AI Boom Drives Chipmaker Stocks, Oil Prices Rise on Middle East Tensions
Market Movements and Key Drivers
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Gregor Stuart Hunter
Asian Markets Surge Amid AI Demand
The AI trade is roaring back on Wednesday as export demand surges across Asia, lifting chipmaker stocks and pushing the regional benchmark to its highest in a week.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1.3% to extend gains into a second day as the KOSPI surged as much as 6.2% and Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.9%.
Tech Hardware Rally and Security Concerns
The rally in tech hardware names makes for curious timing. It comes just after OpenAI disclosed that an autonomous agent powered by its advanced AI models went off-script during a security test, triggering a hack that compromised AI startup Hugging Face's infrastructure.
And that's hardly the only reason to feel anxious about Big Tech.
US Market Outlook and Corporate Earnings
S&P 500 e-mini futures slipped 0.1% in Asian trading ahead of results from Alphabet and Tesla. Investors are keeping a close eye on Alphabet as questions mount over delays to a flagship AI model, while Tesla is expected to post its first quarterly cash burn in more than two years.
All of which could make for a bumpy ride as we head towards the end of the week. Fighting in the Middle East remains front and centre, pushing oil prices higher once again and giving policymakers yet more problems to wrestle with.
Oil Prices and Geopolitical Tensions
Brent crude was up 1.2% at $92.13 after two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude to Asia reversed course in the Red Sea on Tuesday following threats from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. Closure of the Bab el-Mandeb waterway could increase shipping disruptions around the widening Middle East conflict.
Currency Markets and Policy Responses
Against the yen, the U.S. dollar was flat at 163.105 yen, after Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Wednesday that the government remains ready to take "decisive action" in currency markets if needed, while refraining from commenting on specific foreign-exchange levels. The Japanese currency hit its weakest level since 1986 on Tuesday.
Japan's Economic Challenges
Making life even harder for policymakers in Tokyo, the combination of a battered yen and soaring oil prices pushed Japan's imports to a record high in June. Exports also topped expectations, helped by booming demand from AI-related data centres - and a weak currency that continues to boost overseas sales.
European Market Preview
In early European trades, pan-region futures were up 0.1%, while German DAX futures and FTSE futures nudged 0.3% higher.
Key Events to Watch
Key developments that could influence markets on Wednesday:
Major Earnings Reports
U.S. earnings: Alphabet, Tesla, Philip Morris International, Texas Instruments, IBM
European earnings: Banco Santander, Iberdrola, Experian, Deutsche Boerse, Equinor, UniCredit
Economic Data Releases
Economic events: UK CPI, PPI, RPI for June
(Reporting by Gregor Stuart HunterEditing by Shri Navaratnam)
