indicators - Current economic data suggests a favorable environment with manageable inflation and enough economic softness to keep the Federal Reserve engaged, leading traders to anticipate interest rate cuts in March and June 2026 [5] - Fiscal stimulus is beginning to take effect, monetary policy is becoming more accommodative, and political uncertainties are diminishing, contributing to a positive outlook for year-end market performance [7] Trend Tracking Indexes (TTIs) - The largest options expiration in history, amounting to $7.1 trillion, occurred without significant disruptions, indicating strong market control by bullish investors [10] - Both Domestic and International TTIs maintained elevated positions above their respective moving averages, with the Domestic TTI at +6.23% and the International TTI at +9.47%, both signaling a "Buy" [10]

Political Analysis - Trump's prime time address received poor reviews, described as a "political nothing burger" and "pointless" [2] - Trump's economic approval rating hit a new low of 33% [3] - Trump's approval on handling the rising cost of living sank to 27%, the lowest of the year [7] - The administration's deportation policies targeted individuals beyond those with criminal records, contradicting campaign promises [9][10][11] - Mass protests and civic engagement are critical to maintaining democracy [14][15] Economic & Tech Trends - AI companies significantly prop up the economy, and removing them presents a different economic picture [19] - Nvidia became the first company to reach a $5 trillion valuation [18]

US stocks rose on Friday after snapping a recent losing streak, as signs of cooling inflation and waning AI worries buoyed Wall Street optimism toward the tail end of a topsy-turvy week. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) put on 0.8% and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) gained over 1.3%, building on Thursday's roaring rally. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) climbed 0.3%. With the late-week rebound, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq booked weekly wins, rising 0.1% and 0.4%, respectively, in the last full week of trading in 202 ...

Core Insights - US Treasuries experienced their first weekly gain since late November, driven by lower-than-expected inflation and a rise in the unemployment rate, leading to expectations of at least two rate cuts by the Federal Reserve next year [1][3] - The 10-year Treasury rate fell by four basis points over the week, while the two-year yield also decreased by a similar amount, indicating a more dovish outlook for 2026 [1][3] Market Reactions - The US unemployment rate reached a four-year high, and core inflation was reported at its slowest annual pace since early 2021, which contributed to a more optimistic market sentiment regarding future rate cuts [3] - Money markets are now pricing in two quarter-point cuts next year, with a 40% probability of a third cut, widening the gap between two-year and 10-year yields to 67 basis points, the largest since January 2022 [3] Investor Sentiment - With major data releases not expected until January, investors are adopting a cautious stance as they approach the new year, reflected in the ICE BofA MOVE Index, which indicates the lowest expected bond-market volatility since 2021 [4] - Analysts from TD Securities noted that uncertainty in data will keep investors alert, with ongoing labor market concerns suggesting potential downside risks to rates [5]

Let's check in on the bond markets now. While the US is cutting rates, the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to 30-year highs. And that has yields on the move globally, pushing its 10 and 30-year to multi-deade highs, as you can see there.Rick Santelli is tracking all the action in the bond report. Rick, what can you tell us. >> Absolutely.And we'll get to the foreign global interest rates in a second, but you know, this morning, University of Michigan sentiment, it was definitely weak. current uh situati ...