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Summary  Broadcom delivered strong results, but the stock fell ~13% because expectations were even higher. The issue wasn’t weak numbers — it was  not beating the “AI hype expectations.” What Happened Broadcom  reported a strong quarter: Revenue:  $22.19B ( +48% YoY ) Net Income:  $12.07B ( +55% YoY ) AI semiconductor revenue:  $10.8B ( +143% YoY ) Margins remained strong (Operating margin ~67%) On paper, this is a  very powerful AI-driven quarter Why The Stock Still Crashed 1.  AI Guidance Didn’t Beat the “Real Expectation” Q3 AI revenue guided:  $16B Market expected:  ~$16.3B+   Even a small miss = big disappointment in AI stocks 2.  No Upgrade to Long-Term AI Target 2027 AI revenue target:  > $100B (unchanged)  Market wanted: “Raise the ceiling” → not just repeat guidance 3.  Google Risk (Key Concern) Alphabet  Broadcom depends heavily on Google TPU chips Management hinted  Google may diversify su...

Markets are heading into a  data-heavy and earnings-packed week , with inflation pressures from the Iran conflict and major corporate results set to shape investor sentiment.  Inflation in Focus as Energy Costs Rise The key macro highlight will be the  Producer Price Index (PPI) , expected to reflect  rising energy costs driven by the Iran war . Higher oil prices are likely to: Push  headline inflation higher Pressure  corporate margins Influence  Federal Reserve policy expectations Investors will also monitor  jobless claims  and  existing home sales  for signals on the  labour market and housing trends . Bank Earnings Kick Off Season Earnings season begins with major US banks: Goldman Sachs (GS.US) JPMorgan (JPM.US) Bank of America (BAC.US) Strong  trading revenues  are expected, driven by heightened market volatility. Investors will focus on: Outlook amid geopolitical uncertainty Trends in  credit quality and ...

Quick Summary TSMC’s January revenue surged past NT$400 billion , beating expectations US payrolls data delayed  to Feb 11 due to government shutdown Microsoft now trades cheaper than IBM on forward P/E  for the first time in 10 years AI capex remains the market’s key pressure point Before the Bell: Futures Check US stock futures were steady after the Dow hit another record high: Nasdaq 100 futures:  +0.03% S&P 500 futures:  +0.09% Dow futures:  +0.05% TSMC Leads the AI Supply Chain Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co  reported  January revenue of NT$401.26 billion , up: +36.8% year-on-year +19.8% month-on-month Key takeaway:  AI-driven demand continues to flow straight into foundry earnings, reinforcing TSMC’s position at the core of the global AI buildout. Jobs Data Delay Adds Uncertainty The  January Nonfarm Payrolls report  has been pushed to  Feb 11  due to the partial US government shutdown. Report will include...

Quick Summary US stock futures moved higher while  gold rebounded sharply  after recent losses. A  partial US government shutdown has delayed the  January jobs report , adding uncertainty to near-term data. Meanwhile, a  US–India trade deal ,  major AI investments , and  strong earnings from Palantir  shaped early market sentiment. Key Takeaways January US jobs report delayed  due to partial government shutdown US to cut India tariffs from 25% to 18%  under a  US$500bn+ trade deal Gold rebounds over 5%  after a two-day rout SpaceX acquires xAI , forming a vertically integrated AI ecosystem Big Tech ramps up AI spending ; earnings season remains in focus Markets Before the Bell Nasdaq 100 futures  +0.41% S&P 500 futures  +0.11% Dow futures  -0.11% Gold +5.43% , rebounding strongly Apple  +4.06% , Tesla  -2.00% Macro & Policy US–India trade deal : Tariffs on Indian goods cut to  18% from 25% ...

Quick Take US markets opened firmer as  Big Tech accelerates AI spending , precious metals hit fresh records, and investors digest a  Fed pause signal  from Chair Jerome Powell. Key Market Drivers Federal Reserve held rates steady  at  3.5%–3.75% , with Powell signalling  no urgency for further rate cuts Big Tech exploring up to US$60B investment in OpenAI , implying a  US$730B valuation Gold and silver hit new all-time highs  amid safe-haven demand Tesla and Microsoft beat earnings expectations , reinforcing AI-led growth themes Before the Bell: Futures Snapshot E-mini Nasdaq 100:  +0.19% E-mini S&P 500:  +0.19% E-mini Dow:  +0.06% Safe-haven assets continued to rally: Gold (XAU/USD): +2.29% Silver (XAG/USD): new record highs Fed Update: Rates on Hold The  Federal Reserve  kept policy unchanged. Chair  Jerome Powell  said monetary policy is  near neutral , suggesting a  pause in rate cuts  as ...

Quick Summary Investors are heading into this week’s Federal Reserve meeting  largely unfazed by the lack of an interest-rate cut . Instead, markets are signaling that what really matters now is  earnings quality, economic stability, and a broadening rally beyond Big Tech . With the US economy holding up and profits expanding across more sectors, stocks appear able to grind higher even without immediate monetary easing. What’s Driving the Market Right Now Despite political pressure from  Donald Trump  for lower rates, markets are pricing a  near-certain rate hold  by the  Federal Reserve  this week — and investors seem comfortable with that outcome. The key shift: The market narrative is moving  away from “rate-cut dependency” toward fundamentals . Key Investor Takeaways 1. The market doesn’t need a rate cut to move higher Strategists note that equities can perform well as long as growth and earnings remain intact. Rate cuts are a tailwind —...