FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Nasdaq, S&P 500 Retreat From Record Highs as Yields Surge Amid Inflation Woes

By
Nasdaq, S&P 500 Retreat From Record Highs as Yields Surge Amid Inflation Woes

The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 fell from record highs as inflation concerns pushed Treasury yields higher.

The Nasdaq tumbled 1.5% to 26,225.1, while the S&P 500 dropped 1.2% to 7,408.5. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.1% to 49,526.2. Barring energy, all sectors ended in the red, led by materials' 2.7% slump.

The S&P 500 advanced 0.1% this week, marking its seventh consecutive weekly advance. The Nasdaq logged a weekly loss of 0.1% after a streak of six weekly gains. The Dow recorded a weekly loss of 0.2%.

US Treasury yields surged, with the 10-year rate last up 14 basis points at 4.60% and the two-year rate rising 8.7 basis points to 4.08%.

The headline consumer price index is expected to average 6% in the second quarter, according to a poll of economists by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. That's well above the 2.7% rate pegged in the previous survey, which was published in March.

Earlier this week, official data showed that consumer inflation accelerated to 3.8% year over year in April, the highest print since May 2023. Energy prices rose nearly 18%, the highest since September 2022.

West Texas Intermediate crude was last up 4.7% at $105.89 a barrel, while Brent climbed 3.6% to $109.57.

Talks between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, this week failed to improve the prospects of a US-Iran peace deal.

RBC Capital Markets sees no imminent diplomatic breakthrough.

"There seems to be an emerging consensus that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen in June because the cost of continued closure will be too high," RBC said in a note emailed Friday. "We are very skeptical of a June grand reopening."

In economic news, US industrial production rebounded more than projected in April, buoyed by the manufacturing and utilities categories, Federal Reserve data showed.

"Besides supportive fiscal policy, the (artificial intelligence) buildout will continue to lift production of computers and electronics, while an inventory restocking cycle will support new orders growth for factories," Oxford Economics said in a note.

New York manufacturing activity grew at the fastest pace in more than four years this month amid robust new orders, the New York Fed reported.

Gold was last down 3.1% at $4,540.30 per troy ounce, while silver slid nearly 11% to $76.21 per ounce.

Related Articles

Japan Producer Prices Surge as Iran Conflict Drives Up Fuel Costs
US Markets

Japan Producer Prices Surge as Iran Conflict Drives Up Fuel Costs

Japan's wholesale prices rose at their fastest annual pace in nearly three years in April as the Iran conflict drove up fuel and chemical costs, government data showed Friday, reinforcing expectations the Bank of Japan could raise interest rates as soon as June.The corporate goods price index, which tracks the prices companies charge each other for goods and services, rose 4.9% from a year earlier. The figure marked a sharp acceleration from 2.9% in March and came in above market expectations.On a monthly basis, producer prices increased 2.3%, reflecting broad gains across energy categories including petroleum, electricity and chemicals.The latest reading adds to signs that external shocks are feeding through Japan's import-dependent economy. The yen-based import price index jumped 17.5% from a year earlier, its fastest rise since late 2022, as higher crude oil prices and a weaker currency lifted costs for firms.Energy-related items were a key driver of the monthly rise. Petroleum and coal products contributed 0.75 percentage points, while electric power, gas and water added 0.47 percentage points. Chemical-related goods also added 0.48 percentage points, reflecting higher prices for inputs such as ethylene, propylene and xylene.Export and import prices also pointed to broad cost pressures. The export price index rose 3.3% from a month earlier, led by other primary products and manufactured goods, which contributed 1.48 percentage points, and chemicals and related products, which added 1.11 percentage points.The import price index increased 4.9% on the month, with petroleum, coal and natural gas contributing 4.19 percentage points, making it the dominant driver of the rise. Electric and electronic products added 0.32 percentage points, while chemicals and related products contributed 0.15 percentage points.The inflation data has sharpened attention on the Bank of Japan's policy path after board member Kazuyuki Masu said recently that rates should be raised as early as possible if there are no clear signs of economic slowdown. His comments added to growing market bets that the central bank could move again as soon as June.Three BOJ board members had already dissented at the previous policy meeting, pushing for a rate increase, underscoring the split within the central bank over the pace of normalization.The broader concern for policymakers is whether higher energy costs remain confined to a narrow set of goods or begin to spread across a wider range of products, potentially embedding more persistent inflation in the economy.

Nikkei 225
Foxconn's Profit Rises 19% in Q1 as AI Server Demand Drives Record Revenue
US Markets

Foxconn's Profit Rises 19% in Q1 as AI Server Demand Drives Record Revenue

Hon Hai Precision Industry (TPE:2317), also known as Foxconn, posted higher first-quarter profit as booming artificial intelligence server demand drove record revenue.Net profit attributable to the parent company rose 19% to NT$49.9 billion in the January-to-March period, the company said Thursday.Earnings per share came in at NT$3.56 from NT$3.03 in the corresponding period last year.Revenue climbed 29% to a record NT$2.12 trillion.Nvidia's largest AI server supplier and Apple's main iPhone assembler said rapid growth in AI server demand reshaped its revenue mix, with its cloud and networking business accounting for nearly half of group revenue during the quarter.Foxconn's rotating Chief Executive, Michael Chiang, said artificial intelligence continued to underpin the company's growth outlook as major cloud service providers ramp up spending on AI infrastructure."AI remains the most important growth driver this year," Chiang said on an earnings call, according to Reuters. He added that major cloud service providers have recently increased capital spending plans."AI is not a short-term theme, but a structural transformation of the industry," Chiang said.The company forecast significant quarter-over-quarter and strong year-over-year growth in the second quarter, supported by sustained AI demand, while maintaining its full-year outlook for strong growth.Foxconn said AI rack shipments are expected to more than double this year, with quarterly shipment volumes rising sequentially as customer projects advance.The company also said shipments and revenue from high-speed switches above 800G could double this year as AI data centers increasingly adopt faster networking architectures.Capital expenditures rose about 27% year over year to NT$174 billion last year and are expected to increase by more than 30% this year as Foxconn expands regional manufacturing capacity, automation deployment, and core infrastructure.Foxconn's growing AI infrastructure ambitions come as SoftBank (TYO:9984) has reportedly begun discussions with Nvidia and Foxconn on plans to develop "made-in-Japan" artificial intelligence servers, according to a Nikkei report earlier this month.The report said SoftBank aims to establish a domestic AI server production framework by the end of the decade, initially assembling externally sourced components before eventually expanding into full-scale server manufacturing.Foxconn has also been expanding its footprint in electric vehicles, recently deepening its push into Europe through a strategic partnership with Poland's state-backed ElectroMobility Poland.

TPE:2317TYO:9984
Tech Gains Lift Nasdaq, S&P 500 to New Highs
US Markets

Tech Gains Lift Nasdaq, S&P 500 to New Highs

The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 hit new peaks on Thursday, buoyed again by gains in the technology sector.The Nasdaq rose 0.9% to 26,635.2, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.8% to 7,501.4 -- both logging record closing highs for the second straight day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.8% to settle at 50,063.5.Six of the 11 sectors were in the green, led by tech's 1.9% jump, while materials saw the biggest drop. The tech sector rallied yesterday too, ahead of high-stakes talks between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.Cisco Systems (CSCO) shares rallied 13%, the biggest gainer on the S&P 500 and the Dow. Late Wednesday, Cisco's fiscal third-quarter results exceeded Wall Street's estimates, while the networking equipment maker announced a restructuring plan that involved thousands of layoffs.Cisco's expanded hyperscaler partnerships are paying dividends for the company, as evidenced by management expectations for a surge in artificial intelligence orders, Morgan Stanley said in a note e-mailed Thursday.Nvidia (NVDA) followed Cisco on the Dow, up 4.4%. IBM (IBM), Salesforce (CRM) and Microsoft (MSFT) also closed higher.About 10 Chinese companies have secured US clearance to purchase Nvidia's H200 AI chip, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources."Despite this approval, however, H200s still have not made their way to China given the apparent reluctance of Beijing to support Chinese firms' purchase of American made accelerators," Wedbush Securities analyst Matt Bryson said in a report. "We view this week's talks between the US and China as a chance to possibly shift this dynamic."Trump arrived in China on Wednesday, along with Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang and other executives of major American companies. China's Xi told Huang and CEOs of companies including Apple (AAPL) and Tesla (TSLA) that China will "open wider" to doing business, news outlets reported.Boeing (BA) is set to get an order for 200 jets from China, Fox News reported, citing Trump. The US planemaker's shares declined 4.7%, the biggest drop on the Dow.US Treasury yields were higher in Thursday late-afternoon trade, with the 10-year rate up 1.4 basis points at 4.48% and the two-year rate rising 2.1 basis points to 4.01%.West Texas Intermediate crude was last up 1% at $102.07 a barrel, while Brent rose 0.9% to $106.55.Xi and Trump agreed that the crucial Strait of Hormuz should remain open, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a White House readout of the Trump-Xi talks."The market could be pinning too much hope on the US-China talks yielding some positive results on Iran," ING Bank said in a note. "Some hope that China could exert pressure on Iran to reach a deal with the US, to end the war and lead to a resumption of energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz."In other company news, Cerebras Systems (CBRS) surged 68% in its public market debut on Thursday, after the artificial intelligence chipmaker priced its initial public offering at well above the top end of the projected range.In economic news, US retail sales in April rose for the third straight month, with analysts saying the increase largely reflected higher prices as the war in Iran kept fuel costs elevated.Inflation has become the "most pressing risk" to the US economy, Kansas City Fed President Jeff Schmid said Thursday."While inflation has moderated significantly from its peak, in my discussions with business leaders across the Tenth District, it is clear that it is still too high," Schmid said in prepared remarks for a conference.Gold was last down 1.1% at $4,654.70 per troy ounce, while silver tumbled 6.2% to $83.84 per ounce.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AAPL$BA$CBRS$CSCO$NVDA$TSLA