(The opinions expressed here are those of the author. )

By Amanda Cooper

LONDON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - What matters in U.S. and

global markets today

By Amanda Cooper, Editor, Markets Breaking News, Europe

Markets are digesting mixed signals this morning: Wall

Street cooled after hitting record highs, Asia is riding an

AI-driven surge, and gold has smashed through $3,750 an ounce,

as investors hedge against uncertainty. Meanwhile, the Fed's

messaging remains split ahead of Powell's remarks, keeping

rate-cut bets alive, but looking more fragile.

* The S&P 500 and Nasdaq paused after hitting record highs, with

the Dow down 0.21%, S&P 500 off 0.02%, and Nasdaq up 0.11%.

Apple surged 2.4% on strong iPhone 17 demand, while Tesla and

Nvidia extended gains. But Trump's proposed $100,000 H-1B visa

fee rattled tech and banks that rely on foreign talent. Shares

in Tylenol-maker Kenvue look set to recover some of Monday's

losses on the back of the Trump administration's claim that use

of the painkiller by pregnant women is linked to autism in

children.

* Asian markets extended gains as AI optimism drove tech

stocks higher. Nvidia pledged a $100 billion OpenAI investment,

fueling momentum. Gold hit a fresh record above $3,750 an ounce,

up nearly 9% this month, as investors hedge against uncertainty.

Japan's Nikkei was shut for a holiday but remains up 6.5% in

September; Taiwan and Korea also posted strong monthly gains.

* Markets still price a 90% chance of an October rate cut,

but Fed speakers urged caution. Yields climbed, with the 10-year

at 4.15%. The dollar index hovered near 97.33, while the euro

held at $1.18 and yen at 147.77. Oil eased, with Brent crude

futures at $66.24 and WTI at $61.98. Gold's rally contrasts with

hawkish Fed remarks as Powell prepares to speak later today.

Today's Market Minute

* Nvidia (NVDA.O) will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and

supply it with data center chips, the companies said on

Monday, marking a tie-up between two of the highest-profile

players in the global artificial intelligence race.

* Disney (DIS.N) said on Monday it would return comedian Jimmy

Kimmel to late-night television on Tuesday, six days after his

show was threatened with a regulatory probe and suspended over

comments he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk's

assassination.

* The United States is considering imposing sanctions as soon as

this week against the entire International Criminal Court,

putting the court's day-to-day operations in jeopardy in

retaliation for investigations of suspected Israeli war crimes.

* U.S. pension funds and households have never held more

equities as a share of their overall assets, by some measures,

raising questions about whether the long-term shift towards

stocks has run its course or whether investors have truly

undergone a paradigm shift. Read the latest from ROI markets

columnist Jamie McGeever.

* Asia dominates the global thermal coal market, but, writes ROI

columnist Clyde Russell, the future is looking increasingly

split between robust domestic markets in the three heavyweights

of China, India and Indonesia and a gradually fading seaborne

market.

Chart of the day

Gold has hit yet another record high, bringing gains for

this year to nearly 45%, set for its largest annual rally since

1979. Bitcoin has been described as "digital gold" by its fans

and last year, its burst above $100,000 looked almost certain to

consolidate its reputation as modern-day bullion. That's not

been the case so far this year, however.

Even with all the fanfare in Washington DC around crypto,

bitcoin is only up 20%, meaning gold, once called a "barbarous

relic" by economist John Maynard Keynes, is suddenly looking

like a sparklier option.

Today's events to watch

* U.S. PMI surveys (9:45 AM EDT)

* Fed Chair Powell speaks on economic outlook (12:35 PM EDT)

* UN General Assembly meetings

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Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect

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