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Market Cools as Nvidia’s Blowout Earnings Fail to Ignite Futures

  U.S. stock futures were mixed Thursday morning as investors digested Nvidia’s latest blockbuster earnings—results that impressed on paper but didn’t translate into broad market enthusiasm. Dow futures edged slightly higher, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures hovered near the flatline, reflecting a cautious mood across Wall Street. Nvidia delivered strong beats on quarterly revenue and profit, along with guidance that topped expectations. Despite the stellar numbers, the stock’s initial surge faded as traders questioned whether the AI boom can continue delivering outsized returns. Shares ultimately pared gains to under 1% in early trading. The broader market’s hesitation stems from growing concerns about the sustainability of heavy AI investment. Salesforce’s weaker outlook added to the uncertainty, dragging software shares and reinforcing fears that not all tech giants will benefit equally from the AI wave. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions—including renewed U.S.–Iran nuclea...

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Anticipation and Reaction to Fed’s Rate Decision

 


As investors braced for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision, North American stock markets experienced a mixed close. The Fed maintained its key interest rate at 5.25%-5.50%, leaving the future of rate cuts uncertain. Despite this, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dipped, while the Dow Jones and S&P/TSX Composite saw modest gains.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference offered a glimmer of hope as he dismissed the likelihood of an immediate rate hike, causing a surge in market optimism. He acknowledged the persistent issue of inflation but expressed confidence in the progress towards the 2% target.

The labor market showed signs of normalization, with job openings at a three-year low2. Meanwhile, the earnings season is more than halfway through, with a majority of S&P 500 companies surpassing consensus expectations.

In the corporate landscape, AMD’s AI chip sales forecast led to a 9% drop in its shares, while Amazon’s AI-driven cloud growth pushed its stock up by 2.2%. Johnson & Johnson plans to proceed with a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit settlement, and Starbucks faced a significant sales forecast cut.

The energy sector took a hit due to falling oil prices and a potential Middle East ceasefire, while uranium miners saw a boost from a U.S. ban on Russian imports. Canadian manufacturing activity continued to contract, reflecting ongoing economic challenges.

In summary, the market’s response to the Fed’s decision was a complex interplay of anticipation, relief, and sector-specific movements, highlighting the intricate dynamics of financial markets.

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