Apple’s China Woes Overshadow iPhone Success and Vision Pro Launch
By Camilo Botia Apple Inc. (AAPL) reported its first revenue growth in five quarters on Thursday. Still, the results were overshadowed by a deepening slump in China, its second-largest market, and the looming launch of its new virtual reality headset, the Vision Pro. Apple said its sales in China dropped 13% to $20.8 billion […]
Analyzing Market Responses to Powell’s Projections and the Fed’s Decision on Interest Rates
By Samir Al Khoury How did the financial markets move after the Fed’s decision yesterday? The Federal Open Market Committee decided in its meeting yesterday to maintain interest rates at the levels of 5.25% and 5.50% for the fourth consecutive time, as anticipated by most analysts. However, of greater significance was the speech delivered by […]
Germany’s Economic Struggle Amid DAX30’s Surprising Surge
By Samir Al Khoury The GDP index in Germany contracted by -0.3% in the fourth quarter of last year, and both manufacturing and services purchasing managers’ indices continue to show contraction. Most German economic data remains weak, and inflation, recorded at 3.7% in December 2023, is far from the European Central Bank’s 2% target, raising […]
S&P 500 Hits New High Amid Earnings Surge and Fed’s Watchful Eye
By Camilo Botia On Monday, the S&P 500 reached a new all-time high as investors anticipated the earnings reports of several large tech companies and the Fed’s interest rate decision. The index rose by 0.81% to 4,929.53, surpassing its previous record of 4,906.77, set on Jan. 26. Investors are anticipating rate cuts to come […]
The most important events of the past week
By Samir El Khoury United States of America ·       The Empire State Manufacturing Index in New York State declined to -43.70 points, lower than expectations (-5.0) and the previous reading (-14.50). ·       The retail sales index rose on a monthly basis, recording a growth of 0.6%, which exceeded expectations (0.4%) and the previous reading (0.3%). […]
AI Optimism Boosts U.S. Stocks to Near-Record Highs
By Camilo Botia U.S. stocks closed sharply higher on Thursday as investors cheered the strong performance of chipmakers and tech giants, driven by the growing demand for artificial intelligence applications. The S&P 500 index rose 0.88% to 4,779.89 points, nearing its monthly high of 4,803.17 points earlier this month. The Nasdaq composite index gained 1.35% […]
VIX Surges as Fed Caution and Strong Retail Sales Amplify Market Uncertainty
By Samir El Khoury The VIX Fear and Volatility Index, reflecting investors’ anticipated stock market price movements, increased from 11.81 points to around 15.40 points yesterday. This marks its highest level since November 10, 2023, suggesting heightened turmoil and investor unease in the US stock markets. This noticeable increase is due to several factors, […]
Downturn in Nasdaq Golden Dragon Index Reflects China’s Broader Economic Struggles
By Samir El Khoury Two days ago, the People’s Bank of China left the one-year loan interest rate unchanged at 2.5%, contrary to analysts’ expectations. The People’s Bank of China has injected about 995 billion Chinese yuan through medium-term loans to boost liquidity and help meet the demand for financing. Economic indicators today in […]
Microsoft Overtakes Apple As The World’s Most Valuable Company
By Camilo Botia Microsoft has surpassed Apple as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company, ending the iPhone maker’s reign of over a year. The software giant’s market capitalization reached $2.89 trillion at the close of U.S. trading on Friday, while Apple’s valuation slipped to $2.87 trillion. The milestone reflects Microsoft’s strong performance in the […]
Weekly Market Analysis
By Samir El Khoury The most important events of the past week United States of America • The headline consumer price index rose year-on-year, recording 3.4%, which exceeded expectations (3.2%) and the previous reading (3.1%). The core consumer price index on an annual basis recorded 3.9%, which is higher than expectations (3.8%) but lower than […]
