Markets

• Asian stock markets traded mostly higher on Friday, following positive momentum from Wall Street and the tech-heavy Nasdaq. • Gains were partially offset by rising crude oil prices, which have renewed investor concerns regarding inflation. • Key corporate developments include Alibaba proposing an HK$80 billion equity placement for AI infrastructure and JATT III Acquisition Corp pricing a $60 million IPO at $10 per share.

• Global markets are bracing for volatility as traders return from holiday breaks, focusing on geopolitical tensions and their impact on energy prices. • Investors are closely monitoring upcoming policy decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to gauge interest rate trajectories. • Market risks are being compounded by the rapid rise of AI valuations, fiscal challenges across Europe, and political uncertainty surrounding the U.S. midterm elections.

• Asia-Pacific markets showed mixed but generally positive movement, with Australia's ASX 200 rising 0.31% to 9,066.30 and China's SSEC increasing 0.24% to 3,965.98, though South Korea's KOSPI fell 1.03% to 6,841.49. • Investors are closely monitoring the Jackson Hole Symposium for upcoming remarks from Fed Chair Warsh, which are expected to provide guidance on future monetary policy. • Simultaneously, oil prices have climbed due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, adding volatility to the global economic landscape.

• Technology stocks rose on Thursday, Aug 27, following blockbuster earnings from Nvidia that alleviated investor concerns regarding the sustainability of the AI investment boom. • While Asian chip firms saw gains, the positive momentum was tempered by new US economic data indicating stubbornly high inflation. • The market reaction was mixed globally, with European stocks mostly trending lower following a volatile session in Asian markets.

• Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is set to deliver his first speech at the Jackson Hole symposium in 2026. • The address occurs amid challenging economic conditions, including sticky inflation, elevated oil prices, and fluctuating interest rate expectations. • Investors are closely monitoring the event for critical clues regarding the Federal Reserve's future monetary policy path.

• Asian chip firms rallied on Thursday following strong earnings reports from Nvidia, which helped alleviate market concerns regarding the sustainability of the AI investment boom. • Nvidia's performance continues to serve as a primary bellwether for the industry, driven by massive hardware purchases from AI giants including Microsoft, Amazon, OpenAI, and xAI. • Despite the rally in tech stocks, broader market gains were tempered by new U.S. economic data indicating that inflation remains stubbornly high.

• Tech stocks rose on Thursday following blockbuster earnings from Nvidia, which helped alleviate investor concerns regarding the sustainability of the AI investment boom. • The market gains were partially offset by new US economic data indicating that inflation remains stubbornly high, tempering overall investor euphoria. • Broader global markets struggled, with European stocks mostly lower and Asian markets in Tokyo and Hong Kong both closing slightly down.