Market News

HYPE token is surging after Bloomberg reported that Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, has joined forces with Trade.xyz to bring perpetual futures trading to US regulated markets using Hyperliquid’s blockchain infrastructure.

The proposed market would offer perpetual futures linked to equities, equity indexes, commodities and currencies. It would operate with its own clearing infrastructure, know-your-customer (KYC) procedures and anti-money-laundering (AML) controls, subject to regulatory approval. This represents a significant step toward bringing Hyperliquid’s onchain derivatives model into traditional US financial markets.

The partnership would significantly expand Hyperliquid’s addressable…

Google’s AI may be cannibalizing search. Can Gemini pay the bill?

More AI usage does not guarantee more profit. Alphabet’s latest results sharpen a question for investors: can advertising and subscriptions replace the value of the searches AI absorbs?

Analysis | October 29, 2026 | Alphabet: GOOGL and GOOG

Google stock is getting hammered almost 11% in pre-market. For today, I'm watching $280-$284 for a dip. Temporary or not? I don't know but in any case, my hypothesis is that Google’s AI tools may be replacing some search advertising opportunities faster than new revenue streams can compensate. Alphabet’s latest earnings give that concern substance, but do not establish a net loss: Search revenue is still growing, and the company does not…

Alphabet tumbles as Microsoft rises. Wall Street's earnings divide is becoming harder to ignore

Alphabet, ServiceNow and Fortinet suffered sharp after-hours selloffs, while Microsoft gained. The contrast raises an important question for stock investors: Are these isolated disappointments, or is Wall Street becoming less forgiving of companies that fail to meet increasingly demanding expectations?

Wall Street's earnings season has produced another warning for technology stock investors, but it is not simply that companies are reporting disappointing results.

Following the October 28 earnings announcements, Alphabet (GOOGL) fell nearly 10% in after-hours trading (see my latest post earnings GOOG stock analysis with what I'm watching),…

IC – Europe Fundamental Forecast | 29 October 2026

What happened in the Asia session?

Asian markets are navigating a combination of elevated oil prices, uncertainty over global interest rates, and mixed technology-sector sentiment. The Fed’s decision to hold rates has left markets sensitive to U.S. bond yields and today’s GDP and Core PCE releases. The New Zealand dollar remains under pressure following the RBNZ’s unexpected rate hold, while the Australian dollar has recently shown relative strength. The yen remains vulnerable to elevated U.S. yields, and gold faces competing influences from interest rates and safe-haven demand.

What does it mean for the European & US sessions?

Thursday’s biggest market catalysts are the ECB decision,…

The statement notes that she has informed the ECB governing council of her decision to step down early and also conveyed that message to European Council president, Antonio Costa. On her successors, the ECB just noted that one "will be appointed by the European Council following the nomination process outlined in Article 283 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union".

As a reminder, her tenure as ECB president is supposed to end in October 2027. So, leaving in February means she will be headed for an early departure by about six months.

Now, speculation over Lagarde leaving the ECB early has been ongoing since the middle of 2025 already. At the time, Lagarde was heavily linked with taking over the WEF. Of course, she as well as…

Crude oil continues to consolidate around weekly highs as renewed prospects for a US-Iran deal helped limit the upside. Just earlier, Semafor reported that the Trump administration is involved in discussions aimed at securing a temporary peace deal with Iran. Vice President JD Vance has reportedly sent a letter to Tehran in an effort to revive negotiations.

An administration official told Semafor that US forces could resume combat operations shortly after the midterm elections, with the military reportedly requiring only presidential authorization. However, several officials remain sceptical about escalating the conflict, while Trump is reportedly the most open to…

So, just how many times can you actually poke the bear before it finally bites? Well, Bitcoin bulls might be on the verge of finding that out.

Because here we are again, with the cryptocurrency slipping back towards the key $80,000 level just as nerves around risk assets are starting to pick up once more. And while buyers have managed to hold the line so far, the feeble rebounds over the past week aren't exactly giving much reason for confidence.

It doesn't help that Wall Street is having another wobble of its own as fresh concerns over AI spending are weighing on tech stocks ahead of the open today. Meanwhile, the Fed hasn't exactly rolled out the red carpet for risk-taking either with their decision and Warsh's press conference yesterday.

●         Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 0.21%, Shanghai Composite down 0.93% Hang Seng down 0.00% ASX up 0.43%

●        Commodities : Gold at $4,055.15 (0.09%) Silver at $53.283 (-0.73%), Brent Oil at 110.25 (-1.25%), WTI Oil at 101.43 (-1.31%)

●        Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.990, UK 10-year yield at 5.3252, Germany 10-year yield at 3.3827

●        (CAD) Overnight Rate   2.50% to 2.50%  expected

U.S. equity futures declined late Wednesday as investors assessed quarterly earnings from major technology companies. Nasdaq-100 futures fell 1.2%, while S&P 500 futures lost 0.5%.

Asian markets traded mixed on Thursday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.49%, while South Korea’s…

US Stocks Push Higher as Fed Holds Rates – S&P Up 0.28%

US equity markets closed moderately higher yesterday as investors assessed the latest Federal Reserve interest rate decision alongside a mixed series of corporate earnings announcements. As widely anticipated, the Federal Reserve held interest rates at their current level, although the accompanying statement and subsequent press conference provided limited guidance regarding the outlook for monetary policy at the December meeting. The lack of a clear indication of the Fed’s next move left investors reassessing their expectations for the remainder of the year. The Dow gained 0.19% to close at 52,475, while the S&P rose 0.28% to finish at 7,743. The Nasdaq also recorded a modest…

IC – Asia Fundamental Forecast | 29 October 2026

What happened in the U.S. session?

The biggest driver during the U.S. session overnight was the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged while signaling that inflation remains a concern and further tightening is possible. U.S. stocks rose modestly, the dollar weakened slightly, and Treasury yields moved unevenly. Meanwhile, oil prices climbed on renewed Middle East supply concerns, adding to inflation risks and weighing on gold.

What does it mean for the Asia Session?

Asian traders should approach Thursday with a focus on central-bank policy expectations, particularly the Fed’s inflation concerns and the BOJ’s upcoming decision. Australia’s stronger inflation backdrop may…

Bitcoin whipsawed yesterday following the FOMC decision. The Fed kept interest rates unchanged as widely expected and Fed Chair Warsh said a whole lot of nothing. Overall, the decision was a neutral event but failed to trigger a sustained relief rally despite a drop in Treasury yields.

Meanwhile, the US-Iran negotiations remain at a stalemate, although we’ve seen a stronger push this week. Semafor just reported that the Trump administration is pursuing a temporary peace deal with Iran, according to officials. However, if diplomacy fails, the US could resume military operations shortly after the midterm elections, pending Trump's authorization.

We have a packed US economic…