Stock Market

Earnings and guidance from the two gatekeepers of the global chips industry offered positive signals amidst ongoing AI spending, but the Middle East conflict adds to existing headwinds.

Markets are entering a critical earnings test where Big Tech must prove massive AI spending is translating into real, sustainable returns, not just hype.

This week’s setups lean more risk-on, shifting from recent defensive positioning as market sentiment improves. However, the outlook remains fragile, and any escalation in geopolitical tensions could quickly reverse this stance and push us back toward a more cautious approach.

In a volatile and shock-driven 2026 market, where the broader uptrend remains intact despite macro uncertainty, patient investors who selectively buy dips driven by short-term fear rather than structural weakness are consistently better positioned to capture opportunity.

Markets are cautiously rising on technical recovery and earnings optimism, but remain driven by geopolitical risk and oil-led inflation uncertainty.

Delta’s earnings arrive at a period of fresh risks for the air travel industry, as the spike in oil prices adds to an already uncertain macro environment, threatening its growth momentum.

Elevated fear (high VIX) is signalling a potential contrarian bounce in equities, but persistent geopolitical risk and volatility mean caution remains.

Against a highly uncertain macro environment and an AI narrative that is not that straightforward anymore, we examine five companies tied to the AI boom and its buildout. Alphabet, Micron, Apple, Caterpillar, Newmont.

The S&P 500 sell-off is being driven by a surge in oil prices from escalating Middle East tensions, amplifying inflation fears, tightening financial conditions, and exposing deeper risks in private credit and AI-driven earnings expectations.

Shares of Micron extend post-earnings drop amid lingering risks, but the results were impressive amid strong memory demand.

Against a backdrop of Middle East conflict, stagflation fears and shifting monetary policy, we assess opportunities and risks across energy, defence, aviation and tech. Exxon, Lockheed, Delta, Netflix and Tesla, are in our radar.