US equity markets advanced on Friday (30 August) to cap one of the most volatile months of trading in years - Dow rose +228-points or +0.55% to 41,563.08 to log its fourth record closing high of the week. Intel Corp rallied +9.49% following a Bloomberg report that the chipmaker is considering the spin-off or sale of its foundry business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc rose +0.62%, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that the investment bank is cutting as many as 1,800 of its employees as part of a planned 3% to 4% staff reduction following the bank’s annual performance-review process.

US equity markets mixed, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq losing ground late in the session and selling in Nvidia Corp intensified - Dow gained +244-points or +0.59% to 41,335.05, logging its third record closing high in the past four sessions. Apple Inc rose +1.46% with after Citigroup nominating the iPhone maker its top artificial intelligence (AI) pick. Meanwhile, Nikkei reported that Apple is telling suppliers to prepare components and parts for some 88M to 90M smartphones, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan. That is more than last year's initial component orders for around 80M new iPhones. Apple is preparing for sales of its first iPhone with Apple Intelligence, which includes generative AI features. The company has announced it will host its flagship product launch event on 9 September.  Salesforce Inc fell -0.73%, giving back earlier gains after the enterprise software company reported results after the close of the previous session that exceeded expectations on both the top and bottom lines.

US equity markets retreated ahead of the much anticipated release of chip giant Nvidia Corp’s second quarter result after the close, and with a batch of US retailers cutting outlooks amid a challenging consumer environment - Dow fell -159-points or -0.39%, paring an earlier decline of more than >400-points. Nike Inc (down -2.93%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index.

US equity markets settled little changed as investors eye Nvidia Corp’s (up +1.46%) second quarter result tonight AEST - Dow inched+10-points or +0.02% higher to a fresh record closing high of 41,250.50.


The broader S&P500 added +0.16%, with Information Technology (up +0.63%) leading six of the eleven primary sectors higher.  Eli Lilly & Co rose +0.42% after the pharmaceuticals giant announced it would launch single-dose vials of Zepbound, one of the company's popular weight-loss drugs.  Warren Buffett’s investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway is on the cusp of becoming just the ninth company in the world to achieve a US$1 trillion valuation. The conglomerate’s total market capitalisation stood at nearly US$993B as of last night’s close, with Berkshire Class A shares up +1.34% (at US$691,350) and Class B stock +1.35% (at US$460.63). Berkshire Hathaway has seen its total market cap increase by ~US$218B since the start of 2024, according to Dow Jones data. ResMed Inc rallied +7.26% on large volume (~1.9M shares versus a daily average of 1.08M), buoyed by a bullish research note from US independent investment bank and financial services company William Blair & Company that cited a “tidal wave” of new sleep apnoea and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) patients coming from weight loss drugs beginning in 2025.  Paramount Global dropped -7.15% following news that Edgar Bronfman Jr. has withdrawn from bidding for Shari Redstone's media empire, setting the stage for the entertainment giant to be sold to David Ellison's Skydance Media.

US equity markets eased in a quiet session following last Friday’s (23 August) strong gains, with investors eyeing chip giant Nvidia Corp’s (down -2.25%) second quarter result on Wednesday night AEST (28 August) and inflation figures at the back end of the week - Dow added +65-points or +0.16% to 41,240.52, notching its 23rd record close of 2024. Apple Inc (up +0.15%) is likely to unveil its newest phones and the next generations of the Apple Watch and AirPods at an event on 9 September reportedly called “It’s Glowtime”. The iPhone maker is expected to officially announce the long-anticipated iPhone 16, supercharged with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Intel Corp fell -2% following a report from CNBC that said the chip maker has hired advisors, including some with Morgan Stanley (up +0.43%), to help defend the company against potential shareholder activism.

US equity markets rallied on Friday (23 August) after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said “the time has come” for monetary easing - Dow rose +462-points or +1.14% to 41,175.08, closing within 0.1% of a fresh record close.
The broader S&P500 gained +1.15% to 5,634.61, settling just 0.6% below its all-time closing high recorded in mid-July. Construction materials supplier Builders FirstSource Inc rallied +8.75% to be the leading performer in the S&P 500

US equity markets retreated as central bankers will gather in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the Federal Reserve’s annual Monetary Policy Symposium, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq logging their worst daily decline since 5 August - Dow fell -178-points or -0.43%. Intel Corp slumped -6.12% to be worst performer in the 30-stock index overnight following reports that the semiconductor giant's progress on constructing two new chip fabrication facilities in Germany may be stalled. Intel expected the Magdeburg plants to be online and producing high-performance semiconductors as soon as 2027. However, according to media reports this week, the schedule now appears uncertain. Amazon.com Inc (-2.21%) and Microsoft Corp (-2.03%) both fell over >2%.

US equity markets logged modest gains as investors digested earnings reports from various retailers, the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s late July monetary policy meeting and a sharp downward revision to annual payrolls data - Dow edged +56-points or +0.14% higher, with Intel Corp (up +2.0%) the leading performer in the 30-stock index. American Express Co fell -2.68% to US$246.30 after Bank of America Securities downgraded the payments giant to ‘Neutral’ from ‘Buy’ with a US$263 price target, with the analysts pointing to the stock’s current premium valuation and the potential for subdued growth in billings volume.

US equity markets logged modest declines, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq snapping eight session winning streaks - Dow slipped -62-points or -0.15%, snapping a five session winning streak. Boeing Co shed -4.2% after the aerospace company said it would be grounding its four-plane test fleet of the 777x after finding cracks in the jet’s structure. Intel Corp lost -2.46%, unwinding much of the previous session’s +3.11% gain.

US equity markets advanced on Friday (16 August) to cap their best week of 2024 to date, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq - Dow added +97-points or +0.24%, rising for a sixth time in seven sessions.
The broader S&P500 rose +0.20%, with Financials (up +0.62%) leading eight of the eleven primary sectors higher. Ulta Beauty Inc rose +3.12% and extended gains after regulatory filing late last week revealed Warren Buffett's investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway Inc had acquired an ~US$266M stake in the cosmetics retailer. Amcor Plc lost -3.69% to be the worst performer in the S&P 500 after the packaging giant missed revenue estimates and provided weak guidance after the close of the previous session as volumes for healthcare and North American beverage companies remained soft.
The Nasdaq edged +0.21% higher.