Charles Schwab Shares Gain 1.8% Leading Financial Sector Advance

• Utang nasional Amerika Serikat telah mencapai $38.967.833.861.543 per 1 Mei 2026, didorong oleh pengeluaran berkelanjutan oleh Gedung Putih dan Kongres. • Utang tersebut berada di jalur untuk berlipat ganda selama tiga dekade mendatang di tengah tekanan fiskal dan pengeluaran pemerintah yang terus berlanjut. • Tren ini mencerminkan tantangan makroekonomi yang kritis karena pembayar pajak Amerika menghadapi kewajiban yang meningkat terkait dengan keberlanjutan fiskal jangka panjang negara tersebut.

• Federal Reserve mempertahankan suku bunga tetap tidak berubah pada pertemuan terbarunya namun memberikan sinyal sikap yang lebih hawkish, sehingga mengubah sentimen investor terkait arah kebijakan di masa depan. • Laporan laba sektor teknologi terus menunjukkan angka yang kuat, meskipun reaksi pasar saham tetap beragam, dengan S&P 500 naik 1% selama pekan ini saat ekuitas tetap melaju di tengah kenaikan harga minyak dan kenaikan imbal hasil (yields). • Ketua Fed Jerome Powell mengumumkan bahwa ia tidak akan pensiun setelah masa jabatannya berakhir bulan depan, serta berkomitmen untuk menjabat sebagai gubernur yang konstruktif ketimbang menjadi shadow Fed chair.

• Startup paytech lintas batas Latitude yang berbasis di AS keluar dari fase stealth minggu ini dengan pendanaan seed senilai $8 juta yang dipimpin oleh NEA untuk mengatasi transfer uang bisnis yang lambat dan mahal. • Pendanaan tersebut mendukung misi Latitude untuk menyederhanakan pembayaran internasional, memposisikannya sebagai penantang di ruang fintech di tengah meningkatnya permintaan untuk transfer B2B yang efisien. • Peluncuran ini bertepatan dengan lonjakan fintech pada April 2026, menyoroti kepercayaan investor pada inovasi paytech meskipun ada ketidakpastian ekonomi akibat harga energi dan kebijakan Fed.

• Harga minyak melonjak di tengah konflik Iran-AS yang mengancam pasokan global, namun saham AS tetap tangguh di dekat level tertinggi sepanjang masa yang didorong oleh pendapatan kuat dari Visa dan Starbucks pada 29 April 2026. • S&P 500 turun tipis 0,1%, Dow turun 286 poin atau 0,6%, Nasdaq naik 0,1%; saham Visa melonjak 8,3% karena pengeluaran konsumen yang tangguh menurut CEO Ryan McInerney, Starbucks naik 8,6% dengan pengeluaran per kunjungan yang lebih tinggi di Amerika Utara. • Pejabat Federal Reserve mengisyaratkan tidak ada pemangkasan suku bunga pada tahun 2026, hampir menghilangkan spekulasi investor dan cenderung mendukung kenaikan bunga karena inflasi dari harga energi; pasar obligasi bergejolak.

• FOX Business Network (FBN) surpassed CNBC in viewership across business day, market hours, and total day programming during April 2026, according to Nielsen Media Research data released April 29. • FBN's flagship shows "Varney & Co." and "Kudlow" maintained their positions as the top two business programs on television, achieving their 50th and 55th consecutive months of outperforming CNBC counterparts respectively. • The ratings victory underscores FOX Business's competitive dominance in the financial news market during a period of significant Federal Reserve policy announcements and market volatility.

• The Federal Reserve voted to leave the benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75% on Wednesday, citing concerns about inflation rising amid the war in Iran. • This marks the continuation of the Fed's pause in rate adjustments following three successive 25-basis-point cuts in September, October, and December 2025. • Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss the decision, marking what could be his final interest-rate announcement as Federal Reserve chair.

• U.S. stock futures were slightly down or mixed on Monday morning as investors reacted to stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran. • The geopolitical tension created uncertainty in markets, with traders reassessing risk positions amid the diplomatic impasse. • Energy and defense sectors showed particular sensitivity to the developments, reflecting concerns about potential escalation.

• The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.48% to 16,240.35 on Monday, April 26, driven by weakness in mega-cap technology stocks including Apple (down 1.2%) and Microsoft (down 0.9%), as investors reassess growth expectations ahead of the Federal Reserve's May meeting. • Treasury yields climbed to 4.35% for the 10-year note amid inflation concerns, pressuring valuations of rate-sensitive tech companies and spurring profit-taking after recent market gains. • The decline reflects growing caution among portfolio managers about earnings sustainability in the second quarter, with earnings guidance from major tech firms expected to dominate trading through early May.

• The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index declined to 98.3 in April 2026, down 4.2 points from March, marking the steepest monthly drop since July 2025 as Americans express renewed concern about inflation and job security. • Consumers' expectations for future economic conditions weakened notably, with the forward-looking component falling 6.8 points as respondents cited concerns about rising prices for groceries, gasoline, and housing costs. • The decline suggests potential headwinds for Q2 consumer spending and retail sales, pressuring guidance from discretionary retailers and restaurant operators ahead of earnings season.

• The U.S. Treasury successfully auctioned $42 billion in new 10-year notes on April 25, 2026, with the coupon rate settling at 4.38% amid continued demand from foreign central banks and domestic pension funds. • Bid-to-cover ratio reached 2.38x, slightly above the six-month average, indicating solid underlying demand despite elevated yields and concerns about federal deficit growth, which is projected to reach $1.8 trillion for fiscal year 2026. • The auction results suggest stabilization in long-term borrowing costs after weeks of volatility, potentially reducing pressure on the Federal Reserve to adjust its benchmark rate at the May 2 policy meeting.

• JPMorgan Chase reported first-quarter net income of $13.2 billion, up 15% compared to Q1 2025, driven by higher net interest income and a 12% increase in investment banking revenues. • CEO Jamie Dimon stated that the bank is "well-positioned" despite macro uncertainties, with the firm raising its dividend by 5% to $1.16 per share and repurchasing $11 billion in stock during the quarter. • The bank's strong results contrasted with broader financial sector concerns about rising loan losses and credit quality, though JPMorgan's net charge-offs remained stable at 0.31% of loans.

• Broadcom provided second-quarter guidance of $9.2 billion in revenues, exceeding analyst estimates by 6%, driven by surging demand for data center semiconductors and artificial intelligence accelerators from cloud computing providers. • CEO Hock Tan stated that AI-related semiconductor orders are tracking 40% above historical averages, with major customers committing to long-term capacity agreements through 2028, signaling sustained strong demand. • The robust guidance helped lift semiconductor index ETFs 2.1% during extended trading and sparked upgrades from multiple analysts who raised price targets on Broadcom by 8–12% based on improved visibility into AI infrastructure spending cycles.