The dollar strengthened against every major currency Monday as a deepening war in the Middle East pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel and boosted demand for havens. Demand for the greenback surged as crude markets faced the prospect of increased production curbs and the US threatened to deepen the conflict with Iran, denting risk sentiment. Meanwhile, Iran named a new leader and its armed forces...
The dollar strengthened against every major currency Monday as a deepening war in the Middle East pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel and boosted demand for havens. Demand for the greenback surged as crude markets faced the prospect of increased production curbs and the US threatened to deepen the conflict with Iran, denting risk sentiment. Meanwhile, Iran named a new leader and its armed forces suggested they had the capacity for sustained high-intensity war. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index climbed 0.5%, extending last week’s 1.3% gain. The Swedish krona, euro and Danish krone led losses , while the South African rand and Mexican peso dropped the most among major emerging market currencies. “The dollar has been seen as the ultimate safe-haven due to its liquidity, while also being buoyed by the rise in oil prices,” said Matthew Ryan , head of market strategy at financial services firm Ebury. “We favor continued upside in the dollar so long as the war drags on without an immediate end in sight.” The surge in oil prices has fanned inflationary fears for the Federal Reserve and other central banks, leading traders to trim bets on interest-rate cuts that had weighed on the US currency. The greenback is also benefiting from America’s position as the world’s biggest oil producer. The dollar has been one of the few traditional havens that have offered investors refuge as conflict in the Gulf region roiled markets. Treasuries, the yen, the Swiss franc and gold have come under pressure while the dollar has rallied. Long-Trusted Haven Trades Are Failing as Gold, Treasuries Fall What Bloomberg Strategists Say... “The early US dollar strength is broad enough to show that FX traders aren’t in the mood to discriminate about which currency may outperform. This is simply a grab for the only haven proving dependable in this crisis” Mark Cranfield , Markets Live strategist The yen weakened again Monday, falling about 0.4% in early Tokyo trading. The Japanese currency is now tradin...
Hong Kong’s executive-led governance model has long been a cornerstone of the constitutional design. Its relevance was again highlighted when China’s state leader in charge of the city’s affairs stressed the “shared responsibility” across government branches and society as a whole to uphold the principle and prepare for the next stage of development under the new five-year national plan. Vice-Prem...
Hong Kong’s executive-led governance model has long been a cornerstone of the constitutional design. Its relevance was again highlighted when China’s state leader in charge of the city’s affairs stressed the “shared responsibility” across government branches and society as a whole to uphold the principle and prepare for the next stage of development under the new five-year national plan. Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang is the most senior official yet to shed light on the city’s governance. He said the executive-led system was “important and essential” for the city to align with China’s 15th five-year plan and advance its integration with the mainland. He called on the chief executive and the government to strengthen their sense of being the head of the city, adding that support from the legislature, judiciary and all sectors was needed. He also urged the legislature to deliver more “practical outcomes” that align with the city’s actual conditions and meet Beijing’s expectations under the executive-led governance system. It was not a casual remark when Ding acknowledged the difficulties in truly implementing the system. Coming after the central government’s work report urging the city to boost its governance efficiency, leverage its “unique strengths” and align with the new five-year national development plan, the message for Hong Kong to consolidate the executive-led system is loud and clear. Advertisement The “shared responsibility” call is in line with earlier remarks by Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, that the legislative and judicial branches should perform “on the same stage” . With the city embarking on a new critical stage of development, the emphasis is on unity and progress rather than confrontation and bickering. Constitutionally rooted in the Basic Law, the model placing the city leader and the administration at the core of governance has moved beyond a British colonial legacy. The chief executive is responsible to both the cen...
The prediction markets are booming, with people able to "bet" on anything from sports to geopolitical event outcomes on these platforms. However, while these products are technically futures contracts that fall under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, I wouldn't consider them a great investment vehicle. Instead, I'd recommend sticking with stocks. On that front, let's lo...
The prediction markets are booming, with people able to "bet" on anything from sports to geopolitical event outcomes on these platforms. However, while these products are technically futures contracts that fall under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, I wouldn't consider them a great investment vehicle. Instead, I'd recommend sticking with stocks. On that front, let's look at three artificial intelligence (AI) stocks to bet on right now. Nvidia If you want to invest in AI, you don't need to be cute and find some under-the-radar name no one has ever heard of before. In fact, buying the largest company in the world will suffice. That, of course, would be Nvidia (NVDA 2.94%), whose graphics processing units (GPUs) are the primary chips used to power AI workloads. Expand NASDAQ : NVDA Nvidia Today's Change ( -2.94 %) $ -5.39 Current Price $ 177.95 Key Data Points Market Cap $4.3T Day's Range $ 176.83 - $ 182.75 52wk Range $ 86.62 - $ 212.19 Volume 6M Avg Vol 177M Gross Margin 71.07 % Dividend Yield 0.02 % Meanwhile, the company has grown to become the largest company in the world by having a wide moat that stems from its CUDA software platform. With AI infrastructure spending set to continue climbing higher, Nvidia is a great stock to continue to bet on. Advanced Micro Devices While a distant No. 2 to Nvidia in the GPU market, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 3.46%) looks poised to take some share following large deals with OpenAI and Meta Platforms, where the two companies will also take stakes in the chipmaker. Given its much smaller revenue base compared to Nvidia, these commitments should be a huge growth driver for the company, while it looks to continue to carve a niche in the fast-growing inference market. Expand NASDAQ : AMD Advanced Micro Devices Today's Change ( -3.46 %) $ -6.91 Current Price $ 192.54 Key Data Points Market Cap $314B Day's Range $ 191.27 - $ 200.23 52wk Range $ 76.48 - $ 267.08 Volume 1.5M Avg Vol 36M Gross Margin 45.99 %...
Track your investments for FREE with Simply Wall St, the portfolio command center trusted by over 7 million individual investors worldwide. Broadcom (NasdaqGS:AVGO) laid out a multi year AI roadmap, including a target of more than $100b in AI chip revenue by 2027. The company reported shipment of what it calls the industry’s first 2nm custom compute SoC built on its 3.5D XDSiP platform. Broadcom h...
Track your investments for FREE with Simply Wall St, the portfolio command center trusted by over 7 million individual investors worldwide. Broadcom (NasdaqGS:AVGO) laid out a multi year AI roadmap, including a target of more than $100b in AI chip revenue by 2027. The company reported shipment of what it calls the industry’s first 2nm custom compute SoC built on its 3.5D XDSiP platform. Broadcom highlighted multiyear custom chip partnerships with OpenAI, Google, Meta and Anthropic, alongside new buyback plans and secured supply arrangements through 2028. Broadcom is putting AI at the center of its strategy, on top of a share price of $330.48 and a 3 year return of 462.2%. The stock is up 3.4% over the past week and 71.0% over the past year, alongside a 0.7% decline over 30 days and a 4.9% decline year to date. For investors tracking AI infrastructure, this combination of recent performance and new product announcements makes AVGO a notable name to watch. What stands out is how Broadcom is tying long term AI revenue targets to specific moves in custom silicon, partnerships and capital allocation. If the company executes on its multi year supply and customer commitments, these AI related efforts could become a larger part of the overall business mix, which may influence how investors think about AVGO’s risk profile and underlying growth drivers. Stay updated on the most important news stories for Broadcom by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on Broadcom. NasdaqGS:AVGO 1-Year Stock Price Chart See which insiders are buying and buying and selling Broadcom following this latest news. For investors, the key takeaway is how Broadcom is translating its AI ambition into concrete capital allocation and product milestones. First quarter revenue of US$19.3b and net income of US$7.3b, alongside guidance for about US$22.0b in second quarter revenue, show that AI chip demand and AI-focused software offerings...
"Super-focused" world number one Aryna Sabalenka hit 23 winners as she beat Jaqueline Cristian to move into the fourth round at Indian Wells. The Belarusian, 27, had been on track to take the opening set but double faulted as she looked to serve it out. A swift break back allowed the four-time Grand Slam champion to take it 6-4, though, and she followed that by winning the second set 6-1 to seal v...
"Super-focused" world number one Aryna Sabalenka hit 23 winners as she beat Jaqueline Cristian to move into the fourth round at Indian Wells. The Belarusian, 27, had been on track to take the opening set but double faulted as she looked to serve it out. A swift break back allowed the four-time Grand Slam champion to take it 6-4, though, and she followed that by winning the second set 6-1 to seal victory. "I knew that she was not going to give up easily," Sabalenka said of Romanian Cristian, the world number 35. "That's why I was super-focused, especially on my serve. I didn't want to give her much opportunity so [I was] super-happy with the serving, with the game and of course with the win." She will next face 16th-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan, who beat Colombian Camila Osorio 6-1 3-6 6-1. Osaka, another four-time Grand Slam champion, is playing her first tournament since withdrawing before her Australian Open third-round match in January with an abdominal injury. Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, the 28-year-old said she had reset her "attitude and my shot selection" before the deciding set, adding she was "pretty excited" about playing Sabalenka next.