Morgans Financial Limited (Imports from Soundcloud)

US equity markets rallied, with the S&P500 and Nasdaq logging their highest closes since August last year amid reports of further progress in resolving the debt-ceiling debate in Congress - Dow rose +115-points or +0.34%, The broader S&P500 gained +0.94%, with Information Technology (up +2.06%) leading seven of the eleven primary sectors higher. The Nasdaq rallied +1.51%. Apple Inc (+1.37%) and Google-parent Alphabet Inc (+1.68%) advanced to log their highest settlements since April last year. Nvidia Corp gained +4.97% to US$316.78, marking the chipmaker’s highest close since 8 December, 2021 and ~5% below its all-time closing high of US$333.76 set on 29 November, 2021. The latest rally – which sees the stock up ~116.76% year-to-date - came after the company announced a slew of high-performance gaming cards aimed at budget shoppers. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 added +0.58%.

US equity markets rallied as optimism emerged from Republican congressional leadership over averting a default on the debt ceiling - Dow rebounded +409-points or +1.24%, The broader S&P500 rose +1.19%, with Energy (up +2.07%), Consumer Discretionary (+2.04%) and Financials (+2.0%) all gaining 2%+ to lead nine of the eleven primary sectors higher. Utilities (down -0.36%) and Consumer Staples (-0.10%) were the only primary sectors to settle in the red. The Nasdaq rallied +1.27%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 outperformed with a +2.21% gain after the lagging the other indices recently.

Morgans Chief Economist Michael Knox discussed the US economy and the possibility of shutdown by the US Government and what effect that will have for the next several quarters. Check out more from Morgans: Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

Senior Analyst Nathan Lead recaps our coverage of the Banking sector. Including stocks such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA), National Australia Bank (ASX:NAB), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC), and ANZ Group Holdings (ASX:ANZ). Check out more from Morgans: Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

US equity markets retreated as investors focussed on debt ceiling talks between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which concluded shortly before market close - Dow fell -336-points or -1.01%, falling back into negative territory for the year-to-date for the first time since 4 May and closing below its 50-day average for the first time since 30 March. The broader S&P500 lost -0.64%, with Real Estate (down -2.61%), Energy (-2.54%) and Utilities (-2.30%) all dropping over >2% to lead nine of the eleven primary sectors lower. Communication Services (up +0.59%) and Information Technology (+0.16%) were the only primary sectors to advance. The technology-centric Nasdaq slipped -0.18%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 shed -1.44%.

US equity markets edged higher in subdued trading as investors awaited news about debt ceiling negotiations and assessed fresh data pointing to a cooling economy - Dow added +48-points or +0.14%, snapping a five session losing streak. The broader S&P500 rose +0.30%, with Materials (up +0.85%) and Financials (+0.82%) both rose over >0.8% to lead six of the eleven primary sectors higher. Utilities sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard with a -1.24% decline. The Nasdaq advanced +0.66%, with chipmaker NVIDIA Corp rallying +2.16%. Apple Inc (down -0.29%) saw its market capitalisation (~US$2.7 trillion) surpass that of the entire small capitalisation Russell 2000 on 27 April and has retained this premium for two weeks. The Russell 2000 gained +1.19%.

US equity markets drifted lower on Friday (12 May), forfeiting earlier gains in late morning trade after consumer sentiment data from the University of Michigan recorded a notable increase in consumer inflation expectations - Dow dipped -9-points or -0.03%, The broader S&P500 reversed earlier gains to settle -0.16% lower, Consumer Discretionary (down -0.89%) leading four of the eleven primary sectors lower on Friday (12 May). The more defensive Utilities (up +0.44%) and Consumer Staples (+0.36%) sectors outperformed. The Nasdaq fell -0.35%, with Apple Inc down -0.54% and Meta Platforms Inc -0.84%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.22%. Small cap stocks have struggled since turmoil in U.S. regional banks erupted in early March, with the Russell 2000 down ~7% since 8 March.

US equity markets slipped amid fresh concerns around regional banks and weaker commodity prices - Dow fell -222-points or -0.66%, extending declines into a fourth straight session. The Walt Disney Company dropped -8.73% after the media giant released its fiscal second-quarter results after the close of the previous session and recorded a decline in subscribers to its streaming business, Disney+. The broader S&P500 slipped -0.17%, with Energy (down -1.24%), Utilities (-1.14%) and Real Estate (-1.02%) all falling over >1% to lead eight of the eleven primary sectors lower. Communication Services (up +1.65%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard. The technology-centric Nasdaq edged +0.18% higher. Google-parent Alphabet Inc rallied +4.31% to its highest level since August on the heels of its I/O developer conference that saw the company unveil new gadgets and software, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.84%. Livent Corp.

Last night the Treasurer, the Hon. Dr. Jim Chalmers MP, handed down the Federal Budget for 2023/24. Our experienced analysts, Terri Bradford, Andrew Tang and Michael Knox have considered the implications from multiple perspectives and have provided insights on what this will mean for you. Read their full articles here: https://www.morgans.com.au/federal-budget-2023 Timestamps: 00:08 - Economic Strategy (Michael Knox) 05:20 - Equity Strategy (Andrew Tang) 08:54 - Wealth Management (Terri Bradford) Check out more from Morgans: Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

US equity markets advanced and treasuries rallied as the latest headline inflation data printed slightly weaker-than-expected, with value stocks lagging growth names following a choppy session - Dow slipped -30-points or -0.09%, with American Express Co (down -3.06%) and Nike Inc (-1.27%) notable drags. The broader S&P500 +0.45%, with Communication Services (up +1.69%) and Information Technology (up +1.22%) leading seven of the eleven primary sectors higher. Energy and Financials sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard, down -1.15% and -0.67% respectively. The technology-centric Nasdaq +1.04%, logging its highest settlement since June. Alphabet Inc rose +4.10% as Google kicked off its I/O developer conference and unveiled new gadgets and software, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rose +0.56%.