Wall Street experienced volatility as the AI trade and U.S.-Iran tensions impacted markets. The Dow briefly hit a record before declining, while chip stocks saw sharp swings. Meta Platforms surged on AI strategy announcements, and oil prices rose amid Middle East concerns.
Seoul stocks plunged 5.4% on Wednesday, led by technology shares, as investors reassessed the outlook for AI trade. The benchmark KOSPI closed down 409.52 points at 7,246.79, with heavy trading volume and most large-cap stocks declining. The Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar.
Seoul shares dropped 5.4% on Wednesday, with technology stocks leading the decline due to reassessed AI trade outlook and overnight Wall Street losses. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix saw significant drops.
Seoul shares erased some earlier losses late Wednesday morning on institutional buying, as investors reassess the AI trade. The KOSPI was down 1.98% at 7,504.42, following Wall Street's overnight decline. Investors are rotating out of tech stocks, seeking earnings growth to justify valuations.
Seoul shares opened lower on Wednesday, mirroring Wall Street's overnight losses as investors reassessed the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) trade. The benchmark KOSPI index fell, with technology stocks like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix leading the declines. The Korean won also weakened against the U.S. dollar.
Jim Cramer outlines Wall Street's current AI trade strategy: rewarding companies selling AI infrastructure and punishing those buying it. He notes the "Magnificent Seven" are shedding value due to high AI spending, while chipmakers like Micron and Intel are gaining.
Investors are exploring new market labels beyond the 'Magnificent 7' to capture the next phase of the AI rally. 'FAB 10' (Frontier AI & Big Tech 10) by Vanda Research includes SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic alongside the original seven. Other labels like 'AI Big 10' and 'MANGOS' also suggest a broadening focus.
Oracle's strong AI contract growth and infrastructure commentary signal robust demand for AI computing, benefiting chipmakers and infrastructure providers despite the company's fundraising plans and ongoing capital expenditure debates.
South Korea's KOSPI index saw a dramatic 48-hour swing, falling 8.29% then rebounding 8.18%, driven by AI chip demand and sensitivity to US Federal Reserve policy. The concentration in chipmakers like Samsung and SK Hynix amplified the volatility.
Assets in leveraged ETFs linked to AI and tech themes have nearly doubled in two months, reaching $84 billion in US equities and $43.1 billion in South Korea/Taiwan. This surge reflects investor appetite for AI stocks but raises concerns about market sustainability and potential reversals.
Major markets like the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq hit record highs, fueled by AI optimism and a wave of IPOs. Despite bullish sentiment, warnings about greed and the speed of the rally echo past crashes. Bitcoin sees a dip as investors favor private markets.
Jim Cramer identified several beaten-down stocks in sectors like financials, healthcare, consumer staples, and restaurants as potential outperformers if the AI trade cools. He highlighted JPMorgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald's, Yum! Brands, and Kraft Heinz as opportunities amid tech sector vulnerabilities and potential stock supply increases.
Jim Cramer expressed skepticism about the AI trade's parabolic moves despite the S&P 500 reaching record highs. He discussed Alphabet's stock drop due to its $80 billion AI funding plan and Palo Alto Networks' high expectations ahead of earnings.
Markets rallied Wednesday, led by the AI trade, as oil and interest rates declined following President Trump's comments on Iran peace talks. A Samsung labor strike was averted, and China confirmed a deal for 200 Boeing planes.
Stocks dipped Friday as a bond selloff pushed Treasury yields higher, impacting the AI trade. Despite pullbacks, the S&P 500 eyes its seventh straight positive week. Key earnings from Nvidia and Home Depot are upcoming.
The recent rally has shown a broadening of the AI trade beyond chipmaking giant Nvidia.
Chip stocks dropped due to investor risk-off mode following a hotter-than-expected consumer inflation measure, after a recent rally broadened the AI trade beyond Nvidia.
Every weekday, the Investing Club releases the Homestretch; an actionable afternoon update just in time for the last hour of trading.
Bitcoin reclaimed $80,000 on May 4 as Asian equities pushed toward records on the AI trade, with Korea and Taiwan leading the advance and Nasdaq 100 futures also pointing higher. The correlation creates a potential portfolio problem for ordinary holders. Bitcoin now reacts differently at different times to the same switch, moving chip shares, tech […] The post Bitcoin’s $80k surge came from an Asia-led AI trade while BTC is breaking from US equity correlation appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Bitcoin reclaimed $80,000 on May 4 as Asian equities pushed toward records on the AI trade, with Korea and Taiwan leading the advance and Nasdaq 100 futures also pointing higher. The correlation creates a potential portfolio problem for ordinary holders. Bitcoin now reacts differently at different times to the same switch, moving chip shares, tech […] The post Bitcoin’s $80k reclaim surged with the Asia-led AI trade while breaking from US equity correlation appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Bitcoin reclaimed $80,000 on May 4, but the move landed as Asian equities pushed toward records on the AI trade, with Korea and Taiwan leading the advance and Nasdaq 100 futures also pointing higher. The timing creates a portfolio problem for ordinary holders. Bitcoin now reacts differently at different times to the same switch, moving chip […] The post Bitcoin’s $80k reclaim is starting to look like a momentary Asia-led AI trade in disguise appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Bitcoin reclaimed $80,000 on May 4 as Asian equities pushed toward records on the AI trade, with Korea and Taiwan leading the advance and Nasdaq 100 futures also pointing higher. The correlation creates a potential portfolio problem for ordinary holders. Bitcoin now reacts differently at different times to the same switch, moving chip shares, tech […] The post Bitcoin surged to $80k because of an Asia-led AI trade as BTC breaks from US equity correlation appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Microsoft and Alphabet both reported stronger-than-expected Q1 2026 earnings, with Alphabet posting $109.9B revenue and Google Cloud reaching $20.03B (up 63% YoY), while Microsoft's AI business hit a $37B annual run rate. The results contrast sharply with OpenAI's revenue struggles, as Big Tech continues to dominate the enterprise AI market.
The AI trade has become concentrated enough to revive comparisons with the dot-com peak. For Bitcoin miners that have spent the past year selling investors on AI and HPC growth, that concentration is now a balance-sheet risk. The 10 largest AI stocks now make up about 41% of the S&P 500, according to a BofA […] The post US stock market hits dot-com bubble peak alarm level – and Bitcoin miners are now exposed because of AI appeared first on CryptoSlate.
