Category: Stock Market

JPMorgan: Bitcoin Outperforms Gold, Silver Amid Escalating Global Tensions

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Bitcoin has proven more resilient than gold and silver, while precious metals have faced pressure from significant outflows, forced position unwinds, and declining liquidity.

Managing director Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou oversaw the analysis, which compared flow data, institutional positioning, momentum signals, and liquidity conditions for gold, silver, and Bitcoin

Bitcoin is dropping after risk sentiment climbs.

Gold has dropped by about 15% so far this month. A rally that had driven prices to a record close to $5,500 per ounce in January was reversed by the decline. Silver, which had peaked around $120, declined similarly.

JPMorgan attributes the decline to rising interest rates and a stronger dollar, as well as profit-taking by investors who had accumulated sizable holdings earlier in the year. In the first three weeks of March, withdrawals from gold ETFs totaled almost $11 billion.

Additionally, momentum indicators diverged. Commodity trading advisors and other trend-following investors drastically cut their exposure to gold and silver. For those metals, positioning signals fluctuated between overbought and below-neutral.

Momentum indicators for Bitcoin reversed course, moving from oversold to neutral. Conditions for liquidity also changed significantly. Gold’s market share declined to the point where it now lags behind Bitcoin, reversing a relationship that had previously favored gold.

Silver’s market depth deteriorated even more, which JPMorgan claimed could have contributed to the metal’s recent price drops.

Using data from Chainalysis, the analysts also mentioned an increase in cryptocurrency activity in areas impacted by rising geopolitical tensions. Locals transferred money from local exchanges to international platforms and self-custody wallets. Bitcoin was also practical due to its 24/7 availability, self-custody capability, and borderless settlement.

Geopolitical Fears Lift Silver, Higher Yields Pull It Back

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Silver (XAG/USD) is trading at about $68.50 on Friday, up 0.59 percent for the day, thanks to increased investor interest.

Market players remain cautious amid an unpredictable macroeconomic environment, despite this increase, keeping the white metal in a generally sideways trend. The geopolitical environment is a major motivator.

Silver’s Volatile Surge Faces Reality Check as Markets Reassess Risk

Hopes for a de-escalation in the Middle East are dwindling following reports that Iran did not ask for a halt to the US’s planned strikes on its energy infrastructure. This calls into question claims made by US President Donald Trump that attacks were delayed at Tehran’s request.

Financial market volatility fueled by the situation. Oil prices are high in this context because of the ongoing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. The outlook for monetary policy across major economies is changing, with rising energy prices and strengthening inflation. Investors are currently reevaluating the interest rate.

Silver, a non-yielding asset, is impacted by this change because rising bond yields raise its opportunity cost.  The US dollar’s (USD) strength, bolstered by higher rate expectations, is also limiting the metal’s upside by making it more costly for investors who do not hold dollars.

A still precarious near-term outlook is indicated by the fact that silver price action is dependent on the equilibrium between demand for safe havens and macroeconomic pressures related to inflation and interest rates.

 

Oracle Stock ORCL Faces Major Bearish Test at $135 Next Week as Selling Pressure Build Up

Posted on by Skerdian Meta

Oracle shares surged after strong earnings, but technical resistance and heavy AI spending continue to raise questions about the durability of the rebound. Continue reading “Oracle Stock ORCL Faces Major Bearish Test at $135 Next Week as Selling Pressure Build Up” →

Can MSFT Stock Decline Stop at $344 Support or Will It Slip to $300 Next Week?

Posted on by Skerdian Meta

As the company’s long-standing growth narrative is called into question by growing AI expenses, escalating competition, and margin concerns, Microsoft shares are under pressure.
Continue reading “Can MSFT Stock Decline Stop at $344 Support or Will It Slip to $300 Next Week?” →

Apple Opens Siri to Gemini & Claude in iOS 27

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Apple plans to make Siri interoperable with external AI assistants in a significant step to strengthen the iPhone as an AI platform. The company is preparing to implement the change as part of a Siri overhaul in its upcoming iOS 27 operating system update.

Through a collaboration with OpenAI, the assistant can already access ChatGPT; however, Apple will now permit rival services to do the same.

The adjustments are part of an effort to improve Apple’s artificial intelligence performance, where it has fallen short of its Silicon Valley competitors. A key component of the comeback strategy is redesigning Siri, which was first introduced almost 15 years ago.

The company is creating new tools to enable AI chatbot apps installed through the App Store to integrate with the Siri assistant.

Along with other features in the Apple Intelligence platform, the chatbots will also be compatible with an upcoming Siri app. For example, users would be able to send queries to Alphabet Google Gemini or Anthropic PBC’s Claude from within the Siri voice assistant, just as they have been able to do with ChatGPT since the launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024.

Additionally, the strategy ought to enable Apple to increase revenue from third-party AI subscriptions via the App Store. The modification has nothing to do with Apple and Google’s efforts to rebuild Siri using Gemini models. This arrangement with the Apple technology that powers Sir

i. In the meantime, users would be able to process requests through the actual Gemini server thanks to the new so-called Extensions system. Nevertheless, Google’s stock initially suffered as a result of the news, hitting a session low on Thursday. Apple was unchanged at $252.89, while the stock closed at $280.92, down 3.4 percent.

The features may still change or be delayed before the Cupertino, California-based company’s June 8 Worldwide Developers Conference announcement of its most recent software. The iPhone manufacturer promises information about “AI advancements” at the event on its website.

Meta, Google Found Liable in Landmark Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

A 20-year-old woman who claimed that her addiction to social media was a factor in her mental health problems was awarded damages by a jury that found Meta and Google liable. As the companies fight thousands of similar claims, this landmark decision could put them at grave risk

 

The Los Angeles verdict on Wednesday, the ninth day of jury deliberations, highlights the difficulty of determining how much social media is to blame for the varying degrees of distress that young people endure.

It also draws attention to the potential multibillion-dollar exposure from lawsuits claiming that YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms are intentionally designed to addict young users without taking into account their welfare.

Two more bellwether cases are scheduled to go to trial in California state court this year. The companies’ losses may spur settlement negotiations, which could lead to a comprehensive deal akin to those that hurt the tobacco and opioid industries.

The lawsuits, which are based on allegations of psychological distress, physical impairment, and suicide death, have been filed by children, adolescents, and young adults, sometimes through their parents, siblings, or other family members.

According to Eric Goldman, associate dean for research at Santa Clara University School of Law, who has taught and studied internet law for over 30 years, “it’s evident that juries are concerned.” They’re “willing to attach large damage awards.”  The 12-person jury in the first case of its kind to go to trial determined that Meta and Google should have warned that their products might be hazardous for minors and were negligent in the way their platforms were operated. Certain civil lawsuits do not require unanimous verdicts, unlike criminal cases.

The jurors found both companies liable by a vote of 10-2. The jury determined that Google owes $1.8 million and that Meta must pay $4.2 million to the plaintiff, Kaley GM. Kaley’s losses, including the cost of therapy, will be covered by half of each company’s payment; the other half will be used as punitive damages to deter future wrongdoing.

Mark Lanier, a Kaley attorney, had argued to the jury that they should take into account the enormous wealth of both businesses, emphasizing that even $1 billion in punitive damages would be insignificant.

Kaley blamed the platforms for several negative effects, including anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia. She claimed to have started using the Instagram photo-sharing app at the age of nine and to have started watching YouTube at the age of six. Despite being present in the courtroom to hear the verdicts, she remained silent.