![Black Forest Labs launches open supply Flux.2 [klein] to generate AI pictures in lower than a second](https://i2.wp.com/images.ctfassets.net/jdtwqhzvc2n1/39s3mZmA7qAJ4Ue1uSoxEF/1a59f5a9ba32692d1504d33a127cb172/robot-throw.png?w=300&q=30&w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1 "Black Forest Labs launches open supply Flux.2 [klein] to generate AI pictures in lower than a second")
This Week
Geopolitics had been entrance and heart this week, so financial information (understandably) was overshadowed. However it was a fairly good week in information:
- Headline CPI (2.7% YoY) and core CPI (2.6% YoY) had been each unchanged in December, as tariff-related inflation seems to have slowed, with the contribution from core items unchanged from November and down barely from its latest highs in August and September.
- Retail gross sales (+0.6% m/m) rebounded in November on broad-based beneficial properties.
- Manufacturing output (+0.2% m/m) rose greater than anticipated (-0.1%) in December.
That secure inflation and resilient spending and manufacturing information meant market expectations for Fed price cuts this 12 months fell to 45 foundation factors (bps) from almost 60 simply over every week in the past.
Elsewhere this week, fourth-quarter earnings season kicked off with the massive banks, however the largest information got here from TSMC, which introduced plans to extend capex as a lot as 37% this 12 months and to “enhance… capability considerably” in 2028-29 given AI demand.
So, the web results of geopolitical occasions, lowered Fed price minimize expectations, however constructive indicators for AI demand was a 1% decline for the Nasdaq-100® this week (blue line), and an roughly 5bp rise in 10-year Treasury yields over 4.2% (black line).
Subsequent Week
Listed below are the highest occasions I’m watching subsequent week:
- November PCE inflation and spending on Thursday
- Prelim. January PMIs on Friday
- Revised Q3 GDP on Thursday
- Supreme Courtroom choices on Tuesday (if IEEPA tariffs determined)
