A daily bulletin featuring an overnight sharemarket summary and economic news from across the globe, broadcast in the Morgans studio before the Australian stock market opens each morning.

Morgans AM: Your pre-market briefing

Michael Knox, Morgans Chief Economist

Morgans Business Breakfasts

Managing Director and Founder, Mr Adam Bloomer, and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Jessica North from LGI Ltd, presented at our latest Morgans Business Breakfast.

Offering a full suite of services, LGI Limited are a renewable energy and carbon abatement company who specialises in the capture and beneficial use of biogas from landfills.

During the breakfast, LGI Limited shared informative discussions around green energy and the future trajectory of carbon credits.

Morgans clients can read the company coverage here - https://bit.ly/3Quzmj7

Check out more from Morgans:

Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au
Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia
On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

Dr Jessica North, CEO and Adam Bloomer, MD of LGI Ltd (ASX:LGI) | Morgans Business Breakfast

Mr Jason Huljich, Joint CEO of Centuria Capital Group (ASX:CNI) presented at last month's Morgans Business Breakfast. Centuria Industrial REIT (CIP) is Australia's largest ASX listed income focused industrial vehicle and is included in the S&P/ASX200 index. CIP owns a portfolio of industrial properties in key metropolitan locations throughout Australia. The portfolio is currently valued at +$3.8bn with a weighted average lease expiry of +7 years.

Check out more from Morgans:

Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au
Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia
On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

Jason Huljich, Joint CEO of Centuria Capital Group (ASX:CNI) | Morgans Business Breakfast

Noja Power Group Managing Director Neil O'Sullivan recently spoke at the December, 2024 Morgans Business Breakfast. Founded in 2002, NOJA Power is a world leading manufacturer in Medium Voltage Electrical Equipment. The company has installations of more than 92,000 NOJA Power OSM Series automatic circuit reclosers in over 104 countries worldwide.

Find out more about Noja Power: https://www.nojapower.com.au/

Check out more from Morgans:

Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au
Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia
On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

Neil O'Sullivan, Group Managing Director of Noja Power | Morgans Business Breakfast

Thank you Mr Malcolm Deane, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of ALS, for presenting at our latest Morgans Business Breakfast.

ALS's analytical testing origins date back to 1976 in Brisbane, with the establishment of a small geochemistry laboratory. Since then, ALS has expanded its services to cover a wide range of industrial and consumer facing industries, servicing over 50 countries through 300 locations worldwide.

Check out more from Morgans:

Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au
Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia
On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

Malcolm Deane, Chief Executive Officer of ALS Limited (ASX:ALQ) | Morgans Business Breakfast

Morgans Chief Economist Michael Knox gives an update on the Fed Funds and the RBA Cash Rate. 

Check out more from Morgans:

Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au
Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia
On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

Still Room For FED Rate Cuts | Michael Knox, Morgans Chief Economist

A slowing economy and rising unemployment pushes down interest rates.

Check out more from Morgans:

Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au
Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia
On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

Australia Needs Higher Unemployment to Push Down Rates | Michael Knox, Morgans Chief Economist

Our Model of US GDP says steady growth just below trend. Just where the Fed needs it to keep US Inflation falling.

Check out more from Morgans:

Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au
Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia
On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

US GROWTH – Just where the Fed Needs It | Michael Knox, Morgans Chief Economist

Morgans Chief Economist Michael Knox says that though the FED are easing quantitative tightening, US consumer demand is still too healthy to allow rate cuts.

Check out more from Morgans:

Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au
Check out our blog: www.morgans.com.au/Blog

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia
On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

FED Eases Quantitative Tightening | Michael Knox, Morgans Chief Economist

Morgans Chief Economist Michael Knox says that for the RBA to get inflation down to 2.5%, unemployment must rise above 4.5% in Australia.

Check out more from Morgans:

Visit the Morgans website: www.morgans.com.au
Check out our latest articles: https://morgans.com.au/insights

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorgansAU
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/Morgans.Australia
On Twitter: twitter.com/MorgansAU

Why RBA Rate Cuts Must Wait | Michael Knox, Morgans Chief Economist

Stephen Young, Executive Director and Managing Director of Tasmea (ASX:TEA) recently spoke at the May 2024 Morgans Business Breakfast. TEA is a skilled services group consisting of eighteen wholly integrated subsidiaries. Tasmea provide essential maintenance, engineering, specialised project services and solutions across the following service streams: mining & resources, oil & gas, waste & water, power & renewable energy and defence & infrastructure industries. 

These 18 businesses comprise the Tasmea Group, which collectively provides specialist maintenance services including essential shutdown, programmed maintenance, emergency breakdown and sustaining capital upgrade services to asset and infrastructure owners of fixed plant operating in essential Australian industries.

Stephen Young, Managing Director of Tasmea (ASX:TEA) | Morgans Business Breakfast

•	US equity markets settled with modest gains, boosted by a late rally among large capitalisation technology names and shrugging off some weaker-than-expected consumer confidence data Dow inched +4-points higher. ‘Magnificent Seven’ members Amazon.com Inc (up +1.21%) and Apple Inc  (+1.37%), investment banks Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+1.01%) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (+1.24%) and Walt Disney Co (+1.43%) all climbed over >1%. Merck & Co fell -4.81% after the company announced a US$2B commitment for Oral Lipid-Lowering Drug from Chinese Biotech Jiangsu Hengrui.

Morgans AM - Wednesday, 26 March 2025

In this insightful interview, Michael Knox, Chief Economist at Morgans, discusses Australia's growing debt and current account deficit, as outlined in the 2025 federal budget. With projections showing a significant increase in debt over the next few years, Michael explores the implications for future generations and whether the government's economic strategies are sustainable. He also reflects on historical warnings from former Prime Minister Paul Keating about the risk of becoming a "banana republic." Tune in for a deep dive into Australia's financial outlook and the challenges ahead.

Michael Knox - The Federal Budget Fallout (ABC Radio)

The US stock market fell for the second day in a row on Thursday after trading sideways for most of the session. Traders remained cautious ahead of Friday’s release of the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge.  
Dow fell -155-points to trade below 42,300 points. Shares of Goldman Sachs (-2.61%), 3M co (-2.78%) and NIVIDIA (-2.05%) each contributing to the decline, falling over >2.00%. 


Morgans AM - Friday, 28 March 2025

The US stock market fell for the third day in a row on Friday – the 2nd worst day for US equities in 2025 due to tariffs expected this week and hotter than anticipated inflation numbers.

Morgans AM - Monday 31 March 2025

The US stock market was mixed overnight.  
The Dow closed up 1% to 42,001 points. 


Morgans AM - Tuesday, 1 April 2025

The US stock was mixed overnight.  
The Dow closed mostly flat, down -0.03% to 41,989 points.  
Nike was the top performer, up 2.02%. While pharma companies were all sold off, with the three worst performing stocks including Johnson & Johnson down -7.59%, Merck down -2.94%, and Amgen down -1.49%. Johnson & Johnson has just had a federal judge reject a $10b class action settlement over cancer claims relating to its baby powder. 


Morgans AM - Wednesday, 2 April 2025

The US stock market turned up late overnight, as investors await Trumps so called “Liberation Day” tariffs. However, since the announcement the markets have dropped in aftermarket trading, with the Dow futures down -1.8%, S&P500 futures down > -3%, and the Nasdaq futures down > -4%. So far Trump has promised a minimum 10% tariff on all countries, with larger tariffs on certain countries and industries. So far the major tariffs are 34% on China, 20% on the EU, 26% on India, and 10% on Australia and the UK.

Morgans AM - Thursday, 3 April 2025


US markets tumbled overnight as fears around a potential recession pick up. The US markets appearing to be the biggest losers after the tariff announcement.  


Morgans AM - Friday, 4 April 2025

Friday (4 April) marked another brutal session for US equity markets as China responded in kind to the Trump administration’s tariff measures and further fanned recession fears - Dow dropped -2,231-points or -5.50% , with Boeing Co (down -9.49%) and 3M Co (-9.18%) both fell over >9% to lead all 30-index components lower with the exception of Nike Inc (up +3%). The latter was buoyed by a friendly social-media post from President Trump about Vietnam, a country Nike relies on heavily to manufacture their products. 

China’s finance ministry announced its own 34% tariff on all US imports, effective 10 April. The levy matches the 34% import duty the White House said it would impose on Chinese products slated to go into effect no later than 9 April. Beijing said Trump's tariffs were "inconsistent with international trade rules, seriously undermines China's legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice." In addition to the tariffs, China imposed export bans on select rare earth materials and added two US drone manufacturers to its "unreliable entities" list, effectively restricting their access to Chinese components. It also expanded its “unreliable entity list” by 11 American companies and launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of medical CT tubes from the U.S. and India.



Morgans AM - Monday, 7 April 2025

Michael Knox, Morgans Chief Economist discusses why Trumps moves make sense and how Albanese has been poorly briefed on the matter. Listen in to hear his insights

Why We Misunderstand Trumps Tariffs - Michael Knox (ABC Radio)

US equity markets retreated, handing back a portion of the huge gains logged in the previous session’s near record breaking rebound. Losses accelerated after the White House confirmed that the cumulative tariff rate on China would actually total 145% (consisting of the new 125% duty on goods, on top of the 20% rate levied in response to the fentanyl crisis), overshadowing cooler-than-expected inflation figures. 



Morgans AM - Friday, 11 April 2025

US equity markets advanced as investors digested another busy slate of information including the latest developments in a trade war with China, earnings reports from major banks and economic data - Dow rose +619-points or +1.56%, with the 30-stock index trading in an 1,150 point range after swinging more than >2,000 points between its high and low for the day in each of the preceding four (4) trading sessions.  Apple Inc (up +4.06%) was the leading Dow component on Friday (11 April) amid growing optimism the iPhone maker could win an exemption from the Trump administration’s tariffs. Nvidia Corp, which outsources manufacturing to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Ltd (up +3.94% on the New York Stock Exchange), gained +3.12% after the China Semiconductor Industry Association said chips made by U.S. firms with outsourced manufacturing operations would not be subject to tariffs on U.S. goods. Meta Platforms Inc (up +7.7%) and the Federal Trade Commission face off tonight AEST over antitrust allegations which could force the social media giant to unwind its acquisition of messaging platform WhatsApp and photo-sharing app Instagram. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg is expected to appear in the witness stand.

Morgans AM - Monday, 14 April 2025

US equity markets advanced after another choppy session following another flurry of tariff-related headlines, but settled well off their session highs - Dow rose +312-points or +0.78% to 40,524.79. Apple Inc rose +2.21%, paring an earlier gain of as much as +7.5% after the US administration that some consumer electronics and computer hardware would be exempt from the reciprocal 125% trade tariffs placed on China. Nvidia Corp (down -0.20%) said it would for the first time make artificial-intelligence (AI) supercomputers entirely in the United States. Nvidia said it expects to produce up to US$500B in AI infrastructure in the U.S. with its partners within the next four years.

Morgans AM - Tuesday, 15 April 2025

US equity markets tumbled as investors digested news of U.S. restrictions on chip exports to China and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's latest assessment of the economy - Dow dropped -700 or -1.73% Nvidia Corp -6.87%  after disclosing in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after the close of the previous session that sales of its H20 chips to China would require licenses from the Department of Commerce “for the indefinite future”. The chipmaker said it would record charges in its fiscal first quarter of up to US$5.5B for inventory and cancelled sales.

Morgans AM - Thursday, 17 April 2025

US equity markets resumed trading following the Good Friday holiday with steep losses, with the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ cohort of large capitalisation technology stocks under particular pressure - Dow shed -972-points or -2.48%, extending its decline into a fourth consecutive session. UnitedHealth Group Inc (down -6.34%) was the worst performing Dow component overnight, extending the health insurer’s two-day decline to -27.3% - the stock’s worst two-day performance since 7 August, 1998 – after releasing its first quarter result last Thursday (17 April) and lowering its annual profit forecast on expectations of high medical costs for the rest of the year.   Nvidia Corp lost -4.51% after Reuters reported that Huawei Technologies planned to begin mass shipments of an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chip to customers in China as early as next month. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday (21 April), following a meeting with Chinese leaders in Beijing last Thursday (17 April). Nike Inc (up +0.65%) was the only Dow component to advance overnight. 

Morgans AM - Tuesday, 22 April 2025

US equity markets rebounded strongly, more than recouping the previous session’s sharp declines as investors digested a busy corporate earnings calendar and comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent  - Dow rose +1,017-points or +2.66%, with all 30 index components advancing.  Nvidia Corp +2.04% after Amazon.com Inc (+3.50%) pushed back against reports that it was pulling back on building artificial-intelligence (AI) infrastructure. “This is routine capacity management, and there haven’t been any recent fundamental changes in our expansion plans,” wrote Kevin Miller, vice president of global data centres (DC) at Amazon Web Services (AWS), in a post on LinkedIn late Monday (21 April) in response to reports that the Cloud business delayed several new DC leases. Boeing Co rose +2.00% after the aerospace company agreed to sell portions of its Digital Aviation Solutions business to private-equity firm Thoma Bravo in a deal worth US$10.55B.

Morgans AM - Wednesday, 23 April 2025

US equity markets advanced, consolidating the strong gains recorded in the previous session and lifting the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to their highest settlements since 15 April as investors continued to cheer a cooling President’s rhetoric around tariffs and his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell- Dow rose +420-points or +1.07% to 39,606.57, paring an earlier rally of as much as 1,189-points that lifted the index to 40,376.11. Amazon.com Inc (up +4.28%) and Nvidia Corp (+3.86%) both gained ~4%. 

Morgans AM - Thursday, 24 April 2025

US equity markets extended their strong rebound into a fourth consecutive session on Friday (25 April), lifting the S&P and Nasdaq to their highest settlements since 2 April (the day the Trump administration unveiled sweeping tariffs on America's trading partners) – Dow edged +20-points or +0.05% higher after climbing +487-points or +1.23% last Thursday (24 April).   Nvidia Corp (up +4.30%) was the leading performer in the 30-stock index. Merck & Co Inc rose +3.63% a day after the pharmaceutical major delivered better-than-expected first-quarter financial result, with EPS of US$2.22 (versus consensus US$2.13) and revenue of US$15.5B (versus consensus US$15.4B) topping consensus analysts forecasts. The pharmaceutical major slightly lowered its earnings forecast for 2025 to account for a US$200M upfront payment to Hengrui Pharma in a licensing deal, now projecting non-GAAP EPS of between US$8.82 and US$8.97 (down from a range of between US$8.88 and US$9.03 previously).

Morgans AM - Monday, 28 April 2025

The Dow and S&P 500 extended their rally into a sixth consecutive session after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration has negotiated its first trade deal with an unnamed country  - Dow rose +300-points or +0.75%, logging its longest winning streak since the period ended 17 July, 2024. Amazon.com Inc slipped -0.17%, recovering from an earlier decline of more than >2%, after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the company's reported plan to highlight the impact of tariffs in its pricing a "hostile and political act." Amazon later said such a plan "was never approved and is not going to happen."

Morgans AM - Wednesday, 30 April 2025

•	A late rally lifted the Dow and S&P 500 into positive territory for a seventh consecutive session to cap a very volatile month, erasing earlier declines that followed data recording that the US economy contracted for the first time in three years in the first quarter - Dow rose +142-points or +0.35%, recovering from an earlier slide of more than >780-points.  Verizon Communications Inc (up +2.58%) and Chevron Corp (down -2.33%)  were the best and worst performers respectively in the 30-stock index overnight

Morgans AM - Thursday, 01 May 2025

US equity markets made a positive start to May, with the Dow and S&P 500 extending their rally into an eighth consecutive session amid fresh gains for megacap technology stocks - Dow added +84-points or +0.21% Microsoft Corp +7.63% was the leading performer in the 30-stock index the technology giant reported better-than-expected third-quarter financials after the close of the previous session amid soaring cloud demand. Nvidia Corp rose +2.47% investors welcomed the news that Microsoft and Meta Platforms Inc expect to continue investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI)  infrastructure

Morgans AM - Friday, 2 May 2025

US equity markets advanced to cap as investors reacted to strong monthly employment data and news that China is evaluating the possibility of trade talks with the U.S. - Dow rose +564-points or +1.39% to 41,317.43. American Express Co (up +3.09%), 3M Co (+3.03%) and Nike Inc (+3.22%) all climbed over >3%. Nvidia Corp rose +2.59% a report in The Information that the artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker is working to design semiconductors to sell in China that would comply with U.S. trade restrictions. Microsoft Corp rallied +2.32%, lifting its market capitalisation to ~US$3.235 trillion and pushed passed Apple Inc (down 3.74%, market capitalisation ~US$3.067 trillion) to become the largest company in the U.S. by market capitalisation as investors responded to the latest quarterly results from the technology giants last week. Apple CEO Tim Cook said Trump administration tariffs could cost the iPhone maker US$900M this quarter. Meanwhile, Microsoft closes Skype tonight AEST, the pioneering video-calling service it acquired for US$8.5B 14 years ago.  

Morgans AM - Monday, 5 May 2025

US equity markets advanced - Dow eased -99-points or -0.24%, paring an earlier decline of over >250-points.  Microsoft Corp (up +0.2%) extended the gap over Apple Inc (down -3.15%) as the largest company in the U.S. by market capitalisation

Morgans AM - Tuesday, 6 May 2025

US equity markets advanced after a choppy session as investors digested the latest corporate earnings releases and the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision and soundbites from President Trump on tariffs and trade restrictions - Dow rose +285-points or +0.70%. Nvidia Corp (+3.10%) and the broader chip sector got a boost late in the session after Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration plans to rescind Biden-era AI chip curbs as part of a broader effort to revise semiconductor trade restrictions.

Morgans AM - Thursday, 8 May 2025

US equity markets advanced but settled well off their session highs, with investor sentiment buoyed a new trade agreement forged between the United States and Britain, while President Trump indicated upcoming talks with China would be “very substantive” and, if productive, could lead to tariff reductions - Dow rose +254-points or +0.62% to 41,368.48, just failing to exit official correction territory.  Boeing Co rallied +3.31% and was the leading performer in the 30-stock index after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the UK would buy US$10B of aircraft from the aerospace company. Walt Disney Co +2.97% a day after the entertainment giant posted a stronger-than-expected adjusted earnings per share (EPS) and revenue and unveiled a plan to build a theme park in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 



Morgans AM - Friday, 9 May 2025

US equity markets advanced as investors digested a cooler-than-expected inflation report that revived hopes of interest rate cuts later this year - Dow fell -270-points or -0.64%. UnitedHealth Group Inc slumped -17.79%, alone wiping ~410-points off the 30-stock index after the insurance giant withdrew its full-year outlook and announced the surprise exit of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Witty after four years in the role. The withdrawal of the 2025 outlook comes less than a month after the company slashed its 2025 guidance, saying costs rose as Medicare Advantage care activity had increased at twice the expected rate. Nvidia Corp rallied +5.63% and climbed back above the US$3 trillion level in market capitalisation terms for the first time since February, buoyed by a Bloomberg report that President Trump is planning to unveil a deal that would afford Saudi Arabia more access to advanced chips manufactured by the company and the likes of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Inc (+4.01%). To deal with the U.S.’s national security concerns, the U.S. and Saudi governments have reportedly discussed creating data embassies, where data centres will fall under foreign regulations rather than local laws around data protection. Meanwhile, Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang announced a deal to deploy 18,000 chips with newly launched Saudi AI firm Humain for a data centre that is expected to reach 500 megawatts. AMD also announced a US$10B partnership with the artificial intelligence (AI) company to build out its AI infrastructure over the next five years. Boeing Co rose +2.46% following reports that China had lifted its ban on deliveries of US-made aircraft.

Morgans AM - Wednesday, 14 May 2025

•	US equity markets advanced - Dow slipped -89-points or -0.21%, with Merck & Company Inc down -4.12% was the worst performer in the 30-stock index. UnitedHealth Group Inc dropped over >7% in extended trading (after sliding -1.08% in regular trading) after the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Justice Department is investigating the insurer for potential criminal fraud in its Medicare Advantage business.   Nvidia Corp logged a third consecutive session of gains (up +4.16%), climbing over >15% over that stretch and seeing the chipmaker become the third member of the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ cohort of large capitalisation stocks to move back into positive territory for the calendar year-to-date – joining fellow Dow component Microsoft Corp (+0.85%) and Meta Platforms Inc (+0.51%). Nvidia also saw its market capitalisation climb back above the US$3 trillion level for the first time since February a day earlier. Boeing Co (up +0.64%) inked a record-breaking order with Qatar Airways that will see the Middle East airline buy up to 210 jets from the US aerospace giant, marking Boeing’s largest ever order of widebody aircraft. Qatar Airways also signed an agreement with GE Aerospace (+0.75%) for more than >400 engines to power the Boeing planes

Morgans AM - Thursday, 15 May 2025

US equity markets advanced - Dow rose +272-points or +0.65%. Cisco Systems Inc rallied +4.85% and was the leading performer in the 30-stock index overnight after the networking company reported earnings per share (EPS) and revenue that topped consensus analysts’ forecasts for the fiscal third quarter after the close of the previous session. UnitedHealth Group dropped -10.93% following a report from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published after the close of the previous session that said the Justice Department was investigating the insurer for possible Medicare fraud. UnitedHealth said in a statement it hadn’t been notified by the Justice Department of the criminal investigation, adding that it stands “by the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program.” Apple Inc eased -0.47% after President Trump chided the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook, saying he wanted the iPhone maker to build more of its devices in the U.S. and not in India. “I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. I said to him, Tim, you’re my friend. I treated you very good. You’re coming here with $500 billion but now here you are building all over India,” President Trump said in Qatar.

Morgans AM - Friday, 16 May 2025

US equity markets advanced on Friday (16 May) to cap a strong week and despite news Moody Ratings had downgraded the US’s highest investment grade position - Dow rose +332-points or +0.78% to 42,654.74, moving into positive territory for 2025.  UnitedHealth Group Inc rebounded +6.40%, clawing back some of the heavy losses posted in the prior session amid reports that the insurer's Medicare Advantage business was the subject of a criminal probe. News of the investigation came on the heels of the insurance giant withdrawing its full-year guidance and announcing the departure of its CEO. Nvidia Corp added +0.42% ahead of CEO Jensen Huang taking the stage on Sunday (18 May) at Computex, an annual technology trade show, with this year’s theme - “AI Next” - focused squarely on the emerging technology that has lately powered growth in the company's business. Microsoft Corp after offering a series of new concessions to the European Commission (EC) in a bid to settle a long-running antitrust investigation into the bundling of its Teams communications app with Office 365. Its proposal reportedly included unbundling Teams from its Office and Microsoft 365 software suites, offering those products at a lower price without Teams, and enhancing interoperability for rival services.

Morgans AM - Monday, 19 May 2025

US equity markets advanced, reversing earlier losses as investors digested Moody Ratings’ decision after the close of trading last Friday (16 May) to downgrade the U.S.’s credit rating to Aa1 from Aaa - Dow rose +137-points or +0.32%, recovering from an earlier decline of -317-points. UnitedHealth Group Inc (up +8.21%) was the leading Dow component for a second straight session, continuing to rebound from steep losses last week that saw the stock fall over >20% and hit 5-year low last Thursday (15 May). The insurer disclosed after Friday's (16 May) close that new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stephen Hemsley spent US$25M to buy 86,700 shares, to bring his direct ownership to nearly 680K shares. And Chief Financial Officer (CFO) John Rex invested US$5M to buy 17,175 shares, to bring his direct ownership to a ~204K shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co (down -1.00%) after the investment bank hosted its annual investor day, reiterating its key financial guidance. JPMorgan maintained its forecast for full-year net interest income (NII) at ~US$94.5B, including US$90B excluding markets, and projected expenses to hold steady at ~US$95B. The bank also reaffirmed its 17% return on tangible common equity (ROTCE) target. Meanwhile, CEO chief Jamie Dimon warned against complacency in the face of a slew of risks, citing everything from inflation and credit spreads to geopolitics.

Morgans AM - Tuesday, 20 May 2025

US equity markets advanced and remained on track to book a third straight weekly gain as investors awaited more signs of progress on trade negotiations and responded to fresh economic data - Dow added +102-points or +0.24% Boeing Co -4.79% after an Air India 787-8 Dreamliner jet crashed minutes after taking off in India's western city of Ahmedabad, killing more than 200 people.

Morgans AM - Friday, 13 June 2025

US equity markets retreated on Friday (13 June) after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran and its nuclear facilities, pushing oil prices sharply higher - Dow dropped -770-points or -1.79% Sherwin-Williams Co -5.7% was the worst performer in the 30-stock index, with analysts at Citigroup cutting their recommendation on the stock to "neutral" from "buy," indicating that the persistence of high mortgage rates and softness in the housing market could weigh on the paint distributor's performance in the near term. Visa Inc fell -4.99% and American Express Co -3.42% after a report in The Wall Street Journal indicated that Walmart Inc (-0.41) and Amazon.com Inc (-0.53%) are considering issuing their own stablecoins, a move that could help the retail giants sidestep the interchange fees charged by credit-card providers. Nike Inc (-3.61%) and Salesforce Inc (-3.19%) also fell over >3%. 

Morgans AM - Monday, 16 June 2025

US equity markets rebounded amid reports that Iran is willing to negotiate over its nuclear program in an effort to contain the conflict with Israel - Dow rose +317-points or +0.75%, with American Express Co (+2.23%), Cisco Systems Inc (+2.22%), investment banks Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+2.33%) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (+2.04%), Nike Inc (+2.26%), and Salesforce Inc (+2.12%) Microsoft Corp +0.88% touched a record all-time intra-day high of US$480.69



Morgans AM - Tuesday, 17 June 2025

US equity markets fell as the Israel-Iran conflict continued to dominate investor sentiment and drive volatility and a fresh spike in oil prices - Dow lost -299-points or -0.70%. Merck & Co Inc (down -3.31%) and Nike Inc (-3.07%) both fell over >3%. Amazon.com Inc (down -0.59%) said its Prime Day discount event for Prime members next month will extend to four days (8 July-11 July).

Morgans AM - Wednesday, 18 June 2025

Morgans AM - Thursday, 19 June 2025

US equity and bond markets were CLOSED overnight.

In US corporate earnings, global professional services company Accenture, used car retailer CarMax Inc, Darden Restaurants and supermarket group Kroger Co report quarterly results on Friday night AEST (20 June). 


Morgans AM - Friday, 20 June 2025

US equity markets resumed trading following the Juneteenth National Independence Day holiday, with investors’ attention remaining keenly focussed on developments in the Middle East - Dow inched +35-points or +0.08% higher. Apple Inc rose +2.25% to be the leading performer in the 30-stock index and buck a weaker trend among the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’, with reports emerging executives have held internal talks about potentially bidding for artificial intelligence (AI) startup Perplexity AI. If regulators order Apple to end its partnership with Google, purchasing Perplexity would make it easier for the company to develop an AI-based search engine. The Bloomberg report came after CNBC confirmed on Friday (20 June) that Meta Platforms Inc (down -1.93%) approached Perplexity AI about a potential takeover bid before ultimately investing $14.3B into Scale AI. Microsoft Corp eased -0.59% to US$477.40 after touching a fresh record intra-day high (US$483.46). Amazon.com Inc lost -1.33% after the news that the UK's Groceries Code Adjudicator has opened a formal investigation over concerns that the retail giant may have breached rules requiring timely payments to suppliers.

Morgans AM - Monday, 23 June 2025

US markets were stronger overnight, as investors shrugged off Iran’s missile attacks on two US military bases in Qatar and Iraq. The view being it is an indication of Iran’s inability or unwillingness to engage in a wider conflict. The Dow rose 0.89% to 42,581.78. Paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams was the top performer of the 30-stock index, rising 3.1%. 


Morgans AM - Tuesday, 24 June 2025

US equity markets rallied and oil prices tumbled for a second consecutive session as investors welcomed news of a fragile cease-fire agreement between Iran and Israel - Dow rose +507-points or +1.19% to 43,089.02, with six of the index’s components logging gains of over >2%. American Express Co (up +2.92%), Salesforce Inc (+2.95%) and Nvidia Corp (+2.59%) gained over >2.5%. International Business Machines (IBM) Corp (1.59%) and Microsoft Corp (+0.85%) hit record highs.

Morgans AM - Wednesday, 25 June 2025

US equity markets settled narrowly mixed  - Dow eased -107-points or -0.25%, with McDonald’s Corp (down -2.03%) the worst performer in the 30-stock index overnight. Nvidia Corp climbed +4.33% to a record closing high of US$154.31. It marked the chipmaker’s first record close since January, lifting Nvidia’s market capitalisation to US$3.77 trillion to reclaim the title as the world’s most valuable company by market capitalisation from one of its main customers Microsoft Corp (+0.44% to US$492.27, marking the 12th record close in 17 June trading sessions). Nvidia hosted its annual shareholder meeting overnight, with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang identifying robotics as the company’s biggest market for potential growth outside of artificial intelligence (AI) and noting that self-driving cars would be the first major commercial application for the technology. “We have many growth opportunities across our company, with AI and robotics the two largest, representing a multitrillion-dollar growth opportunity,” Mr Huang said. International Business Machines (IBM) Corp fell -0.93% after touching a fresh record intra-day high (US$296.16) earlier in the session.

Morgans AM: Thursday 26 June 2025

Morgans is Australia's largest national full-service retail stockbroking and wealth management network with more than 240,000 client accounts, 500 authorised representatives and 950 employees operating from offices across all states and territories in Australia.

Morgans Financial Limited

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks