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European bourses settled with modest losses, with the Technology sector (down -0.7%) handing back some of last Friday’s (26 May) +3% gain and leaving the pan-European Stoxx 600 index (which includes UK equities) -0.12% lower. The Oil and Gas sector added +0.2%. Germany's DAX slipped -0.20%. France's CAC eased -0.21%. In broader stock moves, Swedish property group SBB SE rose +2.62% after announcing it was exploring strategic options including a sale of the company or of specific assets and segments. Shares of the company have sunk ~80% over the last year as it struggles with the higher interest rate environment. Elsewhere, President Tayyip Erdogan secured victory in a presidential election in Turkey on Sunday (28 May), extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade. In economic data, a final reading of eurozone Consumer Confidence for May, and Consumer Inflation Expectations for May are released tonight AEST.

Morning AM: Monday 29 May 2023 by Morgans Financial

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates world oil demand 2 million barrels a day higher than supply in the second half of 2023. 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, led by fresh solid gains for the technology sector - Dow slipped -35-points or -0.11%, extending declines into a fifth consecutive session. The broader S&P500 rose +0.88%, with Information Technology (up +4.45%) comfortably the leading primary sector performer and leading five of the eleven primary sectors higher. The Nasdaq jumped +1.71%, posting its best daily percentage gain since 5 May as the artificial intelligence (AI) thematic continued to power gains. Advanced Micro Devices Inc rallied +11.16% and Palo Alto Networks Inc +1.80%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.70%.

Marcelo Matos, Chief Executive Officer of Stanmore Resources Limited presented at our latest Morgans Business Breakfast. Stanmore specialises in the production of high-quality QLD metallurgical coals for the seaborne market. With ownership interests in four operating open-cut mines and a diverse portfolio of eight potential developments primarily located in the Bowen Basin, QLD, Stanmore has established itself as a key player in the industry. Following the successful acquisition of the BMC assets, Stanmore is now Australia's fourth-largest met coal producer, positioning them as globally significant in its industry and attracting the attention of investors. Morgans' clients can read the latest coverage on Stanmore Resources here - https://bit.ly/3BuWfe6 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 concern about the impasse in the debt-ceiling talks continued to grow - Dow fell -256-points or -0.77%. The broader S&P500 lost -0.73%, with Real Estate (down -2.21%) leading ten of the eleven primary sectors lower. Financials (down -1.31%), Financials (-1.31%) and Industrials (-1.27%) all fell over >1%. Energy (up +1.04%) was the sole primary sector to advance for a second straight session. The Nasdaq eased -0.61%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -1.16%.

ASX small cap industrials have had a difficult 12 months. Our strategist, Andrew Tang explains why he sees the risk/reward for the asset class turning more favourable. 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 after a volatile session as the drawn out debt ceiling negotiations continued to weigh on sentiment, with losses accelerating in afternoon trading - Dow fell -231-points or -0.69%, The broader S&P500 -1.12%, with Materials (down -1.54%) and Information Technology (-1.50%) falling ~1.5% to lead ten of the eleven primary sectors lower. Energy (up +1.04%) was the sole primary sector to advance overnight. The Nasdaq -1.26%. Apple Inc lost -1.52% after announcing a multibillion-dollar chip production deal with Broadcom Inc (up +1.20%). Apple said the partnership, which centres on 5G radio frequency components and builds on its existing relationship with Broadcom, was part of its 2021 commitment to spend US$430B with US suppliers and manufacturers over five years. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.43%. The American Depository Receipts (ADRs) of Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd fell -3.74% after a strong session a day earlier, with reports that the company’s cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) arm has begun cutting 7% of staff (source: Barron’s). The move is a bid to optimise business operations on strategic areas - like AI - in the midst of a historic restructuring, and not representative of a wider downsizing, a person familiar with the matter and cited in the report said. Alibaba announced earlier this year the biggest restructuring in its history, a bid to unlock value by splitting into six units and to foster market competitiveness, a nod to regulators who have hammered the Chinese tech sector since late 2020.

US equity markets mixed in what was a muted session as investors continued to eye developments around the debt ceiling negotiations, although the Nasdaq scaled a nine month high - Dow fell -140-points or -0.42%. JPMorgan Chase & Co (down -0.83%) hosted an investor day and said it is planning an “unmatched” spending spree on new initiatives this year of more than $15B, which would include hiring, marketing and investment in technology. JPMorgan also lifted its outlook for how much it expects to earn this year from its lending business following the recent purchase of First Republic. The investment bank raised its 2023 target for net interest income, excluding its trading division, to ~US$84B from $81B previously. The broader S&P500 eked out a +0.02% gain, recording its second highest settlement (4,192.63) this year. Communication Services rose +1.17% to lead seven of the eleven primary sectors higher. Consumer Staples sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard with a -1.47% decline. Chevron Corp fell -1.80% after announcing an agreement to buy Colorado-based oil and gas producer PDC Energy Inc (up +7.22%) in an all-stock deal valued at US$6.3B. Exxon Mobil Corp lost -1.21%, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that the company spent ~US$100M buying land from an exploration company called Galvanic Energy, a firm created for development of lithium from the brine-rich Smackover Formation of Southern Arkansas. The technology-centric Nasdaq gained +0.50% to 12,720.78, logging its highest close since 18 August last year. Meta Platforms Inc settled+1.09% higher, shaking off pre-market weakness seen after the social-media giant was fined €1.2B by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission over allegations it violated European Commission rules on data protection. Micron Technology Inc fell -2.85% following a weekend report that China’s government told users of computer equipment deemed sensitive to stop buying products from the biggest U.S. memory chipmaker. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rallied +1.22%.

US equity markets retreated as policymakers paused negotiations over the debt ceiling deal and nerves over the health of the US regional banking sector resurfaced - Dow fell -109-points or -0.33%, The broader S&P500 slipped -0.14%, with Consumer Discretionary (down -0.84%) leading seven of the eleven primary sectors lower. Energy sat atop the primary sector leaderboard on Friday (19 May) with a +0.73% gain. The Nasdaq eased -0.24%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.62%.