European Central Bank economists warn that the current AI-driven stock market rally may face a sharp correction. Drawing parallels to historical technological booms like the dotcom bubble, they caution that over-optimism and systemic risks could threaten stability.
Indium phosphide prices have surged sharply due to unprecedented demand for optical modules driven by the artificial intelligence boom, with major suppliers in China and Japan hiking wafer costs.
Investor Steve Eisman warns that the AI boom depends heavily on OpenAI and Anthropic, which drive major cloud and AI revenue for tech giants. He highlights competition from cheaper Chinese open-source models as a key risk.
South Korean stocks surged Thursday, lifting the Kospi into a technical bull market with a 23% rebound from its July low, driven by strong gains in chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix amid a global revival in AI spending.
Foxconn's Q2 net profit surged 35% to NT$59.97 billion ($1.86bn), exceeding estimates, driven by exploding demand for AI servers for data centers, with the company sticking to its 'strong' growth forecast for the year.
Silicon Valley's promises of AI-driven deflation and productivity booms face near-term inflation and corporate inertia, complicating monetary policy for the Federal Reserve as infrastructure spending spikes.
Melissa Donnelly becomes the new head of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, inheriting challenges involving cost of living, AI job displacement, and declining youth membership.
AgiBot leads global humanoid robot market with 44% share, shipping 8,400 units in H1 2026, outpacing Unitree Robotics amid pre-IPO race.
China, the world's largest producer of lab-grown diamonds, sees 65.3% export growth through Shanghai Diamond Exchange, driven by AI boom and industrial applications.
Fossil fuel companies Williams and Chevron are expanding their natural gas infrastructure to power energy-intensive AI data centers, creating a lucrative new market while raising significant climate and emissions concerns.
BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes warns the AI infrastructure boom, fueled by debt, could spark a 2008-like credit crisis. He predicts a government liquidity response could then propel Bitcoin to $1 million.
AMD stock dropped 8% in premarket trading on Wednesday despite reporting a 50% rise in Q2 revenue to $11.54 billion, as high investor expectations for AI stocks outweighed the beat.
Cloncurry Mayor Greg Campbell suggests building Australia's next generation of AI data centres in remote outback Queensland to ease urban pressure, contingent on energy projects like CopperString.
Amazon's market capitalization exceeded $3 trillion for the first time, fueled by strong quarterly results and investor confidence in its AI-driven cloud business. This makes it the fifth company to reach this milestone, with its AI investments being rewarded by investors unlike some other tech giants.
Samsung's CFO warns of deepening RAM chip shortages until 2028, driven by AI demand for high-bandwidth memory. This has halved business for some vendors, quadrupled prices, and impacts PC and automotive sectors globally, with Chinese competition also emerging.
Beijing accused Washington of "politicizing" global undersea cable networks after reports of a US plan to spend $175.8 million to replace ageing lines in the Caribbean and Central America, aiming to block Chinese involvement. China warned this move threatens the broader digital economy and global data connectivity.
The White House announced over 200 entities, including utilities, data center developers, and 23 Republican governors, signed President Trump's non-binding Ratepayer Protection Pledge. This commitment aims to shield American consumers from rising energy costs due to data center expansion, with major tech companies like Google and Microsoft also signing on.
South Korea and Taiwan now account for over half of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, a dramatic shift from a year ago when China and India dominated. This change is driven by an AI-fueled surge in semiconductor exports and corporate earnings in both economies, leading to significant stock market rallies.
Japanese firms Toto (toilets), Nittobo (textiles), and Ajinomoto (MSG) are experiencing significant stock gains (78%, 63%, 61%) this year. They leverage core technologies to supply advanced materials like ceramic chucks, glass fiber, and insulating film for the AI semiconductor supply chain, driving sharp growth in their related businesses.
Young investors like Michelle Huynh, Shyan Lim, and U Chan Lee are increasingly investing in volatile tech stocks, particularly those linked to AI, to combat shrinking purchasing power and achieve financial goals. Despite significant gains and drops, many view these as long-term bets, while authorities in South Korea curb speculative borrowing.
Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML reported better-than-expected quarterly results, driven by strong AI-related investments, leading the company to raise its full-year 2026 net sales and gross margin outlook. The firm also plans significant production capacity increases despite ongoing US-China tech tensions.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has re-entered the top 10 most valuable companies globally, driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Its stock rallied, pushing market capitalization to a record high, surpassing Broadcom, with analysts expecting further growth.
India's smartphone market, the world's second-largest, sees a 10% year-over-year decline in shipments (Q2) due to rising memory chip costs driven by AI demand, impacting lower-end segments hardest.
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase achieved record quarterly revenues, propelled by substantial gains in equities trading and investment banking. This financial surge is directly linked to the global artificial intelligence boom, which is generating new financing and trading opportunities across the American economy.
