U.S. equity markets presented a mixed picture on Monday, September 29, 2025, as investors grappled with a looming government shutdown, a robust rally in technology stocks, and a series of key corporate announcements. While the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite led gains, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged lower, reflecting cautious sentiment across broader sectors. The potential for a federal government shutdown, with a deadline set for 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, October 1, remained a dominant concern, threaten ...

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the “Neutral” zone on Friday.U.S. stocks settled higher on Friday, with the Dow Jones index gaining around 300 points during the session following the release of inflation data.Inflation figures released Friday showed no surprises but indicated the Fed's need for caution on its rate-cut cycle. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index rose 2.7% year-over-year in August, up fr ...

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the “Neutral” zone on Friday.U.S. stocks settled higher on Friday, with the Dow Jones index gaining around 300 points during the session following the release of inflation data.Inflation figures released Friday showed no surprises but indicated the Fed's need for caution on its rate-cut cycle. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index rose 2.7% year-over-year in August, up fr ...

U.S. equities are showing a strong rebound in afternoon trading on Friday, September 26, 2025, as investors digest a key inflation report that largely met expectations, easing concerns about the Federal Reserve's future monetary policy. After a three-session losing streak, major indexes are pushing higher, signaling renewed optimism in the market.Market Indexes Show ResilienceAs afternoon trading progresses, the major U.S. stock indexes are firmly in positive territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average adva ...

Economic Outlook - The U.S. economy is projected to grow by 1.8% in 2023, an increase from the previous forecast of 1.6%, and is expected to grow by 1.5% in 2024 [1] - The global economy is expected to grow by 3.2% in 2023, up from 2.9% previously forecasted, with a stable growth forecast of 2.9% for 2024 [1] Federal Reserve Insights - U.S. rate futures indicate an 89.8% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut at the next FOMC meeting [2] - Fed officials express differing views on interest rate cuts, with some advocating for aggressive cuts to protect the labor market while others caution against further reductions due to inflation concerns [3] Stock Market Performance - Wall Street's main indexes closed higher, with the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq 100 reaching new record highs [4] - Nvidia announced plans to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI, leading to a more than 3% increase in its stock [4] - Teradyne's stock surged over 12% after a price target upgrade, while Applied Materials rose over 5% following an upgrade from Morgan Stanley [4] Economic Data and Corporate Earnings - Investors are focused on upcoming speeches from Fed officials and preliminary U.S. purchasing managers' surveys, with expectations for the September S&P Global Manufacturing PMI at 52.2 and Services PMI at 54.0 [6] - The U.S. Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index is anticipated to improve to -5 in September from -7 [7] - Micron Technology and AutoZone are set to release quarterly results today [7] European Market Developments - The Euro Stoxx 50 Index rose by 0.64% as positive PMI data supported market sentiment [8] - Eurozone's Composite PMI for September was reported at 51.2, exceeding expectations, while Manufacturing PMI was weaker at 49.5 [10] China Market Updates - China's Shanghai Composite Index closed slightly lower, with bank stocks providing some support against profit-taking in the tech sector [12] - The People's Bank of China plans to maintain liquidity and support economic recovery, while a new financing instrument is expected to direct 500 billion yuan ($70.3 billion) to stimulate investment [12]

Nvidia announced it will acquire $5 billion worth of chipmaking rival Intel’s shares and the two companies will collaborate to develop custom data center and personal computer products. https://t.co/EPL8YMeJxu (Photo: I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images) https://t.co/u0I4Oqjplc ...

Key TakeawaysWall Street's major indexes surged to fresh record highs, propelled by a Federal Reserve interest rate cut and a significant $5 billion investment by Nvidia (NVDA) in Intel (INTC), which sent Intel shares soaring over 23%.FedEx (FDX) delivered a strong first-quarter performance, handily beating analyst expectations with adjusted earnings per share of $3.83 and revenue of $22.2 billion.U.S. long-term capital inflows saw a notable decrease in July, with net long-term Treasury International Capita ...

Market Overview - The U.S. stock market closed on September 16, 2025, with major indexes near all-time highs, driven by strong retail sales data and anticipation of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting [1][3] - The S&P 500 Index decreased by 0.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite finished up less than 0.1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped between 0.2% and 0.3% [2] Economic Data - U.S. retail sales for August increased by 0.6% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 0.3%, with July's figures revised to a 0.6% growth [5] - Upcoming economic releases include Housing Starts and Building Permits, which will provide insights into the housing market's health [6] Federal Reserve Meeting - The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting is expected to conclude with a widely anticipated 25-basis-point reduction in the federal funds rate, aimed at boosting economic activity [4] Corporate Developments - Alphabet (GOOGL) shares rose, reaching a market capitalization above $3 trillion, following Citigroup's price target increase to $280 from $225 [7] - Tesla (TSLA) shares increased over 3% after Elon Musk's $1 billion stock purchase [7] - Emerson Electric (EMR) shares fell nearly 5% due to disappointing fiscal fourth-quarter orders guidance [8] - Webtoon Entertainment's shares soared 28% after a deal with Disney for a new digital comics platform [9] Upcoming Earnings Reports - General Mills (GIS) is set to report earnings, with other notable companies like FedEx (FDX), Micron Technology (MU), Accenture (ACN), Costco Wholesale (COST), and Nike (NKE) scheduled for later in September [12]

Core Insights - The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly boosted the stock performance of companies like Palantir Technologies and Seagate Technology, with Palantir's stock increasing by 2,500% since the start of 2023 and Seagate's stock gaining 121.4% in 2025 alone [2][7]. Company Performance - Palantir Technologies has integrated generative AI into its software, leading to soaring sales and profits, with a notable 120.7% rise in stock value in 2025 [2]. - Seagate Technology has experienced a surge in demand for nearline storage, shipping 137 exabytes of capacity last quarter, which is a 14% sequential increase and a 52% year-over-year increase [8]. - Seagate's revenue grew by 39% in fiscal 2025, with gross profit margin expanding from 23.4% to 35.2% year-over-year, and an impressive fourth-quarter gross margin of 37.4% [8]. Market Dynamics - The demand for data center storage is expected to rise significantly, from $13 billion in 2024 to $23 billion by 2028, indicating a prolonged growth cycle for companies like Seagate and Western Digital [10]. - Seagate and Western Digital are the two major suppliers of hard drives, both benefiting from the current demand cycle, which has led to strong gross margin expansion [9]. Competitive Landscape - Seagate has developed a technology lead with its heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) process, which is expected to enable the production of 40TB hard drives by the second half of fiscal 2026, while Western Digital is lagging behind by about six months [13]. - The competition between Seagate and Western Digital typically keeps pricing low, but the current demand cycle has allowed for margin expansion [12]. Valuation Considerations - Seagate's forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 18.5, which is considered attractive compared to Palantir's 245 times earnings multiple, suggesting Seagate may be undervalued [14]. - Both Seagate and Western Digital are trading at a premium to their historical pricing, indicating that it may be prudent to wait for a better entry point before investing [16].

Industry Overview - The chipmaking industry has evolved over decades and is built for globalization [1] Geopolitical Impact - Current direction is the wrong one for the chipmaking industry [1]