Intel heads into its April 23 earnings with rising investor expectations , but the key question remains whether AI-driven CPU demand can offset ongoing margin weakness . Revenue Stable, But Margins Under Pressure Intel is expected to deliver Q1 revenue around US$12.4 billion , slightly above the midpoint of its guidance range. However, the real concern lies in profitability: Gross margin guided at 34.5% , down from 39.2% a year ago EPS near breakeven (~US$0.00) vs US$0.13 last year This highlights continued pressure from costs, utilisation, and product mix , despite improving demand signals. AI CPUs: A Key Growth Driver Intel’s near-term bullish case centers on AI-related CPU demand , particularly its Xeon processors. A key development is its partnership with Alphabet , which reinforces: Intel’s role in AI data centre infrastructure Growing demand for AI inference and general-purpose computing Investors will watch c...
KUALA LUMPUR (April 13): The benchmark FBM KLCI index slipped 0.34% today, following weak cues from Wall Street after U.S. President Donald Trump’s comment on the U.S. currency being too strong, which kept the U.S. markets nervous.
At the closing bell, the KLCI closed 5.90 points lower to 1,738.18, with 3.9 billion shares worth RM2.6 billion traded.
Market breadth was negative with only 220 gainers compared with 765 decliners, while 305 counters were unchanged. Malayan United Industries Bhd continued to be the most actively-traded counter. Eita Resources Bhd was the top gainer, while Nestle (M) Bhd was the leading decliner.
Etiqa Insurance & Takaful Head of research Chris Eng said the lackluster performance in the stock market is mainly due to the U.S. stock performance as seen by the S&P 500 index that closed below its 50-day moving average for the first time since Nov 8.
“I think moving forward, the market will take a cue from the U.S. stock market performance,” Eng told theedgemarkets.com.
Reuters reported Japanese stocks slumped to fresh four-month lows on Thursday, as the yen spiked against the U.S. dollar, after Trump said the U.S. dollar was too strong, hitting exporters and financial stocks hard.
Across the region, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell by 0.68%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed lower by 0.21%. South Korea’s Kospi however gained by 0.93%.
Closer to home, both Singapore’s STI and Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite Index also fell by 0.65% and 0.49% respectively.
Source: The Edge
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