Chipmakers get a boost but tariff talk produces inflation jitters – Charm

Wall Street hit new records as Donald Trump began his second term as the 47th U.S. president Monday.

The S&P 500 climbed above 6,100 points over the week, surpassing its previous December peak and marking a second consecutive week of gains, fueled by a strong start to the fourth-quarter earnings season.

Tech stocks once again led the market, driven by semiconductors’ momentum and a surge in artificial intelligence investments. Trump launched the Stargate project, aligning OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle to channel up to $500 billion over four years into AI infrastructure.

Shares of both Oracle and SoftBank-owned Arm Holdings plc jumped 15% over the week in response to the announcement.

More:Markets find hope in numbers as indices deliver best week since early November

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Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, Trump vowed to make the U.S. the “world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto.” He also signed an executive order amid at fostering U.S. leadership in digital assets. Bitcoin soared to a record $109,000 at the start of the week, holding steady in a tight range thereafter.

Moderna emerged as the week’s top performer, skyrocketing 25% after securing a U.S. government contract to fast-track its bird flu vaccine development. Netflix followed suit with a 15% surge after blockbuster fourth-quarter results.

In contrast, renewable energy stocks came under heavy selling pressure following the formal repeal of the Green New Deal and the removal of electric vehicle subsidies. First Solar, the panel maker and utility-scale power provider, took the brunt of the hit, tumbling double digits as investors priced in a policy-driven shift away from government-backed clean energy initiatives.

Apple was the big tech laggard of the week, missing out on the rally following analyst downgrades and warnings about weak iPhone sales in China.

Consumer behavior: Buy now

U.S. consumer confidence fell in January amid rising inflation worries linked to tariffs. According to the University of Michigan survey, consumers opted to buy in advance to avoid future price pressures, sustaining strong auto and retail sales.

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