Markets turned choppy as megacap earnings and a US‑China trade truce collided with Fed policy shifts. S&P 500 and Nasdaq slipped on profit‑taking in AI‑exposed names while the Dow held firmer. Tech and cloud showed divergent moves: Amazon and Alphabet beat, Meta and some chip names lagged, driving higher intraday volatility.
A high‑stakes US‑China summit delivered a fragile trade truce and buys time on contentious export controls. Markets and supply chains are watching whether pauses on rare‑earth curbs and tariff rollbacks hold beyond the year‑long window.
260,000 – Number of Blackwell GPUs Nvidia pledged to South Korea for AI buildouts.
Nvidia’s surge and chip access remain central to AI geopolitics and markets. CEO comments on Blackwell chip sales and the firm’s record valuation underline tech dominance — and regulatory limits persist.
Amazon’s quarter shows cloud momentum and investor relief, while the company signals another surge in capex to back AI. Results are reshaping forecasts and propelling shares after hours.
Roku lifts full‑year outlook after swinging to profit
Roku swung to quarterly profit and raised 2025 guidance, signaling resilient ad and platform revenue as streaming monetization improves.
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Meta’s aggressive AI strategy is rattling investors and forcing big financing moves. The company’s spending spree has prompted plans for a record bond sale amid a stock rout.
Apple delivered blockbuster iPhone and services results and set bullish holiday guidance. The report underpins optimism about consumer resilience despite regional softness in China.
Fiserv stock crash erases value after ‘abysmal’ quarter
A shock earnings miss and guidance cut sent Fiserv tumbling, wiping out investor confidence and halving market value in a single session.
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The Federal Reserve signaled a pivot in policy mechanics while still navigating rate decisions. Plans to halt quantitative tightening and subsequent rate moves have reshaped bond markets and dollar flows.
The US government shutdown’s economic pain is widening with key social programs at risk. SNAP funding and federal services face imminent disruptions that may ripple through state budgets and consumer spending.
U.S.–China one‑year tariff truce and pause on certain rare‑earth curbs; Fed plans to end QT and has cut rates; Trump orders resumption of nuclear testing — all shift risk and regulatory outlooks.
The White House signaled a dramatic shift on nuclear posture, prompting global concern. Orders to resume testing follow recent Russian moves and have immediate geopolitical implications.
Big tech earnings underpinned cloud and AI narratives even as investors parsed huge numbers. Alphabet and Microsoft results underscore cloud momentum and a massive capex cycle shaping the sector.
“Job creation is pretty close to zero.”
— Jerome Powell, Federal Reserve chair
China’s factory sector is contracting, reinforcing structural headwinds for exporters and global supply chains. Beijing’s pivot to consumption is being signalled as policymakers seek to rebalance growth.
A carriage dispute between Google and Disney pulled major channels offline, hitting millions of subscribers. The blackout highlights rising carriage fee clashes in streaming economics.
South Korean industrial policy and private giants are teaming with Nvidia to build AI manufacturing capacity. Deals signal Asia’s role in the next wave of chip and AI infrastructure deployment.
Novo Nordisk’s bid for Metsera escalates into a takeover fight with Pfizer and potential legal skirmishes. The M&A battle signals feverish competition in the obesity‑drug market.
Ethereum developers locked in a Dec. 3 Fusaka hard fork, tightening timelines for key protocol upgrades. The upgrade matters to markets and infrastructure providers preparing for chain changes.
A proposed $9B merger linking AI cloud and bitcoin mining collapsed after shareholders balked. The vote highlights investor skepticism about cross‑sector deals and valuation gaps in AI infrastructure.
Hurricane Melissa wreaked severe destruction across the Caribbean and is triggering catastrophe insurance payouts. Satellite imagery and on‑the‑ground reports showed extensive damage, with recovery and claims processes starting immediately.
Markets were volatile as megacap tech earnings, Fed moves and trade headlines hit investor sentiment. Traders digested strong cloud reports alongside profit‑taking in AI‑exposed names.
Netflix’s board approved a shareholder‑friendly split as the streaming giant looks to widen its shareholder base. The move followed a multi‑year rally and aims to boost liquidity.