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US markets closed up in a shortened session on Friday, with the S&P 500 hitting fresh record highs. November was exceptional for the index, the gain of 5.7% was the best of 2024, bringing year-to-date returns to 27%. US equities attracted $141 billion in inflows over the past four weeks.

In company news, Amazon is stepping up its chip game, developing in-house processors to reduce dependence on industry giants like Nvidia and AMD. Elsewhere, Nissan shares edged higher after news that CFO Stephen Ma will step down. The stock rose 1% in early trading but remains down nearly 35% year-to-date.

On Friday, the JSE All-share was down 0.33%, but the S&P 500 rose 0.56%, and the Nasdaq was 0.83% higher. Good, good.

US markets were closed yesterday for the Thanksgiving public holiday. In Europe, stocks rebounded after two days of losses, led by tech gains on hopes that US restrictions on chip sales to China might be less severe than anticipated. Semiconductor stocks like ASML (+2.4%), VAT Group (+1.1%), and Aixtron (+0.71%) were among the top performers.

In company news, Direct Line Insurance shares soared up to 45% after the company turned down a GBP3.3 billion takeover offer from Aviva. Elsewhere, Amazon reported strong signups for their Prime Video streaming service, because of the scheduled NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.

Here in Joburg, the JSE All-share was down 0.37%. That's it.

US markets closed lower last night as a mild tech sell-off ended a seven-day rally. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend in America has started, so airports were busy yesterday but trading desks were deserted and volumes were low.

The S&P 500 is up over 26% year-to-date, outperforming other major market indices.

In company news, Dell Technologies and HP both took a hit, dropping 12.2% and 11.4%, as their results fell short of investor expectations. Elsewhere, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched an antitrust probe into Microsoft, scrutinising its bundling of products, including cloud computing, software licensing, cybersecurity, and AI. Oh please.

Izolo, the JSE All-share was down 0.35%, the S&P 500 fell 0.38%, and the Nasdaq slipped by 0.60%.

US markets hit fresh record highs again last night, as investors shrugged off Trump's blustering about tariffs, and celebrated the Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire deal. The S&P 500 logged its 52nd record close of the year, with Eli Lilly (+4.5%), Amazon (+3.2%) and Microsoft (+2.2%) leading the rally.

In company news, CrowdStrike slipped 5.8% in after-hours trade despite beating revenue estimates. Their CFO urged analysts to calm their jets about the revenue outlook for the year ahead. Elsewhere, Dell Technologies dropped 11.5% on depressed quarterly revenues because AI-driven growth couldn't fully offset weaker demand for PCs.

Here's the lowdown, the JSE All-share was up 0.62%, the S&P 500 rose 0.57%, and the Nasdaq was 0.63% higher. Nice one!

US markets rose yesterday, buoyed by optimism about Donald Trump's selection of Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary. He's a veteran Wall Street guy and considered a calm head. The S&P 500 traded above 6 000 points again, while US small caps surged toward record highs. Most tech giants also enjoyed gains, other than Nvidia.

In company news, Macy's fell 2.6% after delaying its third-quarter earnings because a rogue employee hid $154 million of small package delivery expenses. Yikes! Elsewhere, defence contractor Lockheed Martin fell 3.76% on hopes of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. In the crypto corner, MicroStrategy made waves with its largest Bitcoin purchase to date, spending $5.4 billion.

At the closing bell, the JSE All-share was down 0.86%, but the S&P 500 rose 0.30%, and the Nasdaq notched up another 0.27% gain. A win is a win.

US markets ended Friday in the green. Notable performers included CrowdStrike (+4.1%), Tesla (+3.8%), and Uber (+2.7%), while bank stocks hit their highest levels in over two years. The dollar continued its upward streak, marking an eighth consecutive week of gains - the longest run so far this year.

In company news, Gap gapped up 12.8% after boosting its full-year outlook. Elsewhere, Nvidia's skyrocketing share price presents a unique challenge for CEO Jensen Huang's charitable foundation, as the stock's rise increases its donation obligations. Finally, Reddit dropped 7.2% after Tencent Holdings sold a chunk of its stake in the social media company.

On Friday, the JSE All-share was up 0.10%, the S&P 500 rose 0.35%, and the Nasdaq was 0.16% higher. Up is better than down.

US markets ended the day on a positive note, with the S&P 500 gaining ground after a volatile morning session. Oil prices climbed as Russia and Ukraine traded ballistic missiles, threatening energy infrastructure in that region. Bitcoin crept closer to the $100 000 milestone, because techbros are more enthusiastic about cryptocurrency since the US election.

In company news, Nvidia gyrated wildly, starting lower, then hitting a fresh intraday record, before ending just 0.5% higher as investors reassessed the company's revenue outlook. Elsewhere, cloud-based data storage company Snowflake jumped 32.7% following its latest earnings report. Finally, MicroStrategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, saw its shares crumble 16% as questions arose about its value in relation to the number of Bitcoin it holds.

At the end of a busy day, the JSE All-share was up 0.29%, the S&P 500 rose 0.53%, and the Nasdaq was 0.03% higher. Nice one!

Yesterday was quiet as traders waited in anticipation for Nvidia's after-market results. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed nearly flat, while defensive sectors like healthcare showed modest gains, reflecting a shift toward safer bets in an uncertain environment.

In company news, Nvidia crushed earnings expectations again but the stock response was muted, down 2.5% in late trading. The management team highlighted strong demand for its new Blackwell product line. Elsewhere, big-box retailer Target reported dismal results for its third quarter and the stock plummeted 21.4%. More on that below.

In summary, the JSE All-share was up 0.89% on the day, the S&P 500 was unchanged, and the Nasdaq was just 0.11% lower.

Stocks started in the red yesterday over concerns of an escalation in the Ukrainian war. The fear is that Moscow might get desperate and resort to using nuclear weapons. By mid-morning, the panic attack subsided and markets swung from red to green and continued to head higher. Technology stocks lead the pack.

In company news, Walmart rose by 3% to a new all-time-high yesterday. The retailer reported a 22% increase in e-commerce sales and issued a strong forecast for sales for the rest of the year. Elsewhere, AI server-maker Super Micro Computer climbed 31% after they named a new auditor which should help them stay listed on the Nasdaq. Last month, Ernst & Young resigned abruptly.

In summary, the JSE All-share closed up 0.12%, the S&P 500 rose by 0.40%, and the Nasdaq advanced by a pleasing 1.04%.

After a rough Friday, US markets rebounded yesterday, with the Nasdaq ending five days of losses. It wasn't the most convincing bounce, but we'll take it.

In company news, Tesla was up 5.6% on rumours that Donald Trump will relax self-driving regulations, which will be a boost to the CyberCab development. Uber dropped 5.3% due to the potential for increased competition. Elsewhere, Netflix rose by 2.8% to a new all-time high, thanks to strong viewership of the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight, even though many viewers had issues connecting.

In summary, the JSE All-share closed up 0.66%, the S&P 500 rose by 0.39%, and the Nasdaq ended 0.60% higher.

Stocks opened in the red on Friday, and stayed that way for the whole session. Vaccine makers had a particularly bad day with Pfizer down 4.7% and Moderna down 7.3%, after Trump announced he wants Robert F. Kennedy Jr as the head of Department of Health and Human Services. According to Forbes, he is a vaccine skeptic but has stopped short of adopting the "anti-vaxx" label attributed to him by critics.

In company news, Palantir Technologies jumped 11.1% after announcing that it will move to the Nasdaq on the 26 November. It will likely join the Nasdaq 100, meaning that index trackers will have to start buying its shares. Elsewhere, Applied Materials, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer, dropped 9.2% on weak sales guidance for non-AI chips. Finally, Domino's Pizza rose 1.3% after reports that Warren Buffett was accumulating their shares. Imagine selling Apple stock and using the cash to buy into a company that heats up tomato and cheese?

In summary, the JSE All-share closed up 0.05%, but the S&P 500 flopped by 1.32%, and the Nasdaq nosedived 2.24% lower. Oof, that was not a great way to end the week.

US markets opened in the green yesterday, stayed that way for about 10 minutes, and then headed lower. Data showed that producer price inflation (PPI) was higher than expected and that jobless claims were lower than forecast. Elsewhere, Jerome Powell made a speech, signaling that there's no need for aggressive cutting, because the US economy is holding up. Now the "smart" traders expect the Fed to slow interest rate cuts.

In company news, Disney jumped 6% on strong results, it was up 12% at some point during the day. They reported good subscriber gains in Disney+ and forecast double-digit profit growth for 2026 and 2027. Elsewhere, Hims & Hers, a telehealth company that also flogs counterfeit drugs, fell 24.4% on news that Amazon is expanding their online health offering.

In summary, the JSE All-share edged up 0.04%, but the S&P 500 dropped by 0.60%, and the Nasdaq fell by 0.64%.

US markets were mixed yesterday, with major equity benchmarks losing momentum late in the New York session. Inflation data out early in the day met expectations, resulting in mid-morning gains, but the S&P 500 ended flat.

In company news, Mastercard closed down 1.4% after saying it expects slower growth for the next three years, as it aims to expand its presence in digital payments. Elsewhere, electric vehicle-maker Rivian rose 13.7% after announcing a new joint venture with Volkswagen. Finally, Spirit Airlines crash landed (-59.3%) after canning its deal with Frontier Airlines and heading into bankruptcy proceedings. Hayibo, shem.

Izolo, the JSE All-share was down 0.47%, the S&P 500 rose just 0.02%, and the Nasdaq was 0.26% lower.

US markets softened last night, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended their largest five-day winning streak in a year, after strong post-election gains. Republicans look set to control the House too, and they are known for tax cuts and big spending, so bond yields surged and the US Dollar reached a two-year high.

In company news, Home Depot's stock dipped 1% despite strong sales of stuff to repair houses after disastrous weather conditions in Southern states. Elsewhere, Tyson Foods climbed 6.6% after its chicken segment offset losses in its beef business. Finally, e-commerce platform-provider Shopify announced another strong set of results and rose 21.0%.

At the end of the day, the JSE All-share was down 0.67%, the S&P 500 fell 0.29%, and the Nasdaq was just 0.09% lower.

US markets rose again yesterday, with the S&P 500 crossing 6 000 points for the first time. Did you know that the index first closed above 60 points in July 1959 and above 600 in November 1995? The moral of the story is, own stocks and stay long because time is on your side.

In company news, Tesla continues to surge, up another 8.5% yesterday. Elsewhere, health-management companies Cigna and Humana confirmed that their deal to merge is officially off. Finally, AbbVie shares dropped 12.6% because their trial of a new schizophrenia drug failed.

In summary, the JSE All-share was down 0.41%, but the S&P 500 rose 0.10%, and the Nasdaq was 0.06% higher. Small gains, but a new all-time high in the US.