Yulia Zeng

TradingKey - In early Friday trading, Japanese and South Korean stock markets extended the previous day’s rally, continuing to trend higher. The Nikkei 225 Index opened 0.35% higher, with intraday gains quickly expanding to 1%. The Seoul Composite Index opened up 0.7%, steadily advancing toward the 7,900-point psychological level.

TradingKey - Despite Q1 earnings released after the market close on May 21 significantly beating expectations—with revenue of $81.6 billion and data center revenue of $75.2 billion both well above Wall Street consensus—and the company announcing an $80 billion share buyback program alongside a dividend hike, the after-hours share price fell 1.26%, continuing the anomalous trend of "strong earnings followed by a correction."

TradingKey - As the absolute leader in the global AI supply chain, Nvidia (NVDA) delivered quarterly results that exceeded Wall Street's consensus expectations as scheduled. The company's total revenue grew 85% year-on-year to $81.62 billion, beating analyst estimates by nearly 3.1%.

TradingKey - Major Asia-Pacific stock markets rallied collectively on Thursday morning. The Nikkei 225 Index opened nearly 1% higher, with intraday gains subsequently expanding to over 3%. South Korea's KOSPI opened 3.8% higher, with gains further widening to 5.1%. The Korea Exchange triggered a circuit breaker for the KOSPI as KOSPI 200 futures surged 5%, suspending program trading for five minutes.

TradingKey - With navigation through the Strait of Hormuz still failing to resume, energy-focused investment research firm HFI Research has issued a warning that the market landscape could face a major turning point in June. The firm pointed out that if the strait remains closed by the first week of June, global oil inventories falling to historic lows could trigger panic buying and stockpiling by various countries, at which point the market may descend into genuine chaos.

TradingKey - Despite the recent sharp correction in the semiconductor sector and a cumulative decline of nearly 14% in Micron Technology (MU) shares over the past five trading days, Wall Street analysts remain optimistic about its outlook. In a newly released research report, Citigroup (C) analyst Atif Malik significantly raised Micron's price target from $425 to $840, nearly doubling the figure, and reaffirmed a "Buy" rating.

TradingKey - The Nikkei 225 Index opened 0.2% lower in early trading, with losses quickly widening to 2%. It has weakened for five consecutive trading days, falling below the 60,000 mark for the first time this month. South Korea's KOSPI Index opened 0.7% higher before its intraday losses expanded to 2%.

TradingKey - According to an internal memo, the company’s Head of HR, Janelle Gale, notified all staff on Monday that layoff notices will be issued in batches starting at 4:00 AM local time on Wednesday, May 20. This round of adjustments involves approximately 8,000 positions, representing about 10% of Meta's total global workforce of 78,000.

TradingKey - On May 18 local time, a nine-person jury in a federal court in Oakland, California, unanimously ruled to dismiss Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman after less than two hours of deliberation. The case was dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired, precluding a substantive trial on the core dispute of whether OpenAI deviated from its original non-profit mission.

TradingKey - The Nikkei 225 Index edged up 0.6% at the open, with intraday gains steadily expanding to 1%. In contrast, South Korea's KOSPI Index exhibited a weak consolidation pattern, falling 1.2% early in the session before intensified selling pressure pushed the decline to 2%.

TradingKey - Nvidia (NVDA) is set to release its first-quarter earnings for fiscal year 2027 after the US market close on May 20 ET. Market consensus expects quarterly revenue to be approximately $71.8 billion, but several investment banks believe this expectation is too conservative. Citi predicts revenue will reach $73 billion, while Wells Fargo has provided an even more optimistic forecast of $80.4 billion.

TradingKey - Regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on Microsoft’s (MSFT) core business, two world-renowned fund managers recently made large-scale allocations in opposite directions, bringing the tech giant’s long-term investment value into sharp focus across capital markets.

TradingKey - Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) officially ushers in the "Abel Era" with a quarterly holdings report featuring significant portfolio adjustments.

TradingKey - Crude oil futures closed sharply higher on Friday, with weekly gains expanding significantly. A resurgence in geopolitical tensions dampened market expectations for a de-escalation agreement between the U.S. and Iran and the lifting of shipping restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, driving energy prices rapidly higher.

TradingKey - Amid geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, the positive correlation between the US dollar and crude oil prices has climbed to its highest level since the inception of the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index in 2005. This signifies that the daily co-movement between the USD and Brent crude has reached its strongest point in over two decades.

TradingKey — U.S. President Donald Trump recently submitted his latest financial disclosure filings to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), disclosing approximately 3,600 securities transactions in a single release. The records indicate significant portfolio rebalancing during the first quarter of 2026.

TradingKey — On Thursday, May 14, Eastern Time, AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems, regarded by the market as an "Nvidia challenger," officially listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "CBRS," delivering a stunning performance on its first day of trading.

TradingKey - The South Korea Composite Index opened lower but trended higher. After opening down 0.37% at 7,951.75 points, it rallied sharply to surpass the 8,000-point mark for the first time in history. The Nikkei 225 Index opened up 0.36% at 62,878.71 points and subsequently accelerated its upward momentum, reclaiming the 63,000-point threshold.

TradingKey - Just two weeks after Samsung Electronics became the first to cross the $1 trillion market capitalization threshold earlier this month, SK Hynix, South Korea’s other memory chip giant, is nearing the same milestone. If this expectation is realized, South Korea will become the first country outside the United States to host two trillion-dollar companies, further underscoring its central position in the global AI supply chain.

TradingKey - AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems is racing toward a US IPO with momentum far exceeding expectations, as Wall Street's fervor for the AI semiconductor sector is fully reflected in the company.