Nikkei slides as Japan posts strong GDP growth
JPN225 drops as strong GDP could embolden the BoJ to hike rates to combat energy-driven inflation, but economic resilience and renewed Middle East resolution hopes support the rally.
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JPN225 drops as strong GDP could embolden the BoJ to hike rates to combat energy-driven inflation, but economic resilience and renewed Middle East resolution hopes support the rally.
America’s retail heavyweights, from The Home Depot and Target to Lowe’s and Walmart, could provide one of the clearest tests yet of US consumer resilience in 2026, revealing whether spending remains broad-based or is increasingly shifting toward essentials as economic pressures build.
The S&P 500’s 2026 rally has been driven largely by semiconductor stocks and AI optimism, but narrow market breadth, elevated valuations, and macro risks mean the market is increasingly dependent on chip-sector leadership
Wednesday's earnings come amid continued AI investments that support Nvidia demand, but there are growing risks to its dominance.
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Oil is fuelling inflation, inflation is strengthening the dollar, the stronger dollar is testing gold, and equities are still climbing on AI optimism, creating one of the most compelling cross-asset battles of 2026.
SPX500 remains in a powerful uptrend supported by earnings, AI spending, and economic resilience, although stretched valuations and overbought technicals suggest any near-term pullbacks may create buy-the-dip opportunities.
Q1 earnings are undeniably strong, but strip out mega-cap winners like Alphabet, Amazon.com, and Meta Platforms, and the story shifts from explosive growth to a healthier, but far more uneven, corporate backdrop.
AI-driven fears sparked a sharp selloff in software stocks, but improving earnings and more balanced sentiment suggest the sector may be stabilising as investors reassess its role in the AI era.
Meta’s increased AI spending sparked a negative market reaction as its cloudless model inhibits monetization, but the results were actually really strong, benefiting from AI-driven advertising growth.
The index powers ahead as the AI tailwind persists after AMD's earnings, while hopes for a US-Iran deal rise after President Trump touted progress on negotiations.
The S&P 500 Index remains supported by strong earnings and AI-driven spending, but with market gains still concentrated and breadth narrow, any cracks in the AI narrative or mega-cap leadership could quickly test the rally.
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