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October 3, 2025October 3, 2025

Wall Street’s euphoric surge sparks warnings of imminent pullback

Despite a backdrop of economic uncertainty and a partial government shutdown, Wall Street’s three major indices—the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average—closed at record highs on Thursday 2nd October 2025, fuelling concerns that investor confidence may be tipping into excess.

The S&P 500 edged up 0.06%, continuing its relentless climb, while the Nasdaq and Dow Jones followed suit, buoyed by gains in tech giants like Nvidia and Intel.

Nvidia, now the world’s most valuable company, hit an all-time high, and Intel surged over 50% in the past month thanks to strategic partnerships.

Yet beneath the surface of this bullish momentum, market analysts are sounding the alarm. Sector rotation data from the S&P 500 reveals a concentration of capital in high-growth tech and consumer discretionary stocks, suggesting a narrowing rally.

This kind of sector skew often precedes a correction, as it reflects overconfidence in a few outperformers while broader market fundamentals remain shaky.

Triple High, Thin Ice: Wall Street’s record rally masks sector fragility and looming potential pullback

Adding to the unease is the state of the U.S. labour market. Hiring is down 58% year-to-date compared to 2024, marking the lowest level since 2009.

Although the jobless rate remains stable at 4.34%, the Chicago Fed’s indicators reportedly paint a picture of an economy that’s ‘low fire, low hire’—a phrase echoed by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the ongoing government shutdown could dent economic growth, but investors appear unfazed.

Some analysts argue that this detachment from macroeconomic risks reflects a dangerous complacency. Fundstrat even reportedly projected the S&P 500 could reach 7,000 by year-end—a bold forecast that, while technically possible, may hinge more on sentiment than substance.

The Nasdaq’s surge has been particularly pronounced, driven by speculative enthusiasm around AI and semiconductor stocks.

Meanwhile, the Dow Jones, traditionally seen as a bellwether for industrial strength, has benefited from defensive plays and dividend-rich stocks, masking underlying fragilities.

In sum, while Thursday’s triple record close is a milestone worth noting, it may also be a warning sign. With sector gauges flashing ‘excessive’ confidence and economic indicators sending mixed signals, investors would do well to temper their optimism.

A pullback may not be imminent, but it’s certainly plausible—and perhaps overdue.

As the bull charges ahead, the question remains: how long can it run before the bear catches up?

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025

Bleak news from U.S. doesn’t seem that bad for stocks – what’s going on?

It’s one of those classic Wall Street paradoxes—where bad news somehow fuels bullish momentum. What’s going on?

News round-up

S&P 500 closes above 6,700 after rising 0.34%. Samsung and SK Hynix join OpenAI’s Stargate. Taiwan rejects U.S. proposal to split chip production. Trump-linked crypto firm plans expansion. Some stocks that doubled in the third quarter.

Bleak Headlines vs. Market Optimism

U.S. Government Shutdown: The federal government ground to a halt, but markets didn’t flinch. In fact, the S&P 500 rose 0.34% and closed above 6,700 for the first time.

ADP Jobs Miss: Private payrolls fell by 32,000 in September 2025, a sharp miss – at least compared to the expected 45,000 gain. Yet traders shrugged it off as other bad news is shrugged off too!

Fed Rate Cut Hopes: Weak data often fuels expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates. Traders are now betting on a possible cut in October 2025, which tends to boost equities.

Historical Pattern: According to Bank of America, the S&P 500 typically rises ~1% in the week before and after a government shutdown. So, this isn’t unprecedented—it’s almost ritualistic at this point.

Why the Market’s Mood Diverges

Animal Spirits: Investors often trade on sentiment and positioning, not just fundamentals. If they believe the Fed will ease policy, they’ll buy risk assets—even in the face of grim news.

Data Gaps: With the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ official jobs report delayed due to the shutdown, the ADP report gains more weight. But it’s historically less reliable, so traders may discount it.

Tech Tailwinds: AI stocks and semiconductor news (e.g., Samsung and SK Hynix joining OpenAI’s Stargate) are buoying sentiment, especially in Asia-Pacific markets.

Prediction

Traders in prediction markets are betting the shutdown will last around two weeks. Nothing too radical, since that’s the average length it takes for the government to reopen, based on data going back to 1990.

The government stoppage isn’t putting the brakes on the stock market momentum. Are investors getting too adventurous?

History shows the pattern is not new. The S&P 500 has risen an average of 1% the week before and after a shutdown, according to data from BofA.

Even the ADP jobs report, which missed expectations by a wide margin, did little to subdue the animal spirits.

Private payrolls declined by 32,000 in September 2025, according to ADP, compared with a 45,000 increase reportedly estimated by a survey of economists.

Payroll data

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) official nonfarm payrolls report is now stuck in bureaucratic purgatory and likely not being released on time.

The U.S. Federal Reserve might place additional weight on the ADP report — though it’s not always moved in sync with the BLS numbers. Traders expect weak data would prompt the Fed to cut interest rates in October 2025.

It’s a bit like watching a storm roll in while the crowd cheers for sunshine—markets are forward-looking, and sometimes they see silver linings where others see clouds.

Summary

Event	Detail
🏛️ Government Shutdown	Began Oct 1, 2025. Traders expect ~2 weeks based on historical average
📉 ADP Jobs Report	Private payrolls fell by 32,000 vs. expected +45,000
📈 S&P 500 Close	Rose 0.34% to close above 6,700 for the first time
💸 Fed Rate Cut Expectations	Traders now pricing in a possible October cut

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025

When will it be time to worry about the AI bubble?

Key Signals of an AI Bubble

Valuations detached from fundamentals When companies with minimal revenue or unclear business models are trading at sky-high valuations purely because they’re ‘AI-adjacent’, surely it’s time to take note.

Overconcentration in a few stocks If market gains are disproportionately driven by a handful of AI giants (think Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon etc.), it suggests fragility. A stumble by one could ripple across the sector.

Narrative dominance over substance When investor excitement is driven more by buzzwords (‘transformational’, ‘disruptive’, ‘AGI’) than by actual product performance or adoption metrics, the hype may be outpacing reality. But there is real utility in AI if managed carefully.

Corporate FOMO and rushed adoption Companies scrambling to integrate AI without clear ROI or strategic fit—especially when they start cutting staff to “reskill for AI”—can signal unsustainable pressure.

Retail investor mania If you start seeing AI-themed ETFs, TikTok stock tips, and speculative day trading around obscure AI startups, it’s reminiscent of past bubbles like dot-com or crypto.

What to watch for next

Earnings vs. expectations: If AI leaders start missing earnings or issuing cautious guidance, sentiment could shift fast.
Regulatory headwinds: New rules around data, privacy, or model transparency could reshape the landscape.

Labour market impact: If AI adoption leads to widespread job displacement without productivity gains, the backlash could be swift.

October 1, 2025October 1, 2025

Are We in an AI ‘Super Cycle’? Some investors say Yes—and it could last two decades?

The term ‘AI super cycle’ is gaining traction among top investors, and for good reason.

According to recent commentary from leading venture capitalists, we may be entering a prolonged period of exponential growth in artificial intelligence—one that could reshape industries, economies, and even the nature of work itself.

Unlike previous tech booms, this cycle isn’t driven by a single breakthrough. Instead, it’s the convergence of multiple forces: unprecedented computing power, vast datasets, and increasingly sophisticated models.

From generative AI tools that write code and craft marketing copy, to autonomous systems revolutionising logistics and healthcare, the pace of innovation is staggering.

What makes this cycle ‘super’ isn’t just the technology—it’s the scale of adoption. AI is no longer confined to Silicon Valley labs or niche enterprise solutions.

It’s being embedded into everyday workflows, consumer apps, and national infrastructure. Governments are racing to regulate it, while companies scramble to integrate it before competitors do.

Some analysts believe this cycle could last 20 years, echoing the longevity of the internet era. But unlike the dot-com bubble, AI’s utility is already tangible.

Productivity gains, cost reductions, and creative augmentation are being realised across sectors—from finance and pharmaceuticals to education and entertainment.

Still, the super cycle isn’t without risk. Ethical concerns, data privacy, and algorithmic bias remain unresolved. And as AI systems become more autonomous, questions of accountability and control grow sharper.

Some also suggest the market is ‘frothy’ (including the Fed) and is due a correction or at the very least a pullback.

Yet for now, the momentum is undeniable. Investors are pouring billions into AI startups, chipmakers are scaling up production, and global markets are recalibrating around this new frontier.

If this truly is a super cycle, it’s not just a moment—it’s a movement.

And we’re only at the beginning of the curve

September 30, 2025September 30, 2025

With all the new AI tech arriving in the new AI data centres – what is happening to the old tech it is presumably replacing?

🧠 What’s Happening to the Old Tech?

Shadow in the cloud

🔄 Repurposing and Retrofitting

Many traditional CPU-centric server farms are being retrofitted to support GPU-heavy or heterogeneous architectures.
Some legacy racks are adapted for edge computing, non-AI workloads, or low-latency services that don’t require massive AI computing power.

🧹 Decommissioning and Disposal

Obsolete hardware—especially older CPUs and low-density racks—is being decommissioned.
Disposal is a growing concern: e-waste regulations are tightening, and sustainability targets mean companies must recycle or repurpose responsibly.

🏭 Secondary Markets and Resale

Some older servers are sold into secondary markets—used by smaller firms, educational institutions, or regions with less AI demand.
There’s also a niche for refurbished hardware, especially in countries where AI infrastructure is still nascent.

🧊 Cold Storage and Archival Use

Legacy systems are sometimes shifted to cold storage roles—archiving data that doesn’t require real-time access.

These setups are less power-intensive and can extend the life of older tech without compromising performance.

⚠️ Obsolescence Risk

The pace of AI innovation is so fast that even new data centres risk early obsolescence if they’re not designed with future workloads in mind.
Rack densities are climbing—from 36kW to 80kW+—and cooling systems are shifting from air to liquid, meaning older infrastructure simply can’t keep up.

🧭 A Symbolic Shift

This isn’t just about servers—it’s about sovereignty, sustainability, and the philosophy of obsolescence. The old tech isn’t just being replaced; it’s being relegated, repurposed, or ritually retired.

There’s a tech history lesson unfolding about digital mortality, and how each new AI cluster buries a generation of silicon ancestors.

Infographic: ‘New’ AI tech replacing ‘Old’ tech in data centres

🌍 The Green Cost of the AI Boom

⚡ Energy Consumption

AI data centres are power-hungry beasts. In 2023, they consumed around 2% of global electricity—a figure expected to rise by 80% by 2026.
Nvidia’s H100 GPUs, widely used for AI workloads, draw 700 watts each. With millions deployed, the cumulative demand is staggering.

💧 Water Usage

Cooling these high-density clusters often requires millions of litres of water annually. In drought-prone regions, this is sparking local backlash.

🧱 Material Extraction

AI infrastructure depends on critical minerals—lithium, cobalt, rare earths—often mined in ecologically fragile zones.
These supply chains are tied to geopolitical tensions and labour exploitation, especially in the Global South.

🗑️ E-Waste and Obsolescence

As new AI chips replace older hardware, legacy servers are decommissioned—but not always responsibly.
Without strict recycling protocols, this leads to mountains of e-waste, much of which ends up in landfills or exported to countries with lax regulations.

The Cloud Has a Shadow

This isn’t just about silicon—it’s about digital colonialism, resource extraction, and the invisible costs of intelligence. AI may promise smarter sustainability, but its infrastructure is anything but green unless radically reimagined.

⚡ The Energy Cost of Intelligence

🔋 Surging Power Demand

AI data centres are projected to drive a 165% increase in global electricity consumption by 2030, compared to 2023 levels.
In the U.S. alone, data centres could account for 11–12% of total power demand by 2030—up from 3–4% today.
A single hyperscale facility can draw 100 megawatts or more, equivalent to powering 350,000–400,000 electric vehicles annually.

🧠 Why AI Is So Power-Hungry

Training large models like OpenAI Chat GPT or DeepSeek requires massive parallel processing, often using thousands of GPUs.
Each AI query can consume 10× the energy of a Google search, according to the International Energy Agency.
Power density is rising—from 162 kW per square foot today to 176 kW by 2027, meaning more heat, more cooling, and more infrastructure.

🌍 Environmental Fallout

Cooling systems often rely on millions of litres of water annually. For example, in Wisconsin, two AI data centres will consume 3.9 gigawatts of power, more than the state’s nuclear plant.
Without renewable energy sources, this surge risks locking regions into fossil fuel dependency, raising emissions and household energy costs. We are not ready for this massive increase in AI energy production.

Just how clean is green?

The Intelligence Tax

This isn’t just about tech—it’s about who pays for progress. AI promises smarter cities, medicine, and governance, but its infrastructure demands a hidden tax: on grids, ecosystems, and communities.

AI is a hungry beast, and it needs feeding. The genie is out of the bottle!

September 29, 2025September 29, 2025

Buffett Indicator surges past 200% – raising alarm bells on market valuation

The so-called ‘Buffett Indicator’—a stock market valuation metric championed by Warren Buffett—has surged past 200%, reigniting concerns that equities may be dangerously overvalued.

The ratio, which compares the total market capitalisation of U.S. stocks to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), now sits well above the threshold Buffett once described as “playing with fire”.

Historically, the Buffett Indicator has served as a broad gauge of whether the market is trading at a premium or discount to the underlying economy.

100%

A reading of 100% suggests that the market is fairly valued. But when the ratio climbs significantly above that level, it implies that investor optimism may be outpacing economic fundamentals.

200%

At over 200%, the current reading suggests that the market is valued at more than twice the size of the U.S. economy. This level is not only unprecedented—it’s also well above the peak seen during the dot-com bubble, which ended in a dramatic crash in the early 2000s.

Buffett himself has warned in the past that when the indicator reaches extreme levels, it should serve as a ‘very strong warning signal’. While he has not commented on the current spike, the metric’s ascent has prompted renewed scrutiny from analysts and investors alike.

Some argue that the indicator may be distorted by structural changes in the economy, such as the rise of intangible assets and global revenue streams that aren’t captured by GDP alone.

Others point to low interest rates and persistent liquidity as reasons why valuations have remained elevated.

Do not ignore the warning

Still, the psychological impact of the 200% mark is hard to ignore. It suggests that investors may be pricing in perfection—expecting strong earnings growth, low inflation, and continued central bank support. Any deviation from this ideal scenario could trigger a sharp revaluation.

For long-term investors, the Buffett Indicator’s warning may not signal an immediate crash, but it does suggest caution. Diversification, disciplined risk management, and a clear understanding of valuation metrics are more important than ever.

As markets continue to defy gravity, the Buffett Indicator stands as a quiet sentinel—reminding investors that even the most exuberant rallies are tethered to economic reality. Whether this is a moment of irrational exuberance or a new normal remains to be seen.

But as Buffett once said, ‘The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient’.

It’s just a matter of ‘time’

🔍 How It Works

Formula:

Buffett Indicator=Total MarketCap/GDP

Interpretation:

Below 100%: Market may be undervalued

100%–135%: Fairly valued

Above 135%: Overvalued

Above 200%: Historically considered ‘playing with fire’, according to Buffett himself

🚨 Current Status (as of late September 2025)

The Buffett Indicator has surged to 218%, breaking records set during the Dotcom bubble and the COVID-era rally.

This extreme level suggests that equity values are growing much faster than the economy, raising concerns about a potential market bubble.

The surge is largely driven by mega-cap tech firms investing heavily in AI, which has inflated valuations.

🧠 Why It Matters

Buffett once called this “probably the best single measure of where valuations stand at any given moment.”

While some argue the metric may be outdated due to shifts in the economy (e.g., rise of intangible assets like software and data), it still serves as a powerful warning signal when valuations soar far above GDP.

September 26, 2025September 26, 2025

Stock market pullback in 4th quarter… how likely is it?

While many investors are hoping for a year-end rally, several analysts are warning that a fourth-quarter pullback remains a real possibility.

Valuation concerns: Large-cap stocks are trading at historically high valuations, reminiscent of the 2021 peak. That leaves little room for error if economic data disappoints.

Tariff aftershocks: April’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs triggered a sharp sell-off, and although markets rebounded, strategists at Stifel expect an ‘echo’ effect—potentially a 14% drop in the S&P 500 before year-end.

Economic slowdown: Consumer spending is showing signs of strain, and real wage growth may not keep pace with rising prices. That could dampen demand and corporate earnings.

Trade uncertainty: The 90-day tariff pause expired in July 2025 (with adjustments), leaving markets to navigate the fallout—valuation echoes, trade uncertainty, and investor psychology now collide in Q4’s shadow. This could lead to headline-driven volatility through Q4.

Mixed sentiment: Some strategists remain cautiously optimistic, citing resilient labour data and hopes for more Fed rate cuts. But others warn that investors may be wishful thinking!

A U.S. stock market pullback is likely due in Q4 2025

The fourth quarter (Q4) of the calendar year runs from 1st October to 31st December. In financial and editorial contexts, it often carries symbolic weight—year-end reckonings, holiday spending, and final earnings reports all converge here.

A pullback is due, but when?

September 25, 2025September 25, 2025

Japan’s Nikkei surges to historic highs amid reform momentum

Japanese equities are enjoying a remarkable rally, with the Nikkei 225 and broader Topix indices repeatedly breaking record highs throughout September 2025.

This surge reflects a potent mix of domestic reform, foreign investment, and a growing belief that Japan’s corporate landscape is undergoing a long-overdue transformation.

At the heart of the rally is Prime Minister Kishida’s push for structural reform, including corporate governance improvements and incentives for companies to boost shareholder returns.

These measures have resonated with global investors, who are increasingly viewing Japan as a stable alternative to more volatile markets. Foreign inflows have accelerated, with analysts noting that the momentum is built on solid economic fundamentals rather than speculative hype.

Despite the optimism, risks remain. Political instability, a potential spike in the yen, and ripple effects from a U.S. market downturn could all dampen the rally.

Yet, for now, these concerns are being outweighed by Japan’s reform narrative and its relative insulation from global tech bubbles and geopolitical tensions.

The Nikkei’s consistent climb is also symbolic. For decades, Japan’s stock market was seen as stagnant and haunted by the burst of its 1980s asset bubble.

Today, the narrative is shifting. Investors are no longer just betting on Japan’s past resilience; they’re buying into its future potential.

This bullish sentiment marks a turning point not just for Japanese equities, but for how global markets perceive Japan’s role in the 21st-century economy.

If reforms continue and foreign confidence holds, the Nikkei’s ascent may be more than a fleeting high—it could signal a new era of Japanese financial leadership.

It is very high! Will a U.S. stock market pullback dampen the Nikkei party?

September 22, 2025September 22, 2025

What is the deal with the new Huawei AI power chip cluster touted by China?

Huawei has unveiled a bold new AI chip cluster strategy aimed squarely at challenging Nvidia’s dominance in high-performance computing.

At its Connect 2025 conference in Shanghai, Huawei introduced the Atlas 950 and Atlas 960 SuperPoDs—massive AI infrastructure systems built around its in-house Ascend chips.

These clusters represent China’s most ambitious attempt yet to bypass Western semiconductor restrictions and assert technological independence.

The technical stuff

The Atlas 950 SuperPoD, launching in late 2026, will integrate 8,192 Ascend 950DT chips, delivering up to 8 EFLOPS of FP8 compute and 16 EFLOPS at FP4 precision. (Don’t ask me either – but that’s what the data sheet says).

It boasts a staggering 16.3 petabytes per second of interconnect bandwidth, enabled by Huawei’s proprietary UnifiedBus 2.0 optical protocol. It is reportedly claimed to be ten times faster than current internet backbone infrastructure.

This system is reportedly designed to outperform Nvidia’s NVL144 cluster, with Huawei asserting a 6.7× advantage in compute power and 15× in memory capacity.

In 2027, Huawei reportedly plans to release the Atlas 960 SuperPoD, doubling the specs with 15,488 Ascend 960 chips. This reportedly will give 30 EFLOPS FP8 compute, and 34 PB/s bandwidth.

These SuperPoDs will be linked into SuperClusters. The Atlas 960 SuperCluster is reportedly projected to reach 2 ZFLOPS of FP8 performance. This potentially rivals even Elon Musk’s xAI Colossus and Nvidia’s future NVL576 deployments.

Huawei’s roadmap includes annual chip upgrades: Ascend 950 in 2026, Ascend 960 in 2027, and Ascend 970 in 2028.

Each generation promises to double computing power. The chips will feature Huawei’s own high-bandwidth memory variants—HiBL 1.0 and HiZQ 2. These are designed to optimise inference and training workloads.

Strategy

This strategy reflects a shift in China’s AI hardware approach. Rather than competing on single-chip performance, Huawei is betting on scale and system integration.

By controlling the entire stack—from chip design to memory, networking, and interconnects—it aims to overcome fabrication constraints imposed by U.S. sanctions.

While Huawei’s software ecosystem still trails Nvidia’s CUDA, its CANN toolkit is gaining traction. Chinese regulators discourage purchases of Nvidia’s AI chips.

The timing of Huawei’s announcement coincides with increased scrutiny of Nvidia in China, suggesting a coordinated push for domestic alternatives.

In short, Huawei’s AI cluster strategy is not just a technical feat—it’s a geopolitical statement.

Whether it can match Nvidia’s real-world performance remains to be seen, but the ambition is unmistakable.

The AI power race just got even hotter!

September 18, 2025September 18, 2025

Fed cuts rates amid labour market strains and political Powell pressure

On 17th September 2025, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate cut of 2025, lowering the benchmark federal funds rate by 0.25% to a range of 4.00%–4.25%.

The decision follows nine months of monetary policy stagnation and comes amid mounting evidence of a weakening labour market and persistent inflationary pressures.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell described the move as a ‘risk management cut’, citing slower job growth and a rise in unemployment as key drivers.

While inflation remains elevated—partly due to tariffs introduced by the Trump administration—the Fed opted to prioritise employment support, signalling the possibility of two further cuts before year-end.

The decision was not without controversy. New Fed Governor Stephen Miran, recently appointed by President Trump, reportedly dissented, advocating for a more aggressive half-point reduction. Political tensions have escalated, with Trump publicly urging Powell to ‘cut bigger’.

Markets responded with mixed signals: the Dow rose modestly, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq slipped slightly. However, each improved in after-hours trading.

Analysts remain divided over the long-term impact, with some warning that easing too quickly could reignite inflation.

The Fed’s next move will be closely watched as it balances economic fragility with political crosswinds.

The next U.S. Federal Reserve meeting is scheduled for 29th–30th October 2025, with the interest rate decision expected on Wednesday, 30th October at 2:00 PM ET.

September 15, 2025September 15, 2025

Are we looking at an AI house of cards? Bubble worries emerge after Oracle blowout figures

There’s growing concern that parts of the AI boom—especially the infrastructure and monetisation frenzy—might be built on shaky foundations.

The term ‘AI house of cards’ is being used to describe deals like Oracle’s multiyear agreement with OpenAI, which has committed to buying $300 billion in computing power over five years starting in 2027.

That’s on top of OpenAI’s existing $100 billion in commitments, despite having only about $12 billion in annual recurring revenue. Analysts are questioning whether the math adds up, and whether Oracle’s backlog—up 359% year-over-year—is too dependent on a single customer.

Oracle’s stock surged 36%, then dropped 5% Friday as investors took profits and reassessed the risks.

Some analysts remain neutral, citing murky contract details and the possibility that OpenAI’s nonprofit status could limit its ability to absorb the $40 billion it raised earlier this year.

The broader picture? AI infrastructure spending is ballooning into the trillions, echoing the dot-com era’s early adoption frenzy. If demand doesn’t materialise fast enough, we could see a correction.

But others argue this is just the messy middle of a long-term transformation—where data centres become the new utilities

The AI infrastructure boom—especially the Oracle–OpenAI deal—is raising eyebrows because the financial and operational foundations look more speculative than solid.

Here’s why some analysts are calling it a potential house of cards

⚠️ 1. Mismatch Between Revenue and Commitments

OpenAI’s annual revenue is reportedly around $10–12 billion, but it’s committed to $300 billion in cloud spending with Oracle over five years.
That’s $60 billion per year, meaning OpenAI would need to grow revenue 5–6x just to break even on compute costs.
CEO Sam Altman projects $44 billion in losses before profitability in 2029.

🔌 2. Massive Energy Demands

The infrastructure needed to fulfill this contract requires electricity equivalent to two Hoover Dams.
That’s not just expensive—it’s logistically daunting. Data centres are planned across five U.S. states, but power sourcing and environmental impact remain unclear.

💸 3. Oracle’s Risk Exposure

Oracle’s debt-to-equity ratio is already 10x higher than Microsoft’s, and it may need to borrow more to meet OpenAI’s demands.
The deal accounts for most of Oracle’s $317 billion backlog, tying its future growth to a single customer.

🔄 4. Shifting Alliances and Uncertain Lock-In

OpenAI recently ended its exclusive cloud deal with Microsoft, freeing it to sign with Oracle—but also introducing risk if future models are restricted by AGI clauses.
Microsoft is now integrating Anthropic’s Claude into Office 365, signalling a diversification away from OpenAI.

🧮 5. Speculative Scaling Assumptions

The entire bet hinges on continued global adoption of OpenAI’s tech and exponential demand for inference at scale.
If adoption plateaus or competitors leapfrog, the infrastructure could become overbuilt—echoing the dot-com frenzy of the early 2000s.

Is this a moment for the AI frenzy to take a breather?

September 15, 2025September 15, 2025

Nasdaq finishes at record high on Friday 12th September 2025?

On Friday 12th September 2025, the Nasdaq closed at a record high, while the S&P 500 ended the week with gains but did not finish at a new record level.

Nasdaq Composite: Rose 0.45% to 22,141.10 — a new all-time high.
S&P 500: Dipped slightly by 0.05% to 6,584.29 — still near historic levels, but not a record close.

The broader mood was one of cautious optimism, with investors eyeing the upcoming Federal Reserve decision.

Bulls are riding high, but some analysts are starting to wonder if exuberance is getting ahead of fundamentals

September 12, 2025September 12, 2025

Nikkei Surges to Record High Amid AI Euphoria

Tokyo, 12th September 2025 — The Nikkei 225 has surged to an all-time intraday high of 44,888.02, before settling at 44,768.12 at the close.

This marks a weekly gain of 3.8%, fuelled by a potent cocktail of AI optimism, global rate-cut hopes, and a tech-heavy rally that has left analysts both exhilarated and uneasy.

Rally

SoftBank Group led the charge, soaring nearly 10% earlier this week to a record 17,885. Its stake in the Stargate AI infrastructure project—alongside Oracle and OpenAI—has positioned it as Japan’s de facto ambassador to the AI gold rush. Investors, it seems, are buying not just stock, but narrative.

Meanwhile, global macro tremors have played their part. A rise in U.S. unemployment and tepid job creation have reignited hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut, lifting equities worldwide.

Nikkei 225 one-year chart

Japanese industrials and exporters have ridden the wave, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries up 70% year-to-date, and Fujikura surging 115%.

Even the judiciary has joined the chorus: a U.S. appeals court ruling against Trump-era tariffs has sparked hopes of a reversal, giving Japanese exporters a fresh tailwind.

Speculation or substance?

Yet beneath the euphoria, caution lingers. Investors warn of an ‘overheated’ market, noting that Japan’s equity gains still trail Wall Street’s meteoric rise.

The Nikkei’s ascent, while historic, may be more froth than fundamentals.

AI is driving the gain.

September 11, 2025September 12, 2025

Databases to Dominance: Oracle’s AI Boom and Ellison’s Billionaire Ascent

Oracle Corporation has just staged one of the most dramatic rallies in tech history—catapulting itself into the elite club of near-trillion-dollar companies and reshaping the billionaire leaderboard in the process.

Founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison, Oracle began as a modest database software firm. Its first major boom came in the late 1990s, riding the dot-com wave as enterprise software demand exploded.

By 2000, Oracle’s market cap had surged past $160 billion, making it one of the most valuable tech firms of the era.

A second wave of growth followed in the mid-2000s, fuelled by aggressive acquisitions like PeopleSoft and Sun Microsystems, which expanded Oracle’s footprint into enterprise applications and hardware.

Boom

But its most recent boom—triggered in 2025—is unlike anything before. Oracle’s pivot to cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence has paid off spectacularly. In its fiscal Q1 2026 report, Oracle revealed $455 billion in remaining performance obligations (RPO), a staggering 359% increase year-over-year.

This backlog, driven by multi-billion-dollar contracts with AI giants like OpenAI, Meta, Nvidia, and xAI, sent shockwaves through Wall Street.

Despite missing revenue and earnings expectations slightly—$14.93 billion in revenue vs. $15.04 billion expected, and $1.47 EPS vs. $1.48 forecasted—the market responded with euphoria.

Oracle’s stock soared nearly 36% in a single day, adding $244 billion to its market cap and pushing it to approximately $922 billion. Analysts called it ‘absolutely staggering’ and ‘truly awesome’, with Deutsche Bank reportedly raising its price target to $335.

This meteoric rise had personal consequences too. Larry Ellison, Oracle’s co-founder and current CTO, saw his net worth jump by over $100 billion in one day, briefly surpassing Elon Musk to become the world’s richest person.

His fortune reportedly peaked at around $397 billion, largely tied to his 41% stake in Oracle. Ellison’s journey—from college dropout to tech titan—is now punctuated by the largest single-day wealth gain ever recorded.

CEO Safra Catz also benefited, with her net worth rising by $412 million in just six hours of trading, bringing her total to $3.4 billion. Under her leadership, Oracle’s stock has risen over 800% since she became sole CEO in 2019.

Oracle’s forecast for its cloud infrastructure business is equally jaw-dropping: $18 billion in revenue for fiscal 2026, growing to $144 billion by 2030. If these projections hold, Oracle could soon join the trillion-dollar club alongside Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia.

From database pioneer to AI infrastructure powerhouse, Oracle’s evolution is a masterclass in strategic reinvention.

Oracle one-year chart 10th September 2025

And with Ellison now at the summit of global wealth, the company’s narrative is no longer just about software—it’s about legacy, dominance, and the future of intelligent computing.

September 10, 2025September 12, 2025

U.S. indices hit fresh record closing highs 9th September 2025

S&P 500 rose 0.3% to finish at 6,512.61, surpassing its previous record from last week.

Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.4% to 45,711.34, beating its August 28 high.

Nasdaq Composite added 0.4%, closing at 21,879.49, marking its second consecutive record high.

The rally was fueled by strong performances in tech—especially chipmakers and AI infrastructure players like Nvidia and Oracle—and growing expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut.

September 9, 2025September 12, 2025

Negative news is not affecting the market as the Nasdaq hits a new high!

The Nasdaq Composite closed at a record high of 21,798.70 on Monday, 8th September 2025. That 0.45% gain was driven largely by a rally in chip stocks—Broadcom surged 3.2%, and Nvidia added nearly 1%.

The broader market also joined the party:

S&P 500 rose 0.21% to 6,495.15
Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.25% to 45,514.95

Investor optimism is swirling around potential Federal Reserve rate cuts, especially with inflation data due later this week. The market’s momentum seems to be riding a wave of AI infrastructure spending and tech sector strength.

Negative news is not affecting the market – but why?

The Nasdaq Composite closes at a record high on Monday 8th September 2025.
Refunds could hit $1 trillion if tariffs are deemed illegal.
China’s Xpeng eyes global launch of its Mona brand.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou loses no-confidence vote.
UK deputy PM resigns after tax scandal.

Stocks are rising despite August’s dismal jobs report because investors are interpreting the weak labor data as a signal that interest rate cuts may be on the horizon—and that’s bullish for equities.

📉 The contradiction at the heart of the market The U.S. economy showed signs of slowing, with job numbers actually declining in June and August’s report falling short of expectations.

Normally, that would spook investors—fewer jobs mean less consumer spending, which hurts corporate earnings and stock prices.

📈 But here’s the twist Instead of panicking, markets rallied. The Nasdaq Composite hit a record high, and the S&P 500 and Dow Jones also posted gains.

Why? Because a weaker jobs market increases the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates to stimulate growth. Lower rates make borrowing cheaper and boost valuations—especially for tech stocks.

🤖 AI’s role in the rally Tech firms, particularly those tied to artificial intelligence like Broadcom and Nvidia, led the charge.

The suggestion is that investors may be viewing job cuts as a sign that AI is ‘working as intended’—streamlining operations and improving margins. Salesforce and Klarna, for instance, have both reportedly cited AI as a reason for major workforce reductions.

Summary

Indicator	Value / Change	Interpretation
Nasdaq Composite	📈 21,798.70 (Record High)	Tech led rally, investor optimism
S&P 500	➕ 6,495.15	Broad market strength
Dow Jones	➕ 45,514.95	Industrial resilience
August Jobs Report	📉 Missed expectations	Labour market weakness
Job Growth (June & Aug)	📉 Negative	Economic slowdown
Investor Reaction	🟢 Rate cuts expected	Bullish for equities
AI Layoff Narrative	🤖 ‘Efficiency gains’	Tech streamlining
Featured Stocks	Broadcom +3.2%, Nvidia +0.9%	AI infrastructure driving

Infographic summary

So, while the jobs report paints a gloomy picture for workers, the market sees a silver lining: rate relief and tech-driven efficiency.

It’s a classic case of Wall Street optimism—where bad news for Main Street can be good news for stock prices.

The career ladder is broken—but the Nasdaq is building a rocket.

The Fed up next to move the market.

September 8, 2025September 12, 2025

Japan’s yield curve bites back as it hits new highs!

After decades of economic sedation, Japan’s long-term bond yields are rising with a vengeance.

The 30-year government bond has breached 3.286%—its highest level on record—while the 20-year yield has climbed to 2.695%, a peak not seen since 1999.

These aren’t just numbers; they’re seismic signals of a nation confronting its delayed past, now its deferred future.

For years, Japan’s yield curve was a monument to inertia. Negative interest rates, yield curve control, and relentless bond-buying by the Bank of Japan created an artificial calm—a kind of economic Zen garden, raked smooth but eerily still.

That era is ending. Inflation has persisted above target for three years, and the BOJ’s retreat from monetary intervention has unleashed market forces long held at bay.

This steepening curve is more than financial recalibration—it’s a symbolic reckoning. Rising yields demand accountability: from policymakers who masked structural fragility, from investors who chased safety in stagnation, and from a society that postponed hard choices on demographics, debt, and productivity.

The bond market, once a passive witness, now acts as judge. Each basis point is a moral verdict on Japan’s economic past.

The shadows of the Lost Decades—deflation, aging populations, and overspending—are being dispelled not by command, but through the process of price discovery.

In this new era, Japan’s yield curve resembles a serpent uncoiling—no longer dormant but rising with intent.

The question isn’t whether the curve will flatten again, but whether Japan can meet the moment it has long delayed.

September 4, 2025September 12, 2025

China’s EV Price War: BYD falters as the Chinese EV machine reshapes the global car market

China’s electric vehicle (EV) powerhouse is rewriting the global automotive playbook—but not without homegrown company damage.

BYD, now the world’s largest EV manufacturer by volume, has been caught in the crossfire of a domestic price war.

Damaging price war

The price war is damaging margins. It is unnerving investors and revealing the perils of hyper-competition in the world’s most aggressive car market.

In Q2 2025, BYD posted a 30% drop in net profit to 6.4 billion yuan (£700 million), its first earnings decline in over three years.

Despite a 145% surge in overseas sales, the company’s sweeping discounts across 22 models have eroded profitability at home.

Gross margins slipped to around 16%, and its Hong Kong-listed shares tumbled 8% to a five-month low.

Analysts reportedly now question whether BYD can hit its ambitious 5.5-million-unit sales target, having reached only 45% by July 2025.

The price war, ignited by BYD’s aggressive cuts in May 2025, has forced rivals like Geely, Chery, and SAIC-GM to follow suit. Entry-level EVs now start below (£6,500), with features like driver assistance and smart infotainment once reserved for premium models.

But the race to the bottom has drawn concern from regulators and industry leaders. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) warned of “disorderly competition”, while executives fear quality compromises and supplier strain.

Yet even as BYD stumbles, the broader Chinese EV machine is gaining global momentum. In Europe, BYD overtook Tesla in July sales, capturing 1.1% market share versus Tesla’s 0.7%.

Chinese EV car brands account for around 10% of new UK car sales

Chinese brands now account for around 10% of new car sales in the UK. There are over 30 affordable EV models priced under £30,000.

Their edge lies in battery supply chains, manufacturing efficiency, and software integration. Transforming cars into ‘smartphones on wheels’ tailored to digitally connected consumers.

China’s EV revolution is no longer just a domestic shake-up—it’s a global reordering. Legacy automakers are retreating from the budget segment. But Chinese firms flooding international markets with sleek, connected, and competitively priced vehicles.

BYD’s profit dip may be a temporary wobble. The long-term trajectory is clear: China isn’t just building cars—it’s building the future of mobility.

For global rivals, the message is unmistakable: adapt, or be outpaced by the dragon’s electric roar.

Infographic: China’s BYD and other EVs

Summary

BYD’s Q2 2025 net profit drop of 30% to 6.4 billion yuan: This figure aligns with recent earnings reports and analyst commentary. The drop is consistent with margin pressure from domestic price cuts.

Gross margin falling to 16.3%: Matches industry estimates for BYD’s automotive segment, which has seen compression due to aggressive discounting.

Overseas sales up 145% YoY: BYD’s international expansion—especially in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America—has been rapid. This growth rate is plausible and supported by export data.

BYD reaching only 45% of its 5.5 million unit sales target by July: This tracks with cumulative delivery figures through mid-year, suggesting a potential shortfall unless H2 volumes accelerate.

Price war triggered by BYD’s cuts across 22 models in May: Confirmed by industry reports and BYD’s own promotional campaigns. Other automakers like Geely and Chery have responded with similar discounts.

CAAM warning of “disorderly competition”: This quote has appeared in official statements and media coverage, reflecting regulatory concern over unsustainable pricing.

Chinese EVs gaining market share in Europe and UK: BYD overtaking Tesla in July 2025 sales in Europe is supported by registration data. Chinese brands now account for ~10% of UK new car sales, with many models priced under £30,000.

August 29, 2025September 12, 2025

Nvidia’s two undisclosed major customers reportedly accounted for 39% of the company’s Q2 revenue

Nvidia revealed in a financial filing (August 2025) that two of its customers accounted for 39% of its revenue in the July 2025 quarter, sparking concerns about the concentration of its client base.

According to the company’s second-quarter filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, ‘Customer A’ accounted for 23% of total revenue, while ‘Customer B’ made up 16%.

Nvidia announced on Wednesday 27th August 2025 that demand for its AI systems remains strong, not only from cloud providers but also from enterprises investing in AI, neoclouds and foreign governments.

August 29, 2025September 12, 2025

Another new high for the S&P 500 as Wall Street keeps on giving

The S&P 500 has notched yet another all-time high, closing at 6501.86 on 28th August 2025

This surge reflects broad investor optimism, driven by strong corporate earnings and expectations of a more accommodative stance from the Federal Reserve.

With tech, healthcare, and financials all contributing to the rally and the indices continued momentum.

Wall Street keeps on giving

Another high for the S&P 500. The index added 0.32% Thursday and closed above the 6,500 level for the first time. Asia-Pacific markets had a mixed performance on Friday 29th August 2025, with Japanese stocks declining as core consumer prices in Tokyo showed slower growth in August.

S&P 500 one-month cart as it hist new all-time high on 28th August 2025

U.S. second-quarter GDP – revised higher than expected. The economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.3%, according to the Commerce Department’s second estimate, surpassing the initial estimate of 3.0% and the Dow Jones consensus forecast of 3.1%.

Two customers made up 39% of Nvidia’s second-quarter revenue. According to Nvidia’s financial filing this week (August 2025), the customers could be either cloud providers or manufacturers, but not much else is known about their identities.

August 28, 2025September 12, 2025

AI In, Jobs Out: The Great Hiring Slowdown

Has BIG tech and AI stopped hiring? Not quite, though the hiring landscape has definitely shifted gears. Here’s the current take…

🧠 AI Hiring: Still Hot, Just More Focused

Private AI firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity are still hiring aggressively, especially for Machine Learning Engineers and Enterprise Sales roles. These two categories alone account for thousands of openings.
Even legacy tech giants like Salesforce are scaling up AI-focused sales teams—Marc Benioff announced 2,000 new hires just to sell AI solutions.
The demand for ML Engineers has splintered into niche specializations like LLM fine-tuning, inference optimisation, and RAG infrastructure, showing how deep the rabbit hole goes.

🖥️ Big Tech: Cooling, Not Collapsing

Across the U.S., software engineering roles dropped from 170,000 in March to under 150,000 by July.
AI job postings fell from 80,000 in February to just over 50,000 in June, though July showed a slight rebound.
Despite the slowdown, AI still makes up 11–15% of all software roles, suggesting it’s a strategic priority even as overall hiring cools.

🌍 Beyond Silicon Valley

States like South Dakota and Connecticut are seeing surprising growth in AI job postings—South Dakota reportedly jumped 164% last month.
The hiring boom is expanding into non-traditional industries, not just Big Tech. Think biotech, retail, and even energy sectors integrating AI.

So while the hiring frenzy of 2023 has mellowed, AI talent remains a hot commodity—just more targeted and strategic.

The general reporting across August 2025 paints a clear picture of slower, more cautious hiring, especially in tech and AI-adjacent roles.

🧊 Hiring Has Cooled—Especially for AI-Exposed Roles

In the UK, tech and finance job listings fell 38%, nearly double the broader market decline.
Entry-level roles and those involving repetitive tasks (like document review or meeting summarisation) are increasingly at risk of automation.
Even in sectors with strong business performance, such as IT and professional services, job opportunities have continued to shrink.

🧠 AI’s Paradox: High Usage, Low Maturity

McKinsey reportedly says that while 80% of large firms use AI, only 1% say their efforts are mature, and just 20% report enterprise-level earnings impact.
Most AI deployments are still horizontal (chatbots, copilots), while vertical use cases (full process automation) remain stuck in pilot mode.

Infographic of AI effect on jobs and hiring

📉 Broader Market Signals

Job adverts have dropped most for occupations most exposed to AI, especially among young graduates.
Despite a slight uptick in hiring intentions in June and July, the overall labour market shows a marked cooling.

So yes, the general tone is one of strategic hesitation—companies are integrating AI but not rushing to hire unless the role is future-proofed.

AI In, Jobs Out: The Great Hiring Slowdown

It’s official: the AI revolution has arrived—but the job listings didn’t get the memo.

Across the UK and U.S., tech hiring has slowed to a cautious crawl. Once-bustling boards now resemble digital ghost towns, especially for roles most exposed to automation.

Software engineering vacancies dropped by over 20% in just four months, while AI-related postings—once the darlings of 2023—have cooled from 80,000 to barely 50,000.

The irony? AI adoption is booming. Over 80% of large firms now deploy some form of artificial intelligence, from chatbots to copilots.

Yet only 1% claim their efforts are ‘mature’, and fewer still report meaningful earnings impact. It’s a paradox: widespread usage, minimal payoff, and a hiring freeze to match.

Even in sectors with strong performance—IT, finance, professional services—the job market is shrinking. Graduates face a particularly frosty reception, as entry-level roles vanish into the algorithmic ether.

Meanwhile, AI firms themselves are hiring with surgical precision: machine learning engineers and enterprise sales reps remain in demand, but the days of blanket recruitment are over.

Geographically, the hiring map is shifting too. South Dakota saw a 164% spike in AI job postings last month, while London and San Francisco quietly tightened their belts.

So, AI isn’t killing jobs—it’s reshaping them. The new roles demand fluency in automation, compliance, and creative problem-solving.

The rest? They’re being quietly retired.

For now, the job market belongs to the adaptable, the analytical, and the algorithmically literate.

Everyone else may need to reboot, eventually, but not quite just yet.

August 28, 2025September 12, 2025

S&P 500 hits new record high — fueled by continued AI optimism and Nvidia anticipation: are we in AI bubble territory?

The S&P 500 closed at a fresh all-time high of 6,481.40, on 27th August 2025, marking a milestone driven largely by investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence and anticipation of Nvidia’s earnings report.

This marks the index’s highest closing level ever, surpassing its previous record from 14th August 2025.

Here’s what powered the rally

🧠 AI Momentum: Nvidia, which now commands over 8% of the S&P 500’s weighting, has become a bellwether for AI-driven growth. Despite closing slightly down ahead of its earnings release, expectations for ‘humongous revenue gains’ kept investor sentiment buoyant.
💻 Tech Surge: Software stocks led the charge, with MongoDB soaring 38% after raising its profit forecast.
🏦 Fed Rate Cut Hopes: Comments from New York Fed President John Williams reportedly hinted at a possible rate cut in September, helping ease bond yields and boost equities.
🔋 Sector Strength: Energy stocks rose 1.15%, leading gains across 8 of the 11 S&P sectors.

S&P 500 at all-time record 27th August 2025

Even with Nvidia’s post-bell dip, the broader market seems to be pricing in sustained AI growth and a more dovish Fed stance.

Are we now in an AI bubble?

Nvidia forward guidance is one of ‘slowing’.

Nvidia forecasts decelerating growth after a two-year AI Boom. A cautious forecast from the world’s most valuable company raises worries that the current rate of investment in AI systems might not be sustainable.

August 22, 2025September 12, 2025

News agent makes the news – WH Smith’s fresh start derails in a fog of accounting mistakes

WH Smith’s attempt to reinvent itself as a sleek, travel-focused retailer has hit turbulence, with a £30 million profit overstatement in its North American division sending shares into a 42% nosedive.

The error, stemming from premature recognition of supplier income, has triggered a full audit review and left investors ‘sobbing into their cornflakes’, as one analyst reportedly put it. Not nice!

The timing couldn’t be worse. Having sold off its UK High Street arm earlier this year, WH Smith was banking on its overseas operations to deliver growth.

Instead, the company now expects just £25 million in North American trading profit—less than half its original forecast.

The reputational damage is compounded by the fact that supplier income, often tied to promotional deals, is notoriously tricky to account for.

WH Smith’s misstep suggests not just a lapse in judgement, but a systemic failure in financial controls.

Table of events

Metric	Details
📊 Profit Overstatement	£30 million
🧾 Cause of Error	Premature recognition of supplier income
🇺🇸 Affected Division	North America
📉 Share Price Impact	42% drop
📉 Revised Profit Forecast	£25 million (down from £54 million)
🕵️‍♂️ Audit Response	Full review initiated by Deloitte
🏪 Strategic Context	WH Smith sold UK High Street arm earlier in 2025
📦 Supplier Income Risk	Often tied to promotional deals; hard to track

This isn’t merely a spreadsheet error—it’s a strategic setback. The retailer’s pivot to travel hubs was meant to offer high-margin stability, buoyed by a captive audience.

But the accounting blunder casts doubt on the robustness of its operational oversight, especially in a market as competitive as the U.S.

With Deloitte now combing through the books, W H Smith faces a long road to restore investor confidence.

For a brand that once prided itself on reliability, this episode is a reminder that even legacy names can falter when ambition outpaces accountability.

W H Smith share price (one-month chart) 21st August 2025

Let’s hope the next chapter isn’t written in red ink.

August 22, 2025September 12, 2025

U.S. zombie companies on the rise!

As BIG tech poaches top AI talent, these companies are stripped to the bone as the tech talent is being hollowed out!

In the race to dominate artificial intelligence, America’s tech giants are vacuuming up talent at an unprecedented pace.

But behind the headlines of billion-dollar acquisitions and flashy AI demos lies a quieter crisis. The creation of ‘zombie companies’ — startups left staggering and soulless after their brightest minds are poached by Big Tech.

These zombie firms aren’t dead, but they’re no longer truly alive either. They continue to operate, maintain websites, and pitch to investors, yet their core innovation engine has stalled. The problem isn’t just brain drain — it’s brain decapitation.

When a startup loses its founding engineers, lead researchers, or visionary product designers to the likes of Google, Meta, or Microsoft, what remains is often a shell with no clear path forward.

The allure is understandable. Big Tech offers salaries that dwarf startup equity, access to massive compute resources, and the prestige of working on frontier models. But the downstream effect is corrosive.

Startups, once the lifeblood of AI experimentation, are now struggling to retain talent long enough to reach product maturity. Some pivot to consultancy, others limp along with outsourced development, and many quietly fold — their IP absorbed, their vision diluted.

This phenomenon is particularly acute in the U.S., where venture capital encourages rapid scaling but rarely protects against talent attrition. The result is a growing class of companies that exist more for optics than output — kept alive by inertia, legacy funding, or the hope of acquisition.

They clutter the innovation landscape, making it harder for truly disruptive ideas to gain traction.

Ironically, Big Tech’s hunger for talent may be undermining the very ecosystem it depends on. By stripping startups of their creative lifeblood, it risks turning the AI sector into a monoculture. This culture is then dominated by a few players, with fewer voices and less diversity of thought.

The solution isn’t simple. It may require new funding models, stronger incentives for retention, or even regulatory scrutiny of talent acquisition practices.

But one thing is clear: if the U.S. wants to remain the global leader in AI, it must find a way to nurture its startups — not just harvest them.

Otherwise, the future of innovation may be haunted by the walking dead.

August 21, 2025September 12, 2025

The bubble that thinks: Sam Altman’s AI paradox

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has never been shy about bold predictions. But his latest remarks strike a curious chord reportedly saying: ‘Yes, we’re in an AI bubble’.

‘And yes, AI is the most important thing to happen in a very long time’. It’s a paradox that feels almost ‘Altmanesque’—equal parts caution and conviction, like a person warning of a storm while building a lighthouse.

Altman’s reported bubble talk isn’t just market-speak. It’s a philosophical hedge against the frothy exuberance that’s gripped Silicon Valley and Wall Street alike.

With AI valuations soaring past dot-com levels, and retail investors piling into AI-branded crypto tokens and meme stocks, the signs of speculative mania are hard to ignore.

Even ChatGPT, OpenAI’s flagship product, boasts 1.5 billion monthly users—but fewer than 1% pay for it. That’s not a business model—it’s a popularity contest.

Yet Altman isn’t calling for a crash. He’s calling for clarity. His point is that bubbles form around kernels of truth—and AI’s kernel is enormous.

From autonomous agents to enterprise integration in law, medicine, and finance, the technology is reshaping workflows faster than regulators can blink.

Microsoft and Nvidia are pouring billions into infrastructure, not because they’re chasing hype, but because they see utility. Real utility.

Still, Altman’s warning is timely. The AI gold rush has spawned a legion of startups with dazzling demos and dismal revenue. This is likely the Dotcom ‘Esque’ reality – many will fail.

Many are burning cash at unsustainable rates, betting on future breakthroughs that may never materialise. Investors, Altman suggests, need to recalibrate—not abandon ship, but stop treating every chatbot as the next Google.

What makes Altman’s stance compelling is its duality. He’s not a doomsayer, nor a blind optimist. He’s a realist who understands that transformative tech often arrives wrapped in irrational exuberance. The internet had its crash before it changed the world. AI may follow suit.

So, is this a bubble? Yes. But it’s a bubble with brains. And if Altman’s lighthouse holds, it might just guide us through the fog—not to safety, but to something truly revolutionary.

In the meantime, investors would do well to remember hype inflates, but only utility sustains.

And Altman, ever the ‘paradoxical prophet’, seems to be betting on both.

August 21, 2025September 12, 2025

FTSE 100 hits new record high!

On 20 August 2025, the FTSE 100 hit a new all-time intraday high of 9,301.19, surpassing its previous records.

It closed the day at 9,288.14, up 1.1%—a strong finish despite hotter-than-expected UK inflation and a tech sell-off dragging down Wall Street.

The rally was driven by gains in heavyweight stocks like AstraZeneca, HSBC, Unilever, BAT, RELX, and Lloyds, plus a standout 5.6% surge from ConvaTec Group following its $300 million buyback announcement

FTSE 100 hits new all-time record on 20th August 2025

Futures witnessed the FTSE 100 touch 9016.