Skip to main content

Market Overview

Trump Sparks Records On Wall Street, AI Stargate Project Lifts Chipmakers; Inflation, Tariff Jitters Arise: This Week In The Market

Share:
Trump Sparks Records On Wall Street, AI Stargate Project Lifts Chipmakers; Inflation, Tariff Jitters Arise: This Week In The Market

Wall Street hit new records as Donald Trump began his second term as 47th U.S. president this week.

The S&P 500 index — as tracked by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) — climbed above 6,100 points, surpassing its previous December peak and marking a second consecutive week of gains, fueled by a strong start to the fourth-quarter earnings season.

Tech stocks led the market again, driven by semiconductors’ momentum and a surge in artificial intelligence investments. Trump launched the Stargate project, aligning OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) to channel up to $500 billion over four years into AI infrastructure.

Shares of both Oracle and SoftBank-owned Arm Holdings plc (NASDAQ:ARM) jumped 15% this week in response to the announcement.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, Trump vowed to make the U.S. the “world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto.” He also signed an executive order while fostering U.S. leadership in digital assets. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) soared to a record $109,000 at the start of the week, holding steady in a tight range thereafter.

Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) emerged as the week’s top performer, skyrocketing 25% after securing a U.S. government contract to fast-track its bird flu vaccine development. Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) followed suit with a 15% surge after blockbuster fourth-quarter results.

In contrast, renewable energy stocks came under heavy selling pressure following the formal repeal of the Green New Deal and the removal of electric vehicle subsidies. First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) took the brunt of the hit, tumbling double digits as investors priced in a policy-driven shift away from government-backed clean energy initiatives.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was the big tech laggard of the week, missing out on the rally following analyst downgrades and warnings about weak iPhone sales in China.

You might have missed…

Inflation Hits Confidence

U.S. consumer confidence fell in January amid rising inflation worries linked to tariffs. According to the University of Michigan survey, consumers opted to buy in advance to avoid future price pressures, sustaining strong auto and retail sales.

Inflation Risks Mount

Goldman Sachs warns that Trump’s potential tariff hikes could elevate consumer inflation expectations, complicating the Federal Reserve’s interest rate reduction plans. A universal 10% tariff might boost headline inflation by up to 1 percentage point, according to Goldman.

Read Now:

Photo: Ryan DeBerardinis via Shutterstock

 

Related Articles (AAPL + $BTC)

View Comments and Join the Discussion!

Posted-In: Equities Large Cap Macro Economic Events Broad U.S. Equity ETFs Forex Econ #s Top Stories Economics

Don't Miss Any Updates!
News Directly in Your Inbox
Subscribe to:
Benzinga Premarket Activity
Get pre-market outlook, mid-day update and after-market roundup emails in your inbox.
Market in 5 Minutes
Everything you need to know about the market - quick & easy.
Fintech Focus
A daily collection of all things fintech, interesting developments and market updates.
SPAC
Everything you need to know about the latest SPAC news.
Thank You

Thank you for subscribing! If you have any questions feel free to call us at 1-877-440-ZING or email us at vipaccounts@benzinga.com