MONEY MASTER

Market  Snapshot US  equity  futures  moved  lower  Thursday  morning  as  rising  oil  prices  and  renewed  trade  tensions  weighed  on  investor  sentiment . Futures  indicated  a  cautious  start  to  the  session: Nasdaq 100  futures:   -0.45% S& P 500  futures:   -0.49% Dow  futures:   -0.61% The  decline  comes  as  Brent  crude  prices  surged ,  reflecting  ongoing  concerns  about  supply  disruptions  linked  to  the  Iran  conflict  and  tensions  in  the  Strait  of  Hormuz . Investors  are  also  digesting  new  trade  investigations  launched  by  Washington ,  which  could  lead  to  the  reinstatement  of...

Quick Summary TSMC’s January revenue jumped 37% YoY , beating expectations AI-driven demand  is keeping capacity tight and sales strong Potential US tariff exemptions  could further boost demand from Big Tech Stock is already  up 17% year-to-date What’s Driving TSMC Higher Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co  reported  January revenue of NT$401.6 billion (US$12.7bn) : +20% quarter-on-quarter +37% year-on-year The pace of growth is  ahead of TSMC’s own ~30% full-year growth guidance , reinforcing its central role in the global semiconductor supply chain. AI Demand Keeps Capex Elevated TSMC recently announced: Up to US$56 billion in capex for 2026 , +30% vs last year High investment levels expected for the next three years The spending spree reflects  relentless demand for AI chips , particularly from hyperscalers and data-centre operators. Tariff Relief: A Possible Bonus According to the  Financial Times ,  major US tech firms may be exempt ...

Quick Summary Microsoft sinks on Azure growth concerns Meta rallies on strong earnings and AI confidence AI capex expectations are reshaping valuations Guidance matters more than headline beats A volatile Wall Street session saw  Big Tech earnings dominate market moves , with a sharp sell-off in  Microsoft  dragging the Nasdaq lower, even as peers like  Meta Platforms  and  IBM  rallied strongly. What’s Driving the Market Nasdaq fell over 2% , led by a steep Microsoft decline Investors punished slowing cloud growth , despite earnings beats AI spending remains a key theme , but expectations are rising even faster Biggest Stock Movers Microsoft (MSFT) -11% , despite beating earnings and revenue estimates Azure growth slowed to 39% , with Q3 guidance  below expectations Key concern:  Cloud momentum may be peaking Meta Platforms (META) +7.8%  after beating Q4 earnings and revenue 2026 capex could reach US$135B , nearly double last year Marke...

This week is not about chasing upside — it’s about  managing exposure through a policy and earnings convergence . With the  FOMC decision  and a heavy slate of  mega-cap earnings , markets are testing whether valuations can hold  without immediate rate relief . The base case is stability, but positioning remains vulnerable to  tone shocks , not data surprises. Think of this week as  risk calibration , not trend confirmation. Macro Playbook: FOMC Is the Risk Switch Base expectation Rates held unchanged No new forward guidance Powell reiterates “data-dependent” stance What actually matters How Powell frames  inflation persistence vs growth cooling Whether he  pushes back  on market-priced mid-year cuts Any signal on  financial conditions  becoming too loose Market interpretation Flexible tone  → risk assets stabilize, volatility fades Rigid tone  → duration reprices, equities de-rate quickly Playbook stance: Stay neutra...

Apple may finally be making the  decisive AI move the market has been demanding . According to reports,  Apple  has confirmed a long-rumoured partnership with  Google , integrating  Gemini  into the next generation of  Siri . The upgraded AI assistant is expected to roll out later this year, marking a strategic shift in Apple’s approach to artificial intelligence. Why This Deal Matters For years, investors have criticised Apple for  lagging behind Big Tech peers in AI , especially as companies like Google, Microsoft and Nvidia raced ahead with large language models and AI platforms. The Gemini partnership addresses three key concerns at once: Speed to market:  Apple gains access to a best-in-class AI model instead of building everything internally Product relevance:  Siri has long been viewed as inferior to competing assistants Monetisation potential:  Opens the door to  AI-driven subscription services Wedbush analyst Dan Ives ...

Apple Inc.  reported mixed quarterly results as a surprise sales decline in  China  weighed on investor sentiment, tempering enthusiasm ahead of what could be the company’s strongest holiday season yet. While  total revenue beat analyst expectations ,  iPhone supply constraints  and weaker Chinese sales underscored lingering global challenges. Shares slipped  0.4% to US$270.53  in New York on Friday, despite having climbed 8.4% year to date. “China weakness is a concern,” said Barclays analyst  Tim Long , noting that Apple’s services business, its key growth engine, also faces regulatory and competitive risks. China Drag Dampens Results Revenue from  Greater China  dropped  3.6%  to  US$14.5 billion , missing projections of  US$16.4 billion . Analysts attribute the shortfall to  fierce competition from local smartphone brands  and  Apple’s slower rollout of AI features  in the market. However,...

US stock futures rose in early Asian trading as upbeat earnings from  Amazon.com  and  Apple Inc.  helped lift sentiment following a volatile session that saw sharp declines in major technology names. Tech Earnings Drive Overnight Turnaround Amazon  surged up to  15% in after-hours trading  after reporting its  fastest AWS growth in nearly three years , while  Apple  advanced following a  better-than-expected quarterly revenue  and a  bullish holiday outlook . Futures tied to the  S&P 500  and  Nasdaq 100  gained, partly offsetting Thursday’s broad selloff driven by concerns over heavy  AI spending  and the  Federal Reserve’s cautious tone  on rate cuts. Meta Platforms  tumbled 11% after unveiling a  US$30 billion bond issuance  and rising AI-related costs, dragging the  Nasdaq 100 down 1.5%  and the  S&P 500 down 1%  earlier in the day. “Th...

Asian equities edged closer to record highs on Friday, buoyed by  strong earnings from Amazon and Apple , which reignited risk appetite and sent  US equity futures higher  after a brief pause in the global stock rally. Global Stocks Extend Gains The  MSCI Asia-Pacific Index  rose  0.6%  at the open, led by gains in  Japan’s Nikkei 225 , while  S&P 500 futures climbed 0.6%  and  Nasdaq 100 futures added 1.2%  following overnight weakness in Wall Street. The rebound came as  Apple beat revenue expectations  and issued a  bullish holiday forecast , while  Amazon shares surged 13% in extended trading  after posting its  fastest cloud growth in nearly three years . Market sentiment also improved on  signs of easing US-China trade tensions , even as the  Federal Reserve  signaled that a  December rate cut is not guaranteed . Tech Optimism vs. AI Cost Concerns Mega-cap tech stocks ...