Weekly: Dow Hits Record High on Chip Rally, Big Bank Earnings & June CPI Take Center Stage

Last Week's Recap

1. Market Digest: Moderate Gains, Earnings Build-Up, Yields Spike, Oil Reverses

  • Moderate gains — S&P 500 +1%+, NASDAQ +2%, second straight positive week; stocks alternating gains/losses since early June on AI spending, Middle East, oil.

  • Earnings build-up — Q2 S&P 500 earnings growth forecast 23.6% (up from 23.3%), second straight quarter of 20%+ growth as banks kick off season.

  • Elevated yields — 10-year Treasury at 4.56% (from 4.37%), 30-year at 5.06% (from 4.87%), highest since mid-May.

  • Dow record — Dow hit 53,055.9 Mon (record), but finished -0.5% for week. S&P 500 -0.5% below June 2 record; NASDAQ -3% below June 2 peak.

  • Oil reverses — Crude jumped to ~$76 Wed on Middle East escalation, pulled back to ~$71 Fri.

  • Volatility eases — VIX fell to 15.0 (lowest in 6+ months), down from 22.2 on June 10.

  • Small caps lag — Russell 2000 -0.6%, large-cap +1.0%, eroding YTD outperformance.

  • Fed chair, CPI ahead — Warsh testifies Tue/Wed; CPI report due Tuesday.

2. U.S. Market — S&P 500 edges up 1.23% to record 7,575.39 as Meta and chip stocks soar, defensives retreat

The $S&P 500(.SPX)$ gained 1.23% to close at a record 7,575.39, driven by a powerful semiconductor and networking rally while defensive sectors sold off. Tech hardware and AI infrastructure plays led the charge.

Sectors: Alibaba Concept (+16.27%) and NFT Concept (+13.60%) led the concept board. On the main exchange, Technology Hardware (+12.27%) and Investment Banking (+11.38%) dominated.

10 Popular Stocks:

  • $Meta Platforms, Inc.(META)$ +14.81%: Best-performing S&P 500 stock Friday. Surged on plans to double cloud capacity by 2027, produce proprietary AI chips with Broadcom, and potentially rent out unused computing power.

  • $NVIDIA(NVDA)$ +8.28%: Advanced as Blackwell Ultra production ramps at full speed with extraordinary demand. Reasoning AI models are driving massive training and inference performance needs.

  • $Broadcom(AVGO)$ +10.96%: Surged on a reported $10B AI chip order from a fourth customer for custom XPUs. Q3 AI revenue jumped 63% YoY, prompts upward guidance revisions.

  • $Advanced Micro Devices(AMD)$ +7.74%: Rallied ahead of its late-July AI event. Meta adopted AMD’s Helios servers, and Citigroup speculated Anthropic may join its client list.

  • $Cisco(CSCO)$ +7.65%: Advanced on strong AI infrastructure demand. Q3 revenue beat estimates at $15.84B (+12% YoY), and the company declared a $0.42 dividend.

  • $SanDisk Corp.(SNDK)$ +9.79%: Rallied on explosive Q1 revenue of $5.95B (+251% YoY), fueled by massive enterprise AI storage demand.

  • $Eli Lilly(LLY)$ -2.09%: Retreated on profit-taking despite beating Q1 EPS estimates by $1.58. A premium 41x P/E valuation left it vulnerable to defensive sector rotation.

  • $Visa(V)$ -3.63%: Fell as investors rotated out of financial services into tech hardware, pulling back from recent highs near $336.

  • $AbbVie(ABBV)$ -4.98%: Declined ahead of its July 31 earnings. Investors remain concerned over Humira biosimilar competition and a high 325% payout ratio.

  • $GE Aerospace(GE)$ -4.83%: Retreated despite a strong Q1 beat, as management left full-year guidance unchanged. The stock's high 37x P/E left little room for disappointment.

3. Hong Kong Market — HSI surges 3.53% to 24,175.12 as Alibaba-backed names and banks lead, CATL slumps

The $HSI(HSI)$ reclaimed the 24,000 level, driven by Alibaba-backed names and state banks. Southbound funds rotated into cheap Chinese tech and financials, offsetting new-energy selling.

Sectors: Advertising (+18.54%), Alibaba-Backed (+15.96%), and Broadline Retail (+15.41%) led the broad risk-on rally.

9 Popular Stocks:

  • $BABA-W(09988)$ +17.11%: Exploded higher on renewed optimism around China's AI capex cycle and e-commerce stabilization. Valuation remains near historic lows at ~18x forward P/E.

  • $TENCENT(00700)$ +6.73%: Advanced on continued buybacks and strong Southbound inflows. A dynamic P/E of ~17.8x attracted global capital seeking discounted AI exposure.

  • $ICBC(01398)$ (+3.58%) / $CCB(00939)$ (+4.5%) / $ABC(01288)$ (+3.58%) / $BOC HONG KONG(02388)$ (+5.82%): The "Big Four" state banks rallied collectively. Investors favored their resilient earnings, high dividend yields, and policy stability.

  • $CATL(03750)$ -13.10%: Plunged to a one-month low despite strong Q1 earnings. Succumbed to heavy profit-taking and rising worries over lithium price volatility impacting margins.

  • $FAST RETAIL-DRS(06288)$ -4.51%: The Uniqlo parent fell in Hong Kong post-earnings. A "sell the news" reaction dragged the shares lower despite a 33.6% jump in operating profit.

  • $KNOWLEDGE ATLAS(02513)$ -8.53%: The Tsinghua spin-off retreated after a massive post-IPO run. Investors took profits while questioning near-term monetization of its GLM-5 models.

4. Singapore Market — STI surges 4.29% to record as banks and China tech SDRs lead

The $Straits Times Index(STI.SI)$ closed at 5,469.29, just shy of its all-time high. The index gained for seven straight sessions, driven by local banks and a rebound in Chinese tech SDRs.

Sectors: Broadline Retail (+13.02%), Technology Hardware (+12.27%), and Investment Banking (+11.38%) led the board.

11 Popular Stocks:

  • $DBS(D05.SI)$ +5.53%: Hit a record high of S$$70.27. Attracted $$739M in net institutional inflows across May/June, supporting a projected 6.1% dividend yield for 2026.

  • $OCBC Bank(O39.SI)$ +8.38%: Rallied sharply on bank rotation and a sector-leading CET1 ratio. Market chatter regarding a payout ratio increase to 60% drove re-rating hopes.

  • $UOB(U11.SI)$ +10.29%: Led the banking rally to hit an all-time high of S$44.19. Posted the smallest Q1 net interest income drop and offers the lowest sector valuation.

  • $Bank of CN HK SDR 1to1(HBND.SI)$ +5.03%: Advanced as Hong Kong office leasing showed tentative signs of bottoming amid broader property sector optimism.

  • $Wilmar Intl(F34.SI)$ +3.49%: Edged higher on resilient palm oil prices and its extensive global value chain.

  • $SS SPDR STI ETF(ES3.SI)$ +4.46%: Mirrored the benchmark index's surge, offering broad exposure to the record-breaking Singapore rally.

  • $Alibaba HK SDR 5to1(HBBD.SI)$ +16.03%: The Singapore SDR tracked its Hong Kong parent higher on China AI optimism. The company also announced a cash dividend for holders.

  • $Xiaomi HK SDR 2to1(HXXD.SI)$ +12.7%: The consumer tech SDR surged as monthly SU7 electric vehicle deliveries continued to beat targets alongside regional ecosystem growth.

  • $Sembcorp Ind(U96.SI)$ -5.02%: Bucked the rally on profit-taking. Analysts flagged concerns over lower power prices and regional policy risks.

  • $Suntec Reit(T82U.SI)$ -8.02%: Slumped as interest rate concerns and office vacancy pressures triggered a rotation out of highly leveraged yield plays.

5. Australian Market — ASX 200 dips 0.43% as iron ore and lithium miners slump

The $S&P/ASX 200(XJO.AU)$ shed 0.43% as heavy selling in iron ore and lithium miners offset gains in energy and the big banks. The index held key support at 8,750.

Sectors: Oil & Gas Drilling (+18.18%) and Household Products (+9.09%) led the market.

11 Popular Stocks:

  • $BHP GROUP LTD(BHP.AU)$ -3.67%: Retreated as iron ore fell below US$$99/tonne. Westpac forecasts a drop to U$$83 by end-2026 on higher global supply and weaker Chinese steel output.

  • $Rio Tinto Ltd(RIO.AU)$ -3.9%: Tracked BHP lower on commodity price fears and Westpac's bearish outlook, pausing its strong six-month run.

  • $AMCOR PLC-CDI(AMC.AU)$ -4.21%: Fell on concerns over slowing consumer demand and margin pressure, underperforming the broader materials sector.

  • $BRAMBLES LTD(BXB.AU)$ -4.97%: Retreated on global trade volume concerns. The stock trades at a premium 25.2x P/E, leaving little room for growth misses.

  • $PLS Group Ltd(PLS.AU)$ -11.47%: Plunged due to depressed lithium prices, oversupply worries, and weak EV demand signals from China.

  • $JAMES HARDIE INDUSTRIES-CDI(JHX.AU)$ -5.3%: Fell despite a Q4 earnings beat. Investors grew cautious over softer North American demand and soft FY2027 revenue guidance.

  • $WOODSIDE ENERGY GROUP LTD(WDS.AU)$ -4.23%: Retreated on weak oil prices, softer global petroleum demand, and ongoing CEO transition concerns.

  • $SANTOS LIMITED(STO.AU)$ +7.32%: Bucked the sector downturn on positive operational updates, M&A rumors, and early repayment of its PNG LNG project debt.

  • $COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA(CBA.AU)$ +2.33%: Advanced on defensive financial rotation, benefiting from its dominant market position and resilient dividend yield.

  • $WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION(WBC.AU)$ +2.38%: Gained on defensive buying as an appealing counter-cyclical play, offering a forward yield near 6%.

  • $NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LTD(NAB.AU)$ +2.7%: Led the bank rally as investors sought shelter in the sector's high dividend yields and policy stability.

Performance is subjected to market volatility

The week ahead: July 13-17

1. Macro Factors: July 13-July 17

Tuesday

  • Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Wells Fargo report quarterly earnings

  • Consumer Price Index (CPI) for June – Bureau of Labor Statistics

Wednesday

  • ASML, BlackRock, Elevance Health, J & J, Morgan Stanley, and United Airlines release earnings

  • Federal Reserve Beige Book (5th of 8 releases this year)

Thursday

  • Netflix, TSMC, UnitedHealth, Abbott, Alcoa, GE Aerospace, and USB announce quarterly results

  • Retail Sales data for June – Census Bureau

2. Earnings Focus: July 13-July 17

Citigroup (C) - Tuesday

Goldman Sachs (GS) - Tuesday

JPMorgan (JPM) - Tuesday

ASML (ASML) - Wednesday

Morgan Stanley (MS) - Wednesday

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - Wednesday

TSMC (TSM) - Thursday

UnitedHealth (UNH) - Thursday

Netflix (NFLX) - Thursday

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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