Asia's Major Market Opens: Big Tech Earnings, Chip Demand, and CPI Numbers

💨Big tech earnings, including Alphabet and Microsoft, were in focus as they reported their fourth quarter results.

💻The chip demand story was also a key topic, with AMD and Samsung experiencing both positive and negative trends.

📍The RBA's decision was influenced by the important CPI numbers, which had implications for inflation and monetary policy.

✅Retail sales in Japan rose by 2.1% year on year, falling short of expectations.

🇨🇳The outlook for China and global growth remains uncertain, with geopolitical risks and inflation being key concerns.

What were the key highlights of the big tech earnings?

—Alphabet and Microsoft both reported their fourth quarter results, with Alphabet experiencing a narrow miss on revenue and Microsoft having a narrow beat on both revenue and cloud performance.

What were the trends in the chip demand story?

—AMD gave a weak forecast for the current reporting period, while Samsung had a healthy beat on net profit but an operating loss in the chip division.

How did the CPI numbers influence the RBA's decision?

—The CPI numbers were important in assessing inflation and guiding monetary policy decisions for the RBA.

What were the retail sales figures in Japan?

—Retail sales in Japan rose by 2.1% year on year, falling short of expectations.

What are the concerns regarding China and global growth?

—Geopolitical risks and inflation are key concerns for the outlook of China and global growth.

00:19We discuss the major news and events impacting the Asian markets, including big tech earnings and the chip demand story.

01:23Samsung reported a healthy beat on net profit but an operating loss in the chip division.

03:09The RBA's decision was influenced by the important CPI numbers, which had implications for inflation and monetary policy.

13:38The IMF sees brighter prospects for global growth, but geopolitical risks and inflation remain concerns.