financetom
World
financetom
/
World
/
Morning Bid: Who needs oil when there's AI to buy?
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Morning Bid: Who needs oil when there's AI to buy?
May 31, 2026 10:05 PM

June 1 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole.

It seems investors are concluding no news is good news when it comes to the Gulf peace talks. President Trump had said he was meeting last Friday to decide on whether to sign off on an extension to the ceasefire, but since then it's been silence, well apart from comparing himself to Elvis.

Defence Secretary Hegseth did pop up to say the U.S. could restart attacks on Iran if a suitable deal was not agreed. Indeed, news came Monday that U.S. forces had struck Iranian targets over the weekend, while Iran said it had targeted an air base used in what it called a U.S. attack and Kuwaiti defences were reported to be intercepting missile and drone strikes.

As it is, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a trickle with eight vessels heading outbound on May 30, and only two of those tankers. Pre-war the daily average was 136 or so.

Commodity analysts have for some time been warning that mid-June would be when global oil inventories would be so run down that actual shortages would emerge, so the clock is ticking. Yet Brent is well under $100, even after rising 2.5% today to $93.40.

Asian share markets are too focused on AI to care, and who can blame them? South Korea's main index climbed 28% in May, while Taiwan added 15% and the Nikkei 12%. Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) was up 10% on Monday alone as it began shipping a new type of faster chips.

The boom in tech was clear in some truly astounding trade numbers from South Korea where exports were up 53% in May on a year earlier at almost $88 billion. Exports of semiconductors rose 169% and computers 291%.

And yet the Korean won is not far from all-time lows, suggesting Korea's dollar earnings are staying in dollars and not being converted. Presumably much of that is held in Treasury paper, so the AI boom is indirectly helping the U.S. administration fund its massive budget deficit. Swings and roundabouts.

Nvidia ( NVDA ) boss Jensen Huang kicks off the Computex trade show in Taipei on Monday with a speech about AI in which he is expected to tout his company's latest products as well as the mountain of investment he's planning for Taiwan.

Key developments that could influence markets on Monday:

- EU unemployment for April, EU PMIs, German retail sales

- US ISM manufacturing survey for May, US PMI

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Futures slip as government funding bill deadline looms, growth fears persist
Futures slip as government funding bill deadline looms, growth fears persist
Mar 13, 2025
(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures declined on Thursday as investors closely monitored a stopgap government funding bill amid escalating slowdown fears driven by President Donald Trump's chaotic tariff policies. A funding bill in the U.S. Senate that will keep the government running through September 30 is now in focus, with one day to go before a partial shutdown. The...
Trade Outlook, Interest Rates Dent Asian Stock Markets
Trade Outlook, Interest Rates Dent Asian Stock Markets
Mar 13, 2025
06:44 AM EDT, 03/13/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets tracked lower Thursday, as investors mulled interest rates and the international trade picture. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo finished in the red, as did most other regional exchanges. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher on Wall Street cues but slipped during trading, finishing off 0.1% as a stronger yen...
Futures slip as government funding bill deadline looms, growth fears persist
Futures slip as government funding bill deadline looms, growth fears persist
Mar 13, 2025
(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures declined on Thursday as investors closely monitored a stopgap government funding bill amid escalating slowdown fears driven by President Donald Trump's chaotic tariff policies. A funding bill in the U.S. Senate that will keep the government running through September 30 is now in focus, with one day to go before a partial shutdown. The...
Stocks Mostly Up Pre-Bell Ahead of Latest PPI Report; Asia Falls, Europe Rises
Stocks Mostly Up Pre-Bell Ahead of Latest PPI Report; Asia Falls, Europe Rises
Mar 13, 2025
07:03 AM EDT, 03/13/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes mostly edged higher before the opening bell Thursday as traders await last month's data on producer prices. Standard & Poor's 500 was slightly in the green and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 0.1%, while the Nasdaq was off 0.1% in premarket activity. Asian exchanges were pointing lower...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved