Core Viewpoint - The semiconductor industry is poised for another prosperous year driven by a surge in artificial intelligence (AI) technology spending, with the Morningstar Global Semiconductor Index up 34% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the broader U.S. stock market [2][5][6]. Group 1: AI Demand and Semiconductor Growth - The semiconductor sector has seen substantial price increases over the past two years, primarily due to the critical role of advanced chips in AI processes, which are data-intensive and require significant power and resources [5][6]. - Companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Oracle are expected to double their annual investments in AI from $150 billion in 2023 to $450 billion by 2027, indicating robust demand from "hyperscale" companies [6][10]. - AI chip revenue has surged, with Broadcom reporting a 63% year-over-year increase, contributing to a nearly 50% return for the company this year [10][12]. Group 2: Market Performance and Stock Rebounds - After a significant downturn in early 2023, the semiconductor stocks rebounded strongly, with major players like Nvidia, Broadcom, TSMC, and AMD achieving returns of 30% or more [7][12]. - Nvidia's collaboration with OpenAI, valued at $100 billion, and its $5 billion investment in Intel to develop data centers and chips have further boosted investor confidence [11][12]. Group 3: Future Projections and Industry Dynamics - Analysts predict that AI chip revenue will grow approximately fourfold in the coming years, establishing AI as the primary growth driver for the semiconductor industry [12][15]. - The capital expenditure growth from hyperscale cloud companies is unprecedented and shows no signs of slowing down, with expectations of a 40% compound annual growth rate for AI chip revenue by 2028 [15][16]. - Despite the optimistic outlook, analysts caution about the "base effect," which may hinder sustained high growth rates in AI spending, potentially leading to slower earnings growth for semiconductor stocks [17][18]. Group 4: Cyclicality of the Semiconductor Industry - The semiconductor industry is inherently cyclical, with boom and bust cycles lasting about four years, influenced by supply shortages and demand fluctuations [19]. - While AI is expected to drive significant growth, analysts do not believe it will smooth out the industry's cyclical nature, indicating that volatility in earnings and stock prices will persist [19].

Core Insights - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in August 2025 showed a year-on-year decline of 0.4%, influenced by high base effects from food prices and a continued low growth trajectory due to ample supply [1][2] - The Producer Price Index (PPI) decreased by 2.9% year-on-year, but the rate of decline narrowed by 0.7 percentage points compared to the previous month, indicating a potential rebound due to low base effects and market optimization [6][7] CPI Analysis - The CPI's year-on-year decline of 0.4% in August 2025 was attributed to high base effects from food prices, with a month-on-month growth of 0.0% [2][3] - Core CPI, excluding food and energy, increased by 0.9% year-on-year, reflecting a slight upward trend since February [2][4] - Food prices fell by 4.3% year-on-year, with fresh vegetables experiencing the most significant decline of 15.2% [3][4] PPI Analysis - The PPI's year-on-year decline of 2.9% was influenced by external uncertainties and domestic market adjustments, with a month-on-month growth of 0.0% [6][7] - The prices of coal mining and oil extraction fell by 19.8% and 9.7% respectively, reflecting the impact of international commodity price declines [6][7] - The divergence in price trends between traditional industries and high-tech sectors was noted, with black metal prices down by 4.0% and non-ferrous metal prices up by 4.8% [7] Future Outlook - The CPI is expected to see slight upward movement in 2025 due to "stabilizing growth and promoting consumption" policies, although internal economic pressures remain significant [9] - The PPI may experience upward momentum in the second half of 2025 due to policy adjustments aimed at curbing low-price competition [9]

Core Viewpoint - The Central Bank of Turkey maintains its medium-term inflation target at 24% for the end of 2025, despite a significant drop in annual inflation to 33.5% in July from a peak of 75.5% in May of the previous year [1][4] Group 1: Monetary Policy and Inflation - The Central Bank of Turkey has restarted interest rate cuts, lowering the benchmark rate by 300 basis points to 43% in July 2023, with expectations that it may drop to 36.2% by the end of the year [1][2] - The Central Bank emphasizes a continued tight monetary policy until price stability is achieved, as domestic demand is slowing and the deflationary effects from weakened demand are increasing [1][3] - The core inflation indicators have shown a temporary rise due to regular price adjustments in the service sector, particularly in housing, hotels, and dining [3][4] Group 2: Economic Growth and External Factors - The current account deficit was approximately 1.3% of GDP in the second quarter, with expectations that it will remain below long-term averages in 2025, although energy prices and global trade policies pose potential risks [2] - Turkey's economic growth is projected to be 2% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, which is lower than the previous quarter's growth of 3% [3] - The International Monetary Fund highlights that Turkey's inflation rate remains high and poses challenges to economic growth and financial stability, with structural pressures still unresolved [4]

Group 1: CPI Analysis - In July 2025, the CPI year-on-year growth was 0.0%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the previous month[6] - The CPI month-on-month growth was 0.4%, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the previous month[6] - The core CPI year-on-year growth was 0.8%, up 0.1 percentage points from July[9] Group 2: PPI Analysis - In July 2025, the PPI year-on-year decline was 3.6%, unchanged from the previous month[6] - The PPI month-on-month decline was -0.2%, a narrowing of 0.2 percentage points from the previous month[6] - The production materials prices year-on-year decreased by 4.3%, with the mining sector down 14.0%[30] Group 3: Market Trends - The "anti-involution" effect is gradually emerging, indicating a potential easing of oversupply in consumer goods[3] - External uncertainties and domestic economic pressures continue to hinder effective demand, limiting significant price increases in the near future[37] - The global economic recovery may lead to a rise in commodity prices, potentially pushing PPI growth upward in 2025[37]

Group 1: Export Performance - In July, China's exports in USD terms increased by 7.2% year-on-year, slightly below the forecast of 7.5% but exceeding Bloomberg's expectation of 5.4%[3] - The month-on-month export growth was -1.1%, which is below the historical average of approximately 3.3% over the past decade, indicating a weaker performance compared to historical trends[4] - The resilience of exports is notable despite the significant tariffs imposed by the US, with cumulative year-on-year growth reaching 6.1% as of July, surpassing the 5.8% growth expected for 2024[7] Group 2: Import Dynamics - July imports also exceeded expectations, with a year-on-year growth of 4.1%, significantly higher than the forecast of -1% and the previous month's growth of 1.1%[6] - The primary contributors to the import growth were raw materials and intermediate goods, including crude oil, copper ore, and integrated circuits, with "other unspecified goods" contributing 4.5 percentage points to the import growth[6] - The sustainability of this import growth remains uncertain, particularly as commodity prices decline and manufacturing PMI import indices remain below the threshold, indicating potential downward pressure on future import growth[6] Group 3: Regional Export Insights - The strongest export growth was observed in three regions: ASEAN, Africa, and the EU, which collectively contributed 6 percentage points to the year-on-year export growth in July[4] - Exports to the EU have been recovering in line with the manufacturing cycle in the Eurozone, with growth rates for exports to the EU maintaining around 9%-10% since March[7] - Exports to Africa showed the highest growth, particularly in vehicles and parts, with year-on-year growth soaring from 52.3% in April to 82.9% in June, significantly boosting overall export performance to Africa[6] Group 4: Future Outlook - The overall outlook for exports suggests potential adjustments in the second half of the year, with external demand expected to slow down and the impact of high base effects in the fourth quarter likely to exert downward pressure on year-on-year growth rates[6] - Leading indicators from G7 countries suggest that China's export growth may range between 3%-4% for the year, with a potential slowdown to 0%-2% in the latter half[6] - The combination of external demand pressures and high base effects could lead to a challenging environment for maintaining current export growth levels[6]

Export Performance - In July, China's exports in USD terms increased by 7.2% year-on-year, slightly below the forecast of 7.5% but above Bloomberg's expectation of 5.4%[1] - The month-on-month export growth was -1.1%, which is significantly lower than the historical average of approximately 3.3% over the past decade[3] - The strong export performance is supported by a low base effect from July of the previous year, which saw a month-on-month decline of 2.3%[12] Import Performance - July imports in USD terms rose by 4.1%, exceeding Bloomberg's forecast of -1% and the previous month's growth of 1.1%[1] - The main contributors to the import growth were raw materials and intermediate goods, including crude oil, copper ore, and integrated circuits[2] - The category of "other unspecified goods" significantly contributed to import growth, adding 4.5 percentage points in July compared to 2 percentage points in June[40] Regional Export Insights - Exports to ASEAN, Africa, and the EU were particularly strong, contributing a combined 6 percentage points to the overall export growth in July[15] - The EU's recovery in manufacturing is closely linked to the increase in exports, with a consistent growth rate of 9%-10% from March to July[17] - Exports to Africa showed the highest growth, driven mainly by vehicles and parts, with a year-on-year increase of 82.9% in June[26] Future Outlook - External demand is expected to slow down, with the global manufacturing PMI new export orders index dropping from 49.1% in June to 48.5% in July[34] - The third quarter is anticipated to have a low base effect, while the fourth quarter may face higher comparative figures, potentially leading to downward pressure on year-on-year growth rates[35] - Overall, export growth for the year is projected to be between 3% and 4%, with the second half of the year likely seeing growth rates of 0% to 2%[34]

Core Viewpoint - Germany's inflation rate is expected to rise later this year, primarily due to base effects from the previous year [1] Group 1: Inflation Trends - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in June showed a year-on-year increase of 2.0%, slightly down from May, despite rising oil prices [1] - In the coming months, Germany's inflation rate may further slow down, with energy price increases remaining moderate until September [1] - After September, the low base from the previous year is anticipated to drive the overall inflation rate back up [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Bank of Korea indicates that the increase in June's Consumer Price Index (CPI) is primarily due to base effects, and anticipates a slowdown in CPI growth in July if oil prices and foreign exchange trends continue [1] Group 1 - The June CPI growth is attributed to base effects [1] - A potential slowdown in CPI growth is expected in July [1] - The future CPI growth is contingent on the trends of oil prices and foreign exchange [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Bank of Korea indicates that inflation rates in the second half of the year will be at the upper end of the 1% range, with June's Consumer Price Index (CPI) potentially rising due to base effects [1] Group 1: Inflation Outlook - Inflation may slow down in the second half of the year due to falling oil prices and weak demand [1] - The CPI in June could see an increase influenced by base effects [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Bank of Korea indicates that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for June may rise due to base effects [1] Group 1 - The Bank of Korea is anticipating an increase in the CPI for June, attributing this to the base effect from the previous year [1]