HK, US stocks top stories

Regarding the nomination of Waller, interest rate cuts, balance sheet reduction, and fluctuations in precious metal prices

U.S. President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to serve as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, triggering significant fluctuations in precious metal prices. Investors associate Warsh's nomination with interest rate cuts, balance sheet reduction, and a strengthening dollar, believing this will impact the precious metals market. The nomination of Warsh is seen as a signal that the U.S. government may implement interest rate cuts and balance sheet reduction, which could also drive up oil prices, further affecting precious metal prices. The U.S. dollar index and oil prices have performed strongly recently, reflecting the market's response to this change

Apple vs. Meta Platforms: Which "Magnificent Seven" Stock Is a Better Buy Right Now?

With earnings season underway, Apple and Meta Platforms have reported strong results. Apple posted a 16% revenue growth, driven by a successful iPhone cycle, while Meta reported a 24% revenue increase but faced rising costs. Analysts suggest Apple is a better investment due to its faster earnings growth and more durable business model, despite trading at a slight premium. Meta's growth is expected to slow, making Apple the preferred choice for investors looking for stability and growth.

Goldman Sachs insists: The NAND craze will only last until the end of this year

Even though SanDisk's financial report far exceeded expectations, Goldman Sachs continues to maintain its existing forecast, stating that the QoQ increase in NAND prices (especially Kixia) will only last until the fourth quarter of 2026 (October to December), after which prices are expected to gradually decline

Surge, Boom, Crash – Gold and Silver Take the Lead, the Market's "Opening Performance" in 2026 is Particularly Spectacular

This week, Wall Street consensus trades experienced severe turbulence. Trump's nomination of Waller as Federal Reserve Chairman triggered a bloodbath in precious metals, with gold plummeting 10% and silver briefly dropping 37%. Extreme leverage and crowded positions have made the market fragile. One-way bets in multiple areas, including the dollar, emerging market stocks, and momentum stocks, are under pressure simultaneously. Analysts warn that parabolic rises are often accompanied by parabolic declines, and consensus trades always fail under extreme conditions, ringing alarm bells for contrarian investors

Precious metals crash, dollar rises! Wall Street wants to understand: Is Waller "friend or foe"?

Global markets faced the "Walsh Shock" on Friday, with gold and silver experiencing their largest single-day declines in decades, while the dollar surged. Walsh, once a well-known "inflation hawk," has recently shifted to calling for interest rate cuts but remains fixated on balance sheet reduction. Wall Street is puzzled, "Who is the real Kevin Walsh?" On one hand, the market is gripped by panic over liquidity tightening due to Walsh's advocacy for "balance sheet reduction"; on the other hand, there is a belief in his "market wisdom" and ability to maintain central bank independence

The precious metals have collapsed first, and for the market, the real risk is

The precious metals market collapsed due to the Wash shock. Rabobank pointed out that the dollar depreciation trade has not stopped, but uncertainty in U.S. policy remains unfavorable for the dollar. Goldman Sachs believes the real risk lies in rising interest rates, which could stifle market enthusiasm. The gap between interest rate cut expectations and the high levels of U.S. stocks remains significant. Nominal inflation and the push for physical assets are long-term trends, but market changes are rapid, requiring tactical adjustments

China's official manufacturing PMI for January is 49.3, down from the previous value of 50.1

Trump expresses hope to reach an agreement with Iran

On January 30, U.S. President Trump stated at the White House that the United States is deploying more naval forces to Iran than it did for the Venezuela operation and hopes to reach an agreement with Iran. Trump mentioned that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is heading to Iran, urging Iran to negotiate quickly. Meanwhile, Trump is considering new military strikes against Iran. Iran has warned that any U.S. military action will be seen as the start of war and will result in a full-scale counterattack

Wash impact, precious metals crash! Why did Trump choose Wash?

Due to Waller's long-standing policy stance of "interest rate cuts + balance sheet reduction," the market's understanding of Waller is biased towards a hawkish view. This appointment directly sank the gold and silver prices, which had recently surged almost ninety degrees. Goldman Sachs' Rich Privorotsky believes: The greatest asset of the U.S. system is the dollar system, and without a credible central bank, it will ultimately collapse. ... In the 1970s, Volcker was not Carter's first choice, but rather the market's choice

Wash's election probability surges, commodity markets face a Black Friday? Gold and silver once fell over 5%, and copper retraced yesterday's gains

Spot gold prices plummeted over 4% during the Asian session on Friday, falling below the $5,200 mark. In the domestic futures market, the main contracts for Shanghai gold and Shanghai silver both saw declines exceeding 2%, while the previously surging platinum and palladium futures saw intraday losses expand to 10% and 7%, respectively

Federal Reserve Governor Bowman: Given that inflation remains elevated, I tend to favor pausing interest rate cuts. In the December Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), I expect there will be three rate cuts this year

Federal Reserve Governor Bowman stated that he tends to pause interest rate cuts due to inflation remaining elevated. In the December economic outlook summary, he anticipated three rate cuts this year. At the same time, he reminded investors of market risks, advising caution in investments; this article does not constitute personal investment advice

Trump appoints new chairman of the Federal Reserve, several popular candidates who were not selected call out: Interest rates are too high and should be lowered

Trump nominated Kevin Warsh as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, replacing Powell. Unsuccessful candidates Hassett and Milan expressed support for Warsh and criticized the current monetary policy, believing that interest rates are too high. Hassett stated that not lowering interest rates in January was a mistake, emphasizing that supply-side prosperity will provide room for rate cuts. Milan praised Warsh's innovative spirit, believing that rate cuts are necessary