MONEY MASTER

Quick Summary Asian equities extended gains  after a tech-led rebound on Wall Street Nasdaq 100 rose 1.1% , easing weeks of AI-related volatility South Korea hits record highs, best-performing market globally Focus now shifts to  Nvidia earnings , a key AI sentiment driver Asia Builds on US Tech Momentum Asian markets opened higher after US software and semiconductor stocks rebounded from the recent “AI scare trade.” MSCI Asia-Pacific Index:  Up for a third straight session Japan, South Korea, Australia:  Opened higher South Korea’s Kospi:  Up to 1.2%, extending a  43% gain this year  — world’s best-performing stock market Key point:  Asia continues to outperform global peers and has largely avoided the sharp tech sell-offs seen in the US. Wall Street Recap: Software Bounce The rally was led by: Nasdaq 100:  +1.1% S&P 500:  Higher Strength in battered software names Sentiment improved after  Anthropic  signalled its AI chat...

  Key Takeaways: A US federal appeals court struck down Trump’s global tariffs, raising legal and trade uncertainty. RHB expects falling yields to boost Singapore Reit demand, highlighting industrial and office names as top picks. Singapore’s import and export prices continued to fall in July, underscoring global trade softness. Nvidia and Tesla dragged US markets lower, while local counters such as CapitaLand Ascendas Reit, GuocoLand, and Oxley drew investor focus. Singapore Market Opens Lower Singapore equities began the week on a softer note, with the Straits Times Index (STI) slipping 0.37% to 4,253.89 at the open. Turnover reached S$110.4 million with 85 advancers against 64 decliners, reflecting cautious sentiment after Wall Street’s tech-led pullback. US Tariffs Struck Down, But Uncertainty Persists A federal appeals court ruled 7-4 against President Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping global tariffs. The court deemed the...

A handful of tech giants — often dubbed the “Magnificent 7” — are no longer just driving markets; they are  reshaping the economy  through massive investments in AI infrastructure. What started as a stock market narrative is now spilling into GDP-level significance, bond markets, and industrial-scale capital allocation. From Promise to Reality The conversation around AI often focuses on the  future , but the  present impact is in capital spending . Billions are flowing into  servers, GPUs, data centers, and energy infrastructure , shifting Big Tech from “virtual” companies into  industrial-scale operators . CapEx Explosion Four major firms  are on track to spend  over $300B this year , and  about six  could exceed $400B combined. Pre-pandemic, only 20% of their book value was tied to property, plant, and equipment. Now,  over 70%  is industrial assets. Instead of fueling cash reserves and share buybacks,  free cash flow is...

Oracle's stock soared nearly  4%  after a wave of bullish analyst upgrades, strong cloud momentum, and speculation over TikTok’s future in the U.S. Key Drivers Behind Oracle's Rally Stifel upgraded Oracle to “Buy” , highlighting: Aggressive capex  into AI infrastructure and cloud Strong remaining performance obligations (RPO)  growth of  +41% YoY Forecasted cloud revenue growth of  ~38% annually  over the next 2 years New  price target: $250  (up from $180) Cloud Boom Ahead : Oracle expects  cloud revenue to hit $46.5B by FY2027 , accounting for  100% of company revenue growth  in that period. OpenAI & AI Workloads : Oracle’s partnership with OpenAI and focus on  generative AI infrastructure  bolsters long-term confidence. $30 Billion Deal : Oracle revealed a  new cloud agreement  that could generate  $30B annually starting FY2028 , according to a regulatory filing. Analyst Optimism Builds Mizuho Se...

Huawei Technologies Co   announced a bold move to completely abandon   Google’s Android   in its devices starting 2025. The company’s new flagship smartphone, the   Mate 70 , will debut with   HarmonyOS Next , a fully independent operating system free of Android’s open-source remnants. Key Highlights HarmonyOS Next : Huawei’s proprietary operating system,  HarmonyOS Next , is set to power all future devices, marking a milestone in Huawei’s efforts to build an ecosystem without reliance on  US tech providers . While still needing  2–3 months of optimization , the software aims to enhance user experience and performance. Mate 70 Launch : Available Dec 4 , the Mate 70 starts at  5,499 yuan (US$760) . Offers a  40% performance boost  over its predecessor, powered by the new OS and Huawei’s  in-house Kirin chip . Other Products : Huawei unveiled a  gold-plated smartwatch  priced at  23,999 yuan  and a new tablet,...