Summary
Highlights
The market experienced a difficult week characterized by escalating tensions in the Middle East and a significant semiconductor sell-off. The S&P 500 declined, and the Nasdaq saw a sharp drop as oil prices surged due to fears regarding critical supply routes near Iran.
The AI sector faced pressure after reports of a new powerful Chinese AI model challenged the current valuation narrative, leading to over $3.3 trillion in losses across the chip market since mid-2022.
Despite JP Morgan posting record profits, CEO Jamie Dimon signaled caution regarding long-term economic risks. Meanwhile, the Fed reaffirmed its commitment to the 2% inflation target, suggesting that inflation improvements do not mean the mission is accomplished.
Capital rotated out of crowded mega-cap tech stocks and into defensive areas such as energy, banking, and insurance, which benefit from volatility and higher interest rates.
June's CPI data showed cooling inflation with a headline rate of 3.5%. The upcoming week will focus on major earnings reports from Tesla and Alphabet, which will test whether the AI investment thesis remains credible.