[5 artaigilean madainn an-diugh]Carefully selected news that you should read before starting work

We bring you the latest news that has become a hot topic in the market. Here are five things you should keep in mind to start your day.

davos in the desert

Financial heavyweights attending the Future Investment Initiative (FII) meeting in Saudi Arabia said they were generally optimistic about the US economic outlook, but worried about the relative weakness in European growth. They thought the chances of two more US interest rate cuts this year were low, with most expecting one more. Regarding the presidential election, which has been identified as the main risk to the market, Ken Griffin, CEO of the hedge fund company Citadel, said, “The current forecast is that Donald Trump will win the White House.” Maybe.”

Furthermore, underestimation

Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank Group, said that Nvidia, whose market capitalization exceeded $3 trillion (about 461 trillion yen) thanks to the wave of the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), remains undervalued. “The future is even bigger,” said Mac at the FII. “NVIDIA is just one example,” he said, dismissing the idea that this is an AI bubble. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s AI company xAI is seeking new funding at a valuation of around on $ 40 billion (about 6.14 trillion yen), said a person familiar with the matter.

Strength varies

The Consumer Confidence Index released by the Conference Board, a private US research group, rose faster than market expectations in October, marking the biggest increase since March 2021. Optimism fueled about the overall economy and the labor market index. Meanwhile, the number of job openings in the US decreased in September, hitting the lowest level since January 2021. In addition, the number of layoffs increased to the highest level since January 2023, in line with the slowdown in the labor market.

Much smaller size

Apple has redesigned its compact desktop PC, the Mac mini, for the first time in around 15 years. The width and depth of the main body is reduced to 5 inches (about 12.7 centimeters), and it is equipped with a faster “M4” processor. The new Mac mini is less than half the size of the previous design unveiled by then-CEO Steve Jobs in 2010, and closer to the size of an Apple TV set-top box. Pre-orders will begin on the 29th, and in-store sales will begin on November 8. Prices start at $599 (94,800 yen on the official Japanese website) for the M4.

Russian nuclear exercises

With the US presidential election just a week away, Russian President Vladimir Putin watched strategic nuclear exercises and stressed that the ability of missiles to penetrate air defense systems has improved. “I want to emphasize that we do not intend to engage in a new arms race,” he said, adding that it is important that we have a modern strategic force that is always ready for war. At meanwhile, South Korea has warned that North Korean soldiers and generals sent to Russia to help attack Ukraine appear to be moving to the front line.

Other special news

Points to note at Bank of Japan meeting: More uncertainty due to political turmoil and weak yen, outlook for policy maintenance

Harris will give a speech on the night of the 29th, at the same place where Trump spoke before the Capitol attack.

Nuclear power plants are drawing attention again as AI consumes electricity; major asset management companies want to invest