Rick Rieder of BlackRock sees an "extraordinary period" in the market, advising investors to "stay in it" despite uncertainty. He believes the bull market has room to grow due to strong cash inflows, buybacks, and reasonable valuations, even with AI-driven tech spending.
Meta Platforms reported Q1 2026 earnings of $10.44 per share on $56.31B revenue, beating analyst estimates of $6.67 per share on $55.6B. Profit surged 61% YoY, but the company raised its 2026 capital expenditure guidance to $125-145B due to higher component pricing and data center costs. Shares fell over 6% in extended trading as investors concerns grew over increased AI infrastructure spending.
HSBC has made a tactical shift in its Asia equity strategy, trimming India exposure to fund a bigger bet on South Korea, where earnings growth has surged past 200% after starting 2026 at 50%. Chief Asia Equity Strategist Herald van der Linde stresses the downgrade is tactical, not structural, with India's earnings recovery real but gradual — moving from 7-8% to 13-15% in FY27. The bank maintains long-term conviction on India and advises investors to stay optimistic, rotating toward emerging sectors like technology, healthcare, property, and banking.
The ChiNext board on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange has reached record highs following reforms to listing and trading rules. The ChiNext 50 Index and Composite Index both broke 2015 highs this week, rising 18% year-to-date and outperforming the CSI 300 and Star Market. Analysts attribute the rally to expected boost in risk appetite for innovative growth companies, with CATL and AI data centre suppliers leading the gains.
