And speaking of AI, more than $61 billion has flowed into data center deals this year, according to S&P Global. And what they say was a global construction frenzy. So, could all of that spending make data investment the new macro hero of the economy.Joining me now is Paul Grunwald. He is the global chief economist at S&P Global Ratings. Paul, um, a lot of excitement around this.How durable is it. How sensitive does this make so many different companies in the economy to even some slight fluctuations in the ...

Market Outlook - Gold and silver are viewed as risk assets, with gold offering more downside protection [1] - Select commodities flowing into data centers are interesting due to increasing demand and less overownership compared to AI capex stocks [1] - Stock indices are expected to continue melting up, with thematic work focusing on the most interesting sectors in H1'26 [2] - Liquidity re-expansion is anticipated to lead to more true trending markets after a period of choppy rotational activity [2] - The buyer base for BTC and alts has been weakened financially and psychologically, potentially requiring a reset period [3] Cryptocurrency Analysis - There are real reasons for BTC and alts to increase in value, potentially benefiting the most from liquidity re-expansion [3]

Core Insights - Data centers are driving up local energy prices, influencing local politics and community responses [1] Group 1: Impact on Energy Prices - The increasing demand from data centers is leading to higher energy bills for local residents [1] - Local governments are facing pressure to address the rising costs associated with energy consumption from data centers [1] Group 2: Political Implications - The surge in energy prices due to data centers is becoming a significant political issue in affected areas [1] - Local communities are reacting to the financial burden imposed by the energy demands of data centers [1]

Group 1 - Riot Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIOT) experienced a significant stock price increase of 13.17% on Tuesday, closing at $15.21, driven by positive developments in the high-performance computing (HPC) sector [1][2] - The stock price reached a high of $15.30, just 3.6% below its 52-week peak of $15.87, indicating strong investor interest [1] - Riot Platforms is strategically shifting its capacity towards high-value data centers to meet the growing demand for HPC, as highlighted in its recent earnings report [2] Group 2 - The CEO of Riot Platforms, Jason Les, emphasized the company's strong balance sheet and access to capital markets, positioning it well to capitalize on the increasing demand for HPC and Bitcoin growth [3] - The company aims to maximize the utilization of its power capacity and expand thoughtfully to drive long-term value for shareholders [3]

Water Scarcity Risk - Water is a financially material issue for nearly 50% of over 100 industries analyzed globally [1] - Sectors like semiconductors and data centers face water scarcity risks [1]