Affected by the near-disruption of cargo traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, China's crude oil imports in April fell approximately 20% year-on-year to 38.47 million tons; natural gas imports dropped about 13% year-on-year; and refined oil product exports plunged roughly 38% to their lowest level in nearly a decade. In contrast, soybean imports surged nearly 40% year-on-year to 8.48 million tons, boosted by seasonal supplies from both the United States and Brazil

China's Crude Oil Imports Fall to Three-Year Low in April, Soybean Imports Surge Nearly 40% Year-on-Year, Aluminum Exports Hit 17-Month High

Slowing growth and declining average prices

What Are the Prospects for Hisense's Increased Bet on "Bestie Screens"?

The fervor for momentum trading in US stocks continues to climb, with the S&P 500 hitting record highs and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surging 11% in a single week. However, underlying structural concerns are emerging: gains are concentrated in large-cap tech stocks, market breadth is deteriorating, and defensive factors remain under pressure. Barclays warns that momentum has reached extreme levels, while UBS cautions that AI winner stocks are "very fragile" in the short term, recommending downside protection

Panic Buying! "Momentum Trading" Sweeps US Market, "Historical Extremes" Draw Attention

From January to April, China's exports in US dollar terms increased by 14.5% year-on-year, imports rose by 23.6% year-on-year, and the trade surplus amounted to USD 347.7 billion

Intel's stock price surged by 13.96%, with a market value exceeding $600 billion, due to a preliminary agreement with Apple to produce chips for them. Since April, Intel's stock price has tripled, making it the 19th largest company by market value globally. Apple ships over 200 million iPhones annually, and any supply chain adjustments will impact market expectations. Apple is seeking to diversify its supply chain and may use Intel's 2-nanometer process to produce M-series chips

Intel surged 13.96%, with a market value exceeding $600 billion, possibly to manufacture chips for Apple

Former CTO Murati accused Altman of lying about safety approvals and creating managerial chaos; former board members described Altman as “habitually dishonest.” Altman’s camp countered that Musk is “ignorant of AI and emotionally unstable,” alleging he once flew into a rage and attempted physical violence during a meeting. The trial also revealed that OpenAI sacrificed safety principles to secure billions in investment from Microsoft, rendering its original non-profit mission nominal at best. Next week, Altman will testify in person, setting the stage for the final showdown

Relationship Completely Ruptured! OpenAI Courtroom Debate Features Personal Attacks: Musk “Ignorant of AI and Volatile,” Altman “Unethical and Hypocritical”

Hohn, founder of the renowned hedge fund TCI, slashed his Microsoft stake from 10% to 1%, ending a nearly decade-long holding. The core reason is that the rapid development of AI poses a structural threat to Microsoft's Office and Azure businesses, compounded by a year-to-date stock price decline of over 12%. Meanwhile, TCI increased its Alphabet holdings to 5%, making it the fund's largest technology position

Frantic Sale of $8 Billion in Microsoft Holdings! Renowned Tech Hedge Fund Clears Decade-Long Position

Tesla announced a recall of 173 Cybertrucks due to structural defects in the braking components. The recall involves models from 2024 to 2026 equipped with 18-inch steel wheels. The defect may cause cracks to develop in the brake disc bolt holes during driving, thereby increasing the risk of collisions and injuries

Tesla recalls 173 Cybertrucks

Federal Reserve custody data shows that as of the week ending May 6, the balance of US Treasuries held in custody for foreign official accounts decreased by $8.7 billion to $2.73 trillion. Furthermore, since late April, the USD/JPY exchange rate has decoupled from the trend of the 10-Year Treasury Yield, coinciding with the timing of Japan's suspected intervention in the foreign exchange market. As the largest foreign holder of US Treasuries, continued selling by Japan would push up Treasury yields

Did Japan Sell US Treasuries to Defend the Yen?

Global stocks pulled back due to direct US-Iran clashes, with the MSCI World Index slipping 0.3% and Asian stocks falling 1.1%; nevertheless, Asian stocks are poised to record a fifth consecutive weekly gain, the longest winning streak since January this year, while S&P 500 futures also edged up 0.2%. Brent crude rose about 1% to around $101 per barrel, and spot gold gained 0.6% to $4,714.64 per ounce

Strait of Hormuz Conflict Reignites, Brent Crude Returns to $100 Mark, Gold Edges Higher, AI Trade Supports Asian Stock Rally

Nick Timiraos, known as the "Fed Whisperer," wrote that the April non-farm employment report highlighted the stability of the labor market, with inflation data set to determine the Federal Reserve's next policy direction. He also pointed out that inflation is currently rising slowly due to the impact of tariffs and the war in Iran

"Fed Whisperer": April Non-Farm Employment Data Robust, Fed Policy Focus Should Shift to Inflation

At the close of New York trading on Friday (May 8), the yield on the 10-Year U.S. Treasury Note fell by 3.19 basis points to 4.3541%, marking a cumulative decline of 1.57 basis points for the week. The yield continued its downward trend, trading within a range of 4.4624%-4.3140%. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield dropped by 2.66 basis points to 3.8846%. It spiked to an intraday high of 3.9262% upon the release of the U.S. Non-Farm Employment report at 20:30 Beijing time, before quickly reversing into losses. For the week, it accumulated a gain of 0.71 basis points, with overall trading occurring in the 3.8220%-3.9913% range

Federal Reserve: U.S. bank deposits stood at $19.113 trillion last week, compared with $19.080 trillion in the previous week

The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index preliminarily closed down 0.4%, posting a cumulative gain of 1.6% for the week. Among popular Chinese concept stocks, CSI Solar preliminarily closed up 13.8%, Jinko Solar rose 5.3%, Xiaomi and LI AUTO-W gained over 2%, PDD fell 2.9%, and New Oriental EDU & Tech dropped 5.1%

Ellen Zentner, Chief Economic Strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management: There is no inflation threat in the US April Non-Farm Employment report, which should help quell some of the debate over potential rate hikes. She emphasized that the Federal Reserve is fully capable of waiting

Tesla and Amazon are considered likely to lead the industrial sector, even though they are typically associated with electric vehicles and e-commerce. Tesla's industrial business, including batteries and energy storage systems, has performed exceptionally well, with revenue growth of 80%. Amazon's logistics network is viewed as a massive industrial machine, expected to reduce fulfillment costs through robotics technology. Despite the S&P 500 Industrial Select Index lagging, industrial capital expenditures are on the rise. Analysts believe that the industrial attributes of these two stocks have not yet been fully priced in

Tesla and Amazon are expected to lead the industrial sector

Apple is in preliminary talks with Intel to consider reintroducing Intel chips in some Mac products. This marks the first time Apple has considered returning to Intel since it switched to self-developed chips in 2020. Apple has shown interest in Intel's latest Core Ultra 9 processor, which may be tested in high-end Mac products. This move aims to meet the demands of professional users for memory and multi-GPU support. Market reactions indicate that Apple's stock price rose by about 0.5%, while Intel's stock price increased by about 2%. Analysts believe the symbolic significance of this deal outweighs its actual financial impact

What does it mean for both companies if Apple becomes an Intel customer again?

The team led by Michael Hartnett at Bank of America points out that U.S. stocks and gold are heading toward a rare fourth consecutive year of double-digit gains, with the S&P 500's annualized gain expected to reach 20% and gold potentially hitting 30%. Recently, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 hit new highs, while gold's year-to-date high approached $5,600 per ounce, just a step away from the 30% gain target of $5,631.6. The team believes market breadth is improving, with small-cap stocks, emerging markets, and commodities reaching a "long-term bullish inflection point."

BofA's Hartnett: U.S. Stock Strength Is Historically Rare; Gold Poised for 30% Gain This Year

"New Bond King" Gundlach is preparing for the extremely low-probability scenario of a unilateral US debt restructuring, having swapped high-coupon Treasuries for the lowest-coupon instruments in his flagship fund. He fears that in the event of a severe economic recession, the government could slash coupons from 4% to 1%. White House Economic Advisor Hassett firmly denied this, stating that a default is "impossible in a million years." While the market-implied probability of default is currently below 1%, concerns are mounting over the $31 trillion debt burden

New Bond King: Preparing for US "Debt Restructuring"; Hassett: US Debt Default "Impossible in a Million Years"

The U.S. added 115,000 jobs in April, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%. The robust employment data has dampened market expectations for a Fed Rate Cut, shifting the policy focus to combating high inflation. Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh's desire for rate cuts contradicts current economic data; if confirmed by the Senate, he may find little support for easing policies. The market now assigns a 74.1% probability to the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates unchanged in December, lowering the likelihood of a cut. Divergence exists within the Federal Reserve regarding the direction of interest rates, with some officials expressing concern over inflation and hinting at potential rate hikes

Key Takeaways from the U.S. April Non-Farm Employment Report: Strong Data May Complicate Waller's Plan to Push for Interest Rate Cuts

SQ (Trans): From app co. to AI co.

SQ, the 'US Alipay': growth via credit, profits via layoffs?

Meta is fully advancing its artificial intelligence strategic transformation, leading to increased pressure on employees. Multiple teams have been reorganized or eliminated due to priority adjustments, hiring has been frozen, and thousands of employees have been reassigned to AI projects. Employees complain about the surge in workload, and performance evaluation standards are also biased towards AI skills. Changes in the compensation structure have caused dissatisfaction, with the employee turnover rate in the AI department rising to 18%. Meta executives emphasize that transformation inevitably comes with growing pains, and employees face uncertainty. Analysis points out that Meta's predicament reflects the contradiction between AI strategy and employee well-being

The New York Times: Meta's embrace of AI leaves employees in distress

According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) was reported at 3.60% on the previous trading day (May 7, the eve of the nonfarm payrolls release), compared to 3.61% the day before. The effective federal funds rate on the previous trading day was reported at 3.63%, compared to 3.64% the day before

Amid Labour's crushing defeat in local elections and the Reform Party's sudden rise, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer clearly stated he would "never resign," successfully stabilizing market sentiment for the time being. UK gilt yields fell in response, and the pound rebounded, as investors believed the worst-case scenario of "Starmer stepping down and a shift toward fiscal easing" had been temporarily ruled out. However, the risks of political fragmentation and loosening fiscal discipline have not been substantially alleviated

Starmer Vows "Never to Resign": UK Bonds Rebound as Market Bets "Worst-Case Scenario" Has Passed

US Non-Farm Employment surged by 115,000 in April, far exceeding the expected 65,000, marking the strongest consecutive growth in nearly a year. The unemployment rate remained flat at 4.3%, but wage growth slowed to 3.6% year-on-year, alleviating some inflation concerns. Although the broader unemployment rate rose to 8.2% and the labor force participation rate declined, the resilience of the overall data has bought the Federal Reserve room to wait and see in response to inflationary pressures triggered by the war with Iran, further reducing the urgency for short-term rate cuts

First Consecutive Two-Month Growth in a Year! US Non-Farm Employment Adds 115,000 Jobs in April, Far Exceeding Expectations; Unemployment Rate Holds at 4.3%

美国劳动力市场在经历波动后显现企稳信号。4 月非农就业人数增加 11.5 万，超出预期的 6.5 万，失业率维持在 4.3%。薪资增速放缓，平均时薪环比上涨 0.2%，同比上涨 3.6%，均低于预期。尽管薪资增速温和，但实际收入因工时增加得到支撑。整体数据指向劳动力市场温和降温，但并未崩溃。

非农就业人数超预期但薪资放缓 市场打消年内加息疑虑

US nonfarm payrolls for April significantly exceeded expectations, leading to a slight open high at gap for the three major US stock indices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.38%, the S&P 500 Index gained 0.44%, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.54%

ARK Invest founder Cathie Wood is optimistic about SpaceX and Tesla, believing that the demand for private space assets and autonomous driving technology is strong. She pointed out that investors are highly interested in SpaceX's upcoming IPO, which is expected to be valued at $75 billion, but demand may exceed the available shares. Wood also emphasized that Tesla's vertically integrated structure in the autonomous taxi industry gives it a competitive advantage, expecting the cost of rides to drop to about 25 cents per mile, lower than current ride-hailing prices

Cathie Wood is optimistic about the demand for SpaceX and Tesla's autonomous taxi services

U.S. non-farm payrolls increased by 115,000 in April, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang stated he would accompany Trump on a visit to China if invited. TSMC's April revenue rose 17.5% year-over-year. SoftBank and OpenAI lowered their margin loan target to $6 billion. The Nintendo Switch 2 price increased by $50 in the U.S., leading to lowered sales expectations. Combined free cash flow for Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta is projected to fall to its lowest level since 2014. Coinbase's Q1 revenue plunged 31%, turning to a loss. The Nikkei 225 closed down 0.19%, and the Hang Seng Index closed down 0.87%

Global Headlines You Need to Know Before U.S. Stock Market Opens on Friday

U.S. Non-Farm Employment increased by 115,000 in April, while the Unemployment Rate remained stable, indicating a stabilizing labor market. Despite weak demand, layoff activity remained low, and tax cut policies boosted consumption and investment. These data provide the Federal Reserve with room to keep interest rates unchanged, while attention must be paid to inflation risks arising from the war in Iran

Quick Take on U.S. April Non-Farm Employment Data

US nonfarm payrolls for April exceeded expectations, leading to a slight rise in the three major US stock index futures. NASDAQ futures rose 1% during the session, while S&P 500 Index Futures gained 0.65%. Spot gold saw a short-term surge, with its intraday gain expanding to 0.36%

U.S. interest rate futures have slightly reduced the probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike in 2026

The combined increase in U.S. Non-Farm Employment for February and March was revised down by 16,000

The U.S. Unemployment Rate in April was 4.3%, in line with the forecast of 4.3% and unchanged from the previous value of 4.3%. Risk Warning and Disclaimer: The market involves risks, and investment should be approached with caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it take into account the specific investment objectives, financial status, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific circumstances. Investors bear full responsibility for their own investment decisions

U.S. Non-Farm Employment increased by 115,000 in April, beating the forecast of 65,000; previous value was 178,000

On May 8th, U.S. stock index futures all rose, with Dow futures up 0.34%, S&P 500 futures up 0.51%, and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.77%. The market generally expects an increase of 62,000 jobs in April, with the unemployment rate remaining at 4.3%. The month-on-month wage growth is expected to rebound to 0.3%, reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve will not cut interest rates this year. The U.S. Department of Labor will release the April non-farm payroll report on Friday

U.S. Stock Market Outlook | Three Major Index Futures Rise Together, Non-Farm Payroll Data to Be Released Tonight

The 2026 World Cup is about to kick off, with both its scale and technological integration reaching historic highs. Human respondents favor France to lift the trophy, while the AI tool Copilot believes Spain's probability of winning has caught up with France's. The tournament will feature 48 teams, is expected to drive $41 billion in global GDP, and will mark the first time AI is at the core of operations, generating a massive 2 exabytes of data

World Cup Countdown! Humans: Favor France to Win, AI: Spain Also Has a Chance

The European Commission stated that Google has been granted more time to respond to investigation questions, as its previous proposal failed to meet requirements. Google is in contact with the Commission, seeking to propose effective solutions to address competition concerns. The EU accuses Google of violating the Digital Markets Act, with the investigation involving fair competition issues related to search results, advertising technology, and other aspects, with the final decision potentially including fines against Google

Google's parent company Alphabet receives a "final grace period" as the EU antitrust saga reaches its conclusion

According to the Zhitong Finance APP, Li Auto-W announced that it spent USD 2.946 million to repurchase 331,000 shares on May 7, 2026

On May 7th, Li Auto-W spent USD 2.946 million to repurchase 331,000 shares

ABNB (Trans): Also aiming to be an all-in travel portal?

In a race to seize the AI initiative, the combined free cash flow of four major tech giants, including Amazon and Meta Platforms, is projected to plummet to approximately $4 billion in 2026, marking the lowest level since 2014. Amazon is expected to have a net cash burn of $10 billion for the year, while Alphabet and Meta Platforms are resorting to intensive debt issuance and suspending share buybacks. Meanwhile, off-balance-sheet items may allow these giants to conceal their true financial risks, even as hardware inflation forces them to further increase spending

The Cost of a $725 Billion AI Gamble: US Tech Giants' Cash Flow Hits Over a Decade Low

ABNB: Near-term results fine, but a midlife crisis?

Baidu's chip company Kunlun Chip plans to go public on the Shanghai STAR Market and in Hong Kong to capitalize on the investment enthusiasm for semiconductor stocks. Kunlun Chip has submitted a listing guidance application to the China Securities Regulatory Commission, with China International Capital Corporation as the guiding institution. Analysts point out that the choice to list in Shanghai indicates progress in the spin-off listing plan, with the Hong Kong listing expected to be completed in the third quarter

Baidu's AI chip company Kunlun Chip plans to go public in both Shanghai and Hong Kong

Taiwan Semiconductor's sales increased by 17.5%, reaching NT$ 410.7 billion (US$ 13.1 billion), benefiting from the ongoing AI construction boom. Analysts expect the company's revenue for the June quarter to grow by 35%. Taiwan Semiconductor manufactures cutting-edge semiconductors for companies such as NVIDIA and AMD, becoming a key player in the global AI industry. Meanwhile, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft plan to invest US$ 72.5 billion in the AI field this year, exceeding expectations

Taiwan Semiconductor's sales increased by 17.5% due to the ongoing AI construction boom

Taiwan Semiconductor and Sony plan to establish a joint venture to manufacture the next generation of high-performance image sensors. Sony will become the majority shareholder and will set up a production line at a new wafer fab in Kumamoto Prefecture. Both parties hope to combine Sony's sensor design experience with Taiwan Semiconductor's chip manufacturing advantages to enhance the performance of image sensors. The CEO of Sony stated that this collaboration is the first step towards a lightweight wafer fab, and in the future, partners will be introduced to enhance manufacturing capabilities. This move marks Taiwan Semiconductor's further expansion in the high-end semiconductor manufacturing sector

"AI Bull Market Narrative" Expands Again! Taiwan Semiconductor Partners with Sony to Bet on "AI Eye"

Barclays believes that the current oil crisis is not a short-term fluctuation but a structural rupture akin to the 1973 embargo. With approximately 9 million barrels per day of production disrupted in the Middle East, and U.S. shale oil unable to quickly fill the gap due to depleted reserves and capital discipline, its role as a "backstop" has ended. With spare capacity dropping to zero and pricing power returning to the oilfield services industry, upstream capital expenditure is expected to accelerate to 9-10% or even double-digit growth by 2027-2028, driving the best supercycle for oilfield services in nearly two decades

An Oil Crisis Triggering the Largest Upcycle for Oilfield Services in 20 Years?

The 30,000-Unit Trap for New Energy Vehicle Startups

The U.S. April non-farm employment data will be released tonight, with market expectations for an increase of 65,000 jobs, a significant slowdown from March. Wall Street generally believes that amid high inflation and tensions in the Middle East, the probability of a Fed rate cut this year is close to zero. Goldman Sachs points out that a rate cut would require the unemployment rate to rise to 4.5% or for there to be clear negative growth in employment. If tonight's data is slightly below expectations, the market may ignore it; if it significantly exceeds expectations, it could lead to a reassessment of rate hike expectations. Rising inflationary pressures and higher oil prices may influence Federal Reserve policy

"Stagflation Trade" Sweeps the Market: How Weak Must Tonight's Non-Farm Payrolls Be to Revive Rate Cut Expectations?

In April, Taiwan Semiconductor's revenue was NT$ 410.73 billion, a month-on-month decrease of 1.1% and a year-on-year increase of 17.5%, marking the lowest growth rate in the past six months. Despite the cooling performance in April, the cumulative revenue for the first four months reached NT$ 1.5448 trillion, with a year-on-year growth rate of 29.9%. Analysts expect the revenue growth rate in June to approach 35%. The demand for Taiwan Semiconductor's high-performance AI chips continues to drive overall revenue, and it has raised its capital expenditure target for 2026 to between $52 billion and $56 billion to address long-cycle dividends