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US markets drifted slightly lower yesterday, with traders cautious ahead of the Fed's expected quarter-point cut today. The combination of a slowing economy, weak jobs data and slightly above-average inflation, present a challenge for the monetary authorities. Later today, we might hear hawkish forecasts for the rest of the year.

In company news, Google will invest $6.8 billion over two years to boost the UK's AI economy. Elsewhere, Novo Nordisk is chasing US approval for a higher-dose Wegovy to counter Eli Lilly in the growing obesity market. Lastly, Nestle said chairman Paul Bulcke will also step down early after its CEO was fired over a workplace affair.

At the close, the JSE All-share closed up 0.20%, but the S&P 500 fell 0.13%, and the Nasdaq was 0.07% lower. Ho hum.

US markets pushed higher yesterday to close nicely in the green. Strength in the tech sector saw both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 closing at fresh record highs, on top of last week's strong run. Standout performers were Google (+4.5%), Tesla (+3.6%) and Uber (+3.1%).

In company news, CoreWeave signed a $6.3 billion deal with Nvidia to extend its AI-hosting capabilities. Elsewhere, Corteva fell 5.7% after the Wall Street Journal reported that the agriscience company, formed from parts of Dow and DuPont, will split itself up into smaller bits. Lastly, some deal is afoot to allow TikTok to continue operating in the US.

In summary, the JSE All-share closed up 0.21%, the S&P 500 rose 0.47%, and the Nasdaq was a splendid 0.94% higher. This feels good.

Wall Street wrapped up the week quietly, with the S&P 500 hovering near record levels and the Nasdaq closing at a fresh all-time high. Both indices gained over 1% during the week as investors bet that this week's Fed meeting will deliver a quarter-point rate cut to keep the rally rolling.

In company news, Union Pacific's CEO has been in talks with Trump as the company pushes for regulatory approval of its proposed $72 billion takeover of Norfolk Southern. Elsewhere, Exxon Mobil says it has cracked a new form of graphite that could extend EV battery life by up to 30%. Finally, Freeport-McMoRan lost 2.6% because its Grasberg Block Cave copper mine in Indonesia remains shut down following a serious mudslide.

On Friday, the JSE All-share closed up 0.51%, the S&P 500 fell 0.05%, and the Nasdaq was 0.44% higher. Stay long.

US markets rose again yesterday after the final inflation print before next week's Fed meeting cemented expectations of a rate cut. All the major indices climbed, finishing at fresh record highs. CPI data showed US consumer prices rising 2.9% year-on-year in August, a slight acceleration from July's 2.7%, but exactly in line with economists' forecasts.

In company news, Adobe gained 2.6% after-hours due to a strong revenue outlook, signalling that its big AI bet is starting to pay off. Elsewhere, the US Federal Trade Commission turned its attention to AI's impact on kids, ordering Google, Meta, OpenAI, and others to hand over details on how their tech affects young users. Lastly, Opendoor Technologies rocketed nearly 80% as investors cheered the return of its co-founders to the board, alongside a fresh CEO appointment.

Izolo, the JSE All-share closed up 0.33%, the S&P 500 rose 0.85%, and the Nasdaq was 0.72% higher. Sweet moves!

US markets had a strong start yesterday, although gains faded into the close. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq still notched fresh record finishes. Some large caps rose smartly (like Nvidia +3.8%) and others had a rough day (like Amazon -3.3%).

In company news, from next year, Uber riders will be able to book Blade's helicopters and seaplanes straight from the app, expanding its tie-up with Joby Aviation. Elsewhere, Novo Nordisk is trimming 11% of its workforce as it tries to streamline and close the gap with Eli Lilly in the obesity drug market.

At the closing bell, the JSE All-share closed up 0.35%, the S&P 500 rose 0.30%, and the Nasdaq was just 0.03% higher. On we go.

US stocks dropped earlier in the session yesterday, but gathered momentum to end higher. This means that major indices reached fresh record closing highs. One disappointment in the S&P 500 was Apple, which closed down 1.5% despite releasing exciting new products, including the thinnest iPhone ever, and other models with better cameras and longer-lasting batteries.

In company news, Google Cloud revealed it has as much as $106 billion in unfulfilled customer commitments. Finally, Oracle took off (+28.4%) in aftermarket trade, thanks to an impressive cloud-hosting business update.

In summary, the JSE All-share closed up 0.44%, the S&P 500 rose 0.27%, and the Nasdaq was 0.37% higher. Cool.

US markets ticked higher yesterday, clawing back some of Friday's losses. With the upward move, the tech-heavy Nasdaq notched its 21st record close of the year, with all major averages finishing the day in the green.

In company news, Elon Musk's SpaceX struck a $17 billion deal to buy wireless spectrum from EchoStar, that will allow it to provide mobile phone coverage in network dead spots, provided you can see the sky. Elsewhere, Amazon took a stake in Colombian delivery company Rappi, which is one of Latin America's biggest last-mile names. Lastly, Robinhood shot higher (+15.8%) after graduating to the S&P 500 in the upcoming rebalance, joined by AppLovin and Emcor, while MarketAxess, Caesars and Enphase step out.

At the end of the trading day, the JSE All-share closed up 1.22%, the S&P 500 rose 0.21%, and the Nasdaq was 0.45% higher. All good.

US markets closed down on Friday after benchmarks initially hit fresh intraday highs. Traders are now betting on three rate cuts this year, due to very weak jobs data that was published before the opening bell, but revisions to prior month numbers have raised fears that a more significant economic slowdown is on the way.

In company news, Broadcom jumped 9.4% after announcing a partnership with OpenAI to develop AI accelerators. Elsewhere, financial stocks tumbled on the prospect of interest rate cuts, with Charles Schwab down 5.7% and Wells Fargo down 3.5%. Finally, Apple's annual sales in India hit a record $9 billion, underscoring the iPhone maker's growing footprint in the world's biggest consumer market.

On Friday, the JSE All-share closed up 1.09%, but the S&P 500 fell 0.32%, and the Nasdaq was 0.03% lower. Hmm.

Wall Street ended firmly higher yesterday, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq up almost 1%. Attention now shifts to today's jobs report, which will give a clearer read on the Fed's next move. Still, with rate cuts largely priced into the rally, markets seem confident the trend is in their favour.

In company news, Broadcom popped 4.6% in late trading after delivering strong results and upbeat guidance. Elsewhere, Lululemon downward dogged 15.7% as its latest earnings showed that the yoga wear darling is struggling to escape a sales slump. Lastly, Tesla made headlines by opening its robotaxi app to the general public, hinting that the much-hyped autonomous service could soon expand beyond its early testers in Austin.

Izolo, the JSE All-share closed down 1.07%, the S&P 500 rose 0.83%, and the Nasdaq was 0.98% higher.

US markets finished higher yesterday, with big tech stocks doing the heavy lifting. Thanks to that favourable court outcome, Google jumped 9% and Apple climbed 3.8%. Not everything sparkled though: oil prices slipped on chatter that OPEC and allies may raise output again, sending energy shares down 2.3% to the bottom of the S&P 500's sector rankings.

In company news, ServiceNow is dangling discounts of up to 70% for federal agencies in the hope of speeding up AI adoption across government departments. Elsewhere, Pfizer felt the need to step in and defend its Covid-19 vaccine research after President Trump suggested on social media that drugmakers might be "sitting on information". Finally, NuScale Power jumped 8.5% on news of a deal to develop several modular nuclear reactors for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

At the close, the JSE All-share was up 0.34%, the S&P 500 rose 0.51%, and the Nasdaq was a full 1.02% higher. Nice one!

US markets started the new month on a negative note, but the S&P 500 recovered a bit as the afternoon wore on. We remain close to record highs, but there are some jitters about slowing economic growth, tariff uncertainty, a weakening jobs market and President Trump's bullying of the Federal Reserve.

In company news, Google shares rose 7.1% after hours, when a US judge ruled that they won't be forced to sell their Chrome browser, or terminate the sweetheart deal to be the default search app on Apple iPhones. Elsewhere, McDonald's said it would bring back its Extra Value Meals, and shares rose 1.3% on the news.

In summary, the JSE All-share closed down 0.72%, the S&P 500 fell 0.69%, and the Nasdaq was 0.89% lower. Sloppy.

Yesterday was a quiet one on global markets, as the US was out of action for the Labor Day holiday. Equity futures are edging higher this morning, as traders trickle back to work after their summer break.

In company news, OpenAI is looking to plant a big flag in Asia, with plans for a massive new data centre in India. In Italy, Banca Monte dei Paschi is pressing on with its takeover push for Mediobanca, launching a EUR15.5 billion all-share bid that aims to secure a controlling 51% stake. Finally, Nestle has fired its CEO over an affair with a senior colleague. Chocolates weren't the only temptation in the office it seems; what a crazy way to end a corporate career. The head of its Nespresso unit will take over.

After a dull day, the JSE All-share closed up 0.06%. That's it.

US markets had a tough day on Friday, ending deep in the red. The late-week sell off couldn't spoil August's gains, with the S&P 500 up 1.9% for the month after hitting five new intra-month records. That was the fourth straight monthly advance, which is pleasing.

In company news, heavy machinery maker Caterpillar fell 3.7% after moaning that tariffs will cost them up to $1.8 billion this year. Elsewhere, Celsius rose 5.3% after PepsiCo said it is increasing its stake in the energy drink maker. Finally, Super Micro Computer dropped 5.5% as it warned of weaknesses in its financial reporting controls, saying unresolved issues could affect its ability to deliver results accurately and on time. Stay away from that turd.

On Friday, the JSE All-share closed down a tiny 0.02%, the S&P 500 fell 0.64%, and the Nasdaq was 1.15% lower. Sad and disappointing.

US markets extended their rally yesterday with the S&P 500 closing above 6 500 points for the first time. Revised GDP data showed the US economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter, expanding at an annualised rate of 3.3%. The rally would probably have been even more impressive if it were not for concerns about inflation. There will be a fresh read on that out today.

In company news, Dell dropped 5.3% after-hours despite good numbers on solid AI server demand. Elsewhere, cloud-based data storage company Snowflake jumped 23% after reporting predictably strong sales momentum. Finally, bowling chain operator Lucky Strike Entertainment got clattered (down 1.5%) after a weak business update.

Izolo, the JSE All-share closed down 0.14%, but the S&P 500 rose 0.32%, and the Nasdaq was 0.53% higher. More records, very nice!

US markets traded well again yesterday. The S&P 500 logged its 19th record high close of 2025 and extended gains to over 10% year-to-date. Large-cap stocks were muted, but global politics remained messy, with governments misbehaving or falling apart in the USA, France and the Netherlands. It never ends.

In company news, Nvidia reported strong second quarter results after the closing bell, and noted good progress on its next chip update called Rubin. They also unveiled a $60 billion buyback, but shares slipped 3.1% on a slightly muted sales forecast and confusion about its business in China. Elsewhere, CrowdStrike fell 4.2% in late trading after forecasting sales slightly below estimates as it works to move past last year's costly global outage.

At the end of the day, the JSE All-share closed down 0.42%, but the S&P 500 rose 0.24%, and the Nasdaq was 0.21% higher. That's acceptable.