MONEY MASTER

Amazon  heads into its April 29 earnings with investors focused on one key theme:  whether its aggressive AI investments, particularly its partnership with Anthropic, can justify rising costs and sustain growth momentum . Strong Growth Expected, But Not the Main Focus Consensus estimates point to steady performance: Revenue:  ~US$177.2 billion ( +13.8% YoY ) EPS:  ~US$1.65 ( +4% YoY ) However, the spotlight is less on headline numbers and more on  AI monetisation, AWS growth, and capital allocation . AI Partnership Driving Bullish Sentiment Amazon’s deepening relationship with  Anthropic  is a major catalyst: Additional US$5 billion investment announced Total potential commitment of up to  US$20 billion This strengthens Amazon’s  “AI ecosystem strategy” , positioning AWS as a platform for  third-party and proprietary AI models . AWS Growth and AI Monetisation Key Investors will closely watch  Amazon Web Services : AI annualised reve...

Taiwan Semiconductor  heads into its April 16 earnings with  strong momentum , as booming AI demand continues to drive both  revenue growth and pricing power,  but investors are now focused on whether margins have peaked. Revenue Surge Signals Strong AI Demand TSMC has already reported  Q1 revenue of US$35.7 billion , marking a  35% year-on-year increase  and beating expectations. The growth was driven by: High-performance computing (HPC) , including AI, now contributing  58% of total revenue Price hikes of 5%–10%  on advanced nodes A record  45.2% YoY growth in March revenue , the strongest monthly performance on record This underscores TSMC’s position as a  critical supplier in the global AI supply chain , where demand remains structurally strong. Margins Hit Record Levels, but Risks Emerging TSMC guided  Q1 gross margins at 63%–65% , the highest in its history, supported by strong AI-driven demand and pricing power. However,...

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company  (TSMC)  will report its  Q4 earnings on January 15 , taking center stage as the most critical “pick-and-shovel” play in the global AI boom. With AI chip demand accelerating and expectations running high, investors are less focused on headline numbers and more on  forward guidance, capacity expansion, and long-term AI visibility . Options Market: Caution Ahead of Earnings The derivatives market is signalling  defensive positioning  into the print: Put/Call ratio:   1.64  on open interest of 1.76 million contracts Implied volatility:   43.33% , well above historical volatility of 31.25% IV Percentile:   67% , indicating options are moderately expensive This suggests institutions are  hedging against downside risk , even if results come in strong — a sign that expectations for guidance may be difficult to exceed. Q4 Financial Expectations (Consensus) Revenue US$32.38bn  (+20% YoY, -2% Qo...