Finance

The tech-heavy Nasdaq continued to lag behind the broader market due to mounting anxieties over corporate spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure. Disappointing outlooks and aggressive capital expenditure hikes from tech giants like Alphabet and Intel have caused investors to question near-term cash flows, putting pressure on major semiconductor manufacturers.

Fixed-income markets experienced severe volatility, with global government bond yields jumping significantly during the week. Driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and a spike in energy costs, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield surged past 4.7%, prompting traders to raise the probability of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

A new trade regime commenced as the United States implemented sweeping tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on more than 60 trading partners. The newly enacted duties cover approximately 99% of all inbound goods, replacing previous temporary global tariffs following a recent Supreme Court ruling.