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Market Summary
Markets rallied on hopes the U.S. government shutdown will end, sending the Dow to gains while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq showed mixed moves. Volatility remains centered on AI names and chip suppliers after SoftBank’s Nvidia sale; energy and industrials outperformed. Key catalysts: Fed rate-cut odds, reopening progress, and fresh Q3 tech and chip earnings.
Congress moves to end the record-long government shutdown with a short-term funding measure. The House is preparing to vote on the package that would reopen federal operations and unfreeze markets and services.
Figure of the Day
66% – Year-over-year third-quarter revenue growth reported by Circle on stablecoin and reserve income gains.
Legal rulings and court orders are keeping SNAP benefits in limbo for millions. States and assistance groups are scrambling as the Supreme Court extends pauses and payments remain uncertain.
Flight operations remain disrupted after FAA-ordered cuts during the shutdown. Transportation officials warn that even after reopening, travel chaos and staffing shortages will take time to resolve.
Bullish
Foxconn Q3 profit tops estimates on AI server demand
Foxconn beat profit forecasts as AI server and cloud demand drove stronger-than-expected sales, underpinning suppliers across the AI hardware supply chain.
More on wsj.com
SoftBank’s massive repositioning in chip stocks fuels market jitters as it sells its Nvidia holdings to bankroll other AI bets. Investors are reassessing valuations across the AI supply chain.
Yann LeCun’s reported departure from Meta signals a shake-up in big‑tech AI leadership. The exits raise questions about strategy as top researchers prepare startups and new ventures.
Bearish
Sonder abruptly shuts down, guests evicted
Marriott-backed rental operator Sonder halted operations and asked guests to leave immediately, triggering reputational damage and mounting liability for partners and booking platforms.
More on morningbrew.com
Big tech pours billions into European AI infrastructure, marking a geopolitical bet on the continent. Deals promise jobs and data centers but also spark debates over subsidies and strategic control.
Chipmakers are locking in long-term demand from AI data centers. AMD projects explosive market growth while European suppliers like Infineon see a return to sales momentum.
Regulatory Impact
Senate approved emergency funding to reopen government; Supreme Court extended a temporary pause on SNAP payments; UK introduced a new Cyber Security and Resilience Bill; Brazil and other jurisdictions advanced crypto and stablecoin rules.
AI infrastructure winners face execution and financing headwinds: CoreWeave reported booming revenue but flagged costs and interest pressures, prompting a sharp market reaction.
Bitcoin ETFs remain a major liquidity driver even as macro uncertainty drags crypto prices. Heavy inflows one day can coincide with sharp pullbacks the next as rate-cut bets wobble.
Quote
We are doubling down on AI — this is where the future is being made.
— Masayoshi Son, SoftBank CEO
Circle’s stablecoin business is powering rapid revenue growth, underscoring stablecoins’ expanding role in payments and reserve income for crypto-native firms.
Banks and payments firms pilot token-based rails and stablecoin payouts, testing tokenized money for institutional and creator payments as digital asset rules evolve.
IBM unveiled new quantum hardware and supportive microchips, stepping up commercialization efforts and signaling accelerating competition in enterprise quantum services.
The UK government presses ahead with sweeping cyber rules to bolster resilience across public and private sectors after costly attacks. The bill aims to tighten standards for critical services.
European courts are testing AI’s use of copyrighted content: German judges dealt a major ruling against OpenAI and rights groups won damages for unlicensed lyrics in models.
The colossal Simandou iron-ore project in Guinea has started production, reshaping global mining supply and geopolitics around critical minerals and China-backed infrastructure.
China projects are advancing on both military and semiconductor fronts: a new carrier expands naval reach while state intervention in SMIC allocation highlights industrial policy tensions.
Amazon trims corporate headcount in New York as cost cuts continue, while the company tightens Fire TV to block illegal streaming—moves that reflect margin focus across retail and media.
A national baby-formula maker has recalled all products amid an infant botulism outbreak, triggering urgent regulatory scrutiny and supply-chain risk for infant nutrition markets.
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