Asian markets opened higher, lifted by Wall Street optimism that artificial intelligence will keep powering tech profits — and growing bets the Fed could cut rates. Stocks gained in Japan and South Korea, while Hong Kong remained closed for a holiday. The yen strengthened after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Japan's new government to give the Bank of Japan more room to fight inflation — a contrast to his message for the Fed at home. For more, we'll hear from Bloomberg MLIV Strategist Mark Cranfield.

In the U.S., a rally in big tech pushed stocks to record highs as investors bet AI will keep driving earnings. Five major tech firms report later this week — key tests for whether spending on AI infrastructure keeps paying off. We spoke to Scott Ladner, Chief Investment Officer at Horizon.

 

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