ORLANDO, Florida, May 5 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and
Nasdaq sailed to new highs on Tuesday, riding the crest of yet
another wave of optimism around the artificial intelligence
boom. Strong earnings, lower oil prices, and relief that the
U.S.-Iran ceasefire is holding also lifted sentiment.
In my column today, I look at the cycle on Wall Street -
sky-high expectations for earnings and returns pushing prices
ever higher - and ask whether this 'boom loop' may also be
sowing the seeds of a reversal and potentially turbulent doom
loop in the months ahead.
If you have more time to read, here are a few articles I
recommend to help you make sense of what happened in markets
today.
1. US says Iran ceasefire holds despite exchange of fire
over Strait of Hormuz
2. Trump broke OPEC. He may regret it: Bousso
3. EXCLUSIVE-US prepared for visa sanctions on China
over migrants issue, official says
4. Banks buying sovereign debt is lesser of two evils
5. Australia's central bank set to cool its heels after
rapid-fire rate hikes
Today's Key Market Moves
* STOCKS: New highs for MSCI All Country index, S&P 500,
Nasdaq, and Taiwan. MSCI Asia ex-Japan eases back from Monday's
record high, Europe up solidly but FTSE 100 -1.4%.
* SECTORS/SHARES: All 11 sectors in the S&P 500 rise.
Tech +1.6%, materials +1.7%. Benchmark semiconductor index (SOX)
+4.2% to new record, +55% in last six weeks. Intel +13%, now
+170% in last six weeks.
* FX: Dollar little changed, yen slips back to 158/$.
India's rupee at record low, but most emerging FX gets respite -
BRL, MXN, HUF all +1%. Bitcoin +2% above $81,000.
* BONDS: UK 30y gilt yield hits 5.79%, highest since
1998. U.S. yields slip 2-4 bps, curve bull flattens slightly.
* COMMODITIES/METALS: Oil -4%, gold +1%.
Today's Talking Points
* Long bond blues
Of the three major asset classes across developed markets -
stocks, bonds and currencies - one is emerging as the clear
loser from the global energy shock. Bonds. Short-dated yields
are rising in line with price pressures and policy expectations,
but perhaps the bigger worry is the long end.
The 30-year UK gilt yield on Tuesday hit 5.79%, the highest
since 1998; the 30-year U.S. yield above 5.00% is only 15 bps
away from a new 23-year high; Japan's 30-year yield is less than
15 bps from an all-time high. Pension, insurance and sovereign
wealth funds will be tempted, but it seems other investors are
demanding even higher returns for taking on the growing fiscal
and inflation risks.
* Breakevens breakout
U.S. market-based inflation expectations cooled on Tuesday
as oil prices fell, but don't expect the respite to last. With
average gasoline at the pump nudging $4.50 a gallon, and 2026
average oil price forecasts now reaching $100 a barrel, price
pressures will likely persist.
The breakeven rate on five-year TIPS this week has topped
2.82%, its highest since August 2022, and the 10-year TIPS
breakeven rate has scaled 2.50% for the first time in more than
three years. One can question the accuracy of breakevens, but
the signal they're sending is pretty clear.
* Alphabet whoop
Google's parent company, Alphabet, is on the cusp of
overtaking Nvidia as the world's most valuable company, a
position it last held - briefly - a decade ago. Its recent rise
has been remarkable, and a clear reflection that AI is no longer
a 'one size fits all' trade.
Shares are up nearly 45% in the last six weeks, leaping 10%
the day after it reported much stronger cloud growth figures and
forecasts than expected. Investors are much more discerning on
where they think the AI capex binge will bear fruit or not. And
right now, Alphabet is the hyperscaler darling.
What could move markets tomorrow?
* Developments in the Middle East
* Energy market moves
* South Korea inflation (April)
* European Central Bank board members Claudia Buch, Philip
Lane and Piero Cipollone scheduled to speak
* Euro zone producer price inflation (March)
* Euro zone PMIs (April, final)
* European earnings including Arm Holdings, Novo Nordisk
* UK services, composite PMIs (April, final)
* Canada PMIs (April)
* U.S. ADP payrolls (April)
* U.S. Federal Reserve officials scheduled to speak include
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee and St. Louis Fed
President Alberto Musalem
* U.S. earnings include Disney, Uber, Apollo, Warner Bros
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