Stock Index

Microsoft, Meta and Amazon earnings could test the S&P 500 as investors watch AI spending, capex guidance and fears of slowing returns. | Business News

Taiwan’s consumer confidence index fell to 64.58 in July, down 0.47 points from a month earlier, with all six components weakening. The stock market subindex recorded the biggest drop, sliding 1.82 points to 28.08. The decline followed a record one-session selloff on July 17, when the Taiex sank 2,953.71 points, or 6.47%, amid concerns over an AI bubble, rising U.S. inflation and escalating Middle East tensions.

Infosys reported fiscal 2025 first-quarter revenue of Rs 48,211 crore, up 14% year on year, and net profit of Rs 7,769 crore, up 12%, but both came in below market expectations. The company also lowered the upper end of its FY27 revenue growth guidance to 3% from 3.5%. Shares fell 1.99%, making it the biggest drag on the Nifty 50 and pushing the index down 0.73% to 23,696.45 amid sharply weaker market breadth.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 2.69% to 64,634.04 on Friday, taking its monthly loss to more than 7% and pushing it into technical correction territory. The decline followed a 7% overnight drop in Alphabet shares after the company flagged higher AI spending plans and faster cash burn, reigniting concerns over the sustainability of AI infrastructure investment. Semiconductor and AI-linked stocks led the selloff, with Advantest down 6.33%, Tokyo Electron down 5.43% and SoftBank Group down 7.42%.

OpenAI has unveiled Presence, an enterprise-focused product designed to give AI agents data-governance and access-control features for use with company information. The release targets automation in customer support, sales, and internal workflows, and has intensified investor concerns about “AI eating software,” helping push the IGV software index down 3% in a single session. The selloff also hit SaaS names including Workday, Atlassian, and HubSpot. The move reflects AI providers expanding into traditional SaaS markets, without any new regulatory, macroeconomic, or geopolitical catalyst.

South Korea’s KOSPI surged 3.05% at the open on Thursday, as Alphabet’s stronger-than-expected AI-driven cloud results and higher capex outlook reinforced expectations for faster global AI infrastructure spending. Tech heavyweights including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix led the gains. Oil prices rose as Middle East tensions escalated after the United States carried out its 12th strike on Iran, but the tech-led market theme in Seoul remained intact. The won strengthened by 4.2 won against the dollar.

European shares rose on Wednesday, with the Stoxx 600 up 0.58%, as weaker-than-expected UK inflation data and a run of upbeat corporate earnings lifted sentiment. The UK’s FTSE 100 gained 1.24%, while Germany’s DAX rose 0.58% and France’s CAC 40 added 0.89%. Oil prices climbed amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, but the move did not derail broader gains. Airbus, Gea Group and Fresnillo were among the stocks supported by company updates and results.

Asian equities extended gains for a second session, with the MSCI Asia Pacific Index up 0.8% and South Korea’s Kospi jumping more than 5%. The move followed the Nasdaq 100’s best session in three weeks as a key semiconductor gauge surged 5.2%, helping offset worries tied to firmer oil prices. Brent rose 0.6% to $91.52 a barrel and gold traded above $4,080 an ounce.

U.S. stocks closed higher on Tuesday, led by a 1.29% gain in the Nasdaq, while the S&P 500 rose 0.89% and the Dow added 0.74%. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index jumped 5.2% for a second straight session, lifting chipmakers including SanDisk (+14.3%), Micron (+12.2%) and Western Digital (+12.5%). Attention is now turning to upcoming earnings from major tech names such as Alphabet, Intel and Texas Instruments.

U.S. stocks closed higher on Tuesday, led by the Nasdaq 100 Index up 1.93% as the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose more than 5%. Chipmakers and AI infrastructure shares rebounded as investors assessed an earnings season in which 91% of S&P 500 companies reporting Q2 results have topped estimates so far, according to Bloomberg-compiled data. Oil prices climbed more than 2% to a five-week high amid a 10th straight day of U.S.-Iran strikes, lifting bond yields and adding to shipping risk around the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.