Market Performance & Trends - The market showed mixed performance with the Dow experiencing a loss of 0.5% or 220 points, while NASDAQ and S&P 500 achieved record highs, gaining 6 basis points and approximately 0.3% respectively [2] - The technology sector, represented by XLK ETF, reached a record high after four weeks, driven by Oracle's over 30% gain [3] - AI is increasingly seen as a key driver for stock market performance, exemplified by Oracle's shares closing up nearly 40% [6] - Strategists are becoming increasingly bullish, raising price targets based on the theme of capex spend [6][7][9] - There's a disconnect between risk-on signals (stocks hitting records, tight credit spreads) and risk-off signals (gold hitting records), potentially due to a weaker dollar and concerns about institutional credibility and volatile politics [13][14] Company Specifics - Broadcom's market capitalization increased by over $100 billion, with its stock up 60% year-to-date [4] - Oracle's stock price has almost doubled year-to-date, up 97%, increasing its worth by approximately $230 billion [5] - AT&T is focused on expanding its fiber network to 60 million households by the end of the decade, requiring a build of approximately 30 million more [34] - AT&T plans to ramp up fiber build to about 4 million a year by the end of next year [35] Economic Outlook - The market is climbing a "wall of worry," with AI capex spend accelerating and not heavily dependent on interest rates [10][11] - Inflation is still a concern, with opinions divided on whether the worst-case scenario has been avoided [15][16] - AT&T's customers are still actively purchasing products/services and paying bills, but there is some stress in the consumer space due to rising costs [50] Investment Strategies - Exposure to the AI theme is crucial, with a preference for software, technology, and communication services [24] - Diversification is recommended by allocating to value stocks internationally and inflation-sensitive parts of the US market, such as domestic banks [25][26][27] - For fixed income investors, a shorter duration and credit tilts are advised, as current yields may be at risk of shifting higher [28][29]