asbe/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong This is a follow-up analysis on the prior repor t, “ Chart alert: Nasdaq 100 gap-down stalled above 26,288/142 key support, bulls are still in control,” published on 20 April 2026. On Tuesday, 28 April 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported (before the start of the US session) that AI start-up OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT) had fallen short of several inter...
asbe/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong This is a follow-up analysis on the prior repor t, “ Chart alert: Nasdaq 100 gap-down stalled above 26,288/142 key support, bulls are still in control,” published on 20 April 2026. On Tuesday, 28 April 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported (before the start of the US session) that AI start-up OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT) had fallen short of several internal revenue targets that spooked traders, leading to a sell-off on the Nasdaq 100 E-mini futures of 1.5% and several US technology and semiconductor stocks (Nvidia ( NVDA ), Broadcom ( AVGO ), AMD ( AMD )). The Nasdaq 100 managed to trim its losses as US trading hours progressed on Tuesday and ended the session with a reduced loss of 1%, aided by OpenAI refuting the claims made in the Wall Street Journal report. Bubble concerns have resurfaced around the AI-driven productivity and infrastructure capex narrative that powered the sharp rebound in US equities, erasing losses from the US–Iran conflict. Despite pushing the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Russell 2000 to fresh record highs, investors are increasingly questioning whether aggressive AI spending can deliver sustainable returns, raising the risk that valuations may be running ahead of fundamentals. My colleagues, Zain and Elior, have written reports on the upcoming earnings releases of key Nasdaq 100 component stocks, Alphabet ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) and Microsoft ( MSFT ), due after the close of today’s US session, which can also influence the intraday movements of the Nasdaq 100. Semiconductor stocks are leaders that led the stock market bullish cycle Fig. 1: SOX, Magnificent 7 & US stock indices performances from 27 Feb 2026 to 28 Apr 2026 (Source: MacroMicro). Fig. 2: SOX, Magnificent 7 & US stock indices YTD performances as of 27 Apr 2026 (Source: MacroMicro). For US stock market traders, monitoring the health of the semiconductor stocks is paramount, even though they do not have any semiconductor names on their watchlists,...
The extended closure of the Strait of Hormuz and extreme weather have jolted the price index for farm commodities to a two-year high as fertilizer headaches and the prospect of smaller harvests drive food inflation risks. The Bloomberg Agriculture Spot Index , which tracks 10 of the world’s top-selling crop products, has climbed for a third straight month to the highest level since November 2023. ...
The extended closure of the Strait of Hormuz and extreme weather have jolted the price index for farm commodities to a two-year high as fertilizer headaches and the prospect of smaller harvests drive food inflation risks. The Bloomberg Agriculture Spot Index , which tracks 10 of the world’s top-selling crop products, has climbed for a third straight month to the highest level since November 2023. That’s a pronounced shift from before the war, when most crop prices were weighed down by abundant inventory and bumper harvests. Now, farmers from Asia to Australia and the US are grappling with converging challenges posed by the Iran war and drought, pressuring the prices of staple food products from bread to pasta and cooking oil. The supply of grains like wheat and corn was adequate prior to the conflict after a series of strong harvests, while soybeans and vegetable oil prices were underpinned by biofuel demand, according to Kang Wei Cheang, an agricultural broker at StoneX in Singapore. “The war has changed that balance materially, primarily through energy, fertilizer, and logistics channels,” he said. “Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have lifted crude oil prices and, just as importantly, pushed fertilizer and freight costs sharply higher.” Wheat and corn , both fertilizer-intensive crops, are among the hardest hit. The most actively traded wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade have surged 11% since the war erupted in late February, and hit the highest level in almost two years this week. Corn has climbed 6% in the past two months to the highest in a year. Some farmers in major producing countries have had to reduce planting to cut costs. Persistent dryness in the US Great Plains is driving up wheat prices, while severe weather outlooks are causing concern in other key regions including Australia and Russia. The spillover effect is impacting corn. “Weather is now emerging as a second major layer of risk,” Cheang said. Forecasts for an El Niño later this ...
HJBC TotalEnergies ( TTE ) will return more cash to its shareholders by raising its stock buybacks and interim dividend, as its first-quarter earnings topped expectations on the back of the Iran war-driven oil rally. The French energy major's board authorized stock buybacks of up to $1.5B for Q2, up from the $750M target for Q1 announced in February. TotalEnergies ( TTE ) also declared a first int...
HJBC TotalEnergies ( TTE ) will return more cash to its shareholders by raising its stock buybacks and interim dividend, as its first-quarter earnings topped expectations on the back of the Iran war-driven oil rally. The French energy major's board authorized stock buybacks of up to $1.5B for Q2, up from the $750M target for Q1 announced in February. TotalEnergies ( TTE ) also declared a first interim dividend of €0.90 per share for FY 2026. That's a 5.9% increase compared to the three interim dividends paid for FY 2025. The increased shareholder returns come as TotalEnergies' ( TTE ) Q1 results handily beat analysts' estimates. Q1 adjusted EPS was $2.45 vs. $2.16 consensus estimate . Total sales rose 3.7% Y/Y to $54.16B vs. $46.28B consensus estimate. Cash flow totaled $8.6B, up 20% Q/Q. Q1 organic production growth was 4% Y/Y, offsetting the Iran war's impact on its production. Upstream production currently shut down in Qatar, Iraq and UAE offshore represents about 15% of TotalEnergies' ( TTE ) oil and gas production. "Given the time required to restart production facilities in the Middle East (2-3 months), prices should remain at high levels during Q2," the company noted . "Furthermore, the impact of this conflict on global hydrocarbon inventories is leading to the drop of the 2026 surplus scenario that was anticipated at the beginning of the year." More on TotalEnergies TotalEnergies (TTE) Discusses Sustainability and Climate Progress Report Transcript TotalEnergies: Nearing Or At A Cyclic Peak (Rating Downgrade) TotalEnergies Has Future Growth Potential TotalEnergies dominates Middle East oil trade amid war