This week, markets saw a mix of policy shifts and corporate milestones.
The Fed signalled caution with a rate cut, Nvidia’s value crossed US$5 trillion, and Amazon began one of its biggest workforce reductions yet.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Coliwoo readies its mainboard debut, and SGX RegCo took bold steps to make listings more flexible and future-ready.
Welcome to this week’s edition of top stock market highlights.
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points on 29 October, bringing the federal funds rate to a range of 3.75% to 4%.
The decision reflected the central bank’s concerns about elevated unemployment and uncertainty in the economic outlook.
While inflation remains somewhat elevated, the committee judged that downside risks to employment had increased in recent months.
The Fed also announced it would conclude its securities holdings reduction programme by 1 December 2025, signalling a shift in its monetary policy stance as it navigates competing economic pressures.
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) achieved a historic milestone on 29 October, becoming the first publicly traded company to reach US$5 trillion in market capitalisation.
The chipmaker’s shares surged more than 5% to close at US$207.04, driven by continued artificial intelligence momentum and speculation about potential chip sales to China.
CEO Jensen Huang’s announcement that the company expects US$500 billion in AI chip sales, coupled with plans to build seven new supercomputers for the US government, further boosted investor confidence.
The achievement comes just three months after Nvidia crossed the US$4 trillion threshold, with the stock up approximately 50% year-to-date.
The company has also announced strategic investments including US$1 billion in Nokia and partnerships with major tech firms.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced it will cut 14,000 corporate positions on 28 October, marking the company’s largest corporate workforce reduction in recent years.
The e-commerce giant cited the need to become “leaner and less bureaucratic” as it pivots towards artificial intelligence investments.
CEO Andy Jassy’s restructuring affects multiple divisions including cloud computing, advertising, Prime Video, and human resources.
Employees will have 90 days to seek internal positions before receiving severance packages.
Reuters reports the total cuts could eventually reach 30,000 positions.
The layoffs represent approximately 4% of Amazon’s 350,000-strong corporate workforce and come as the company plans US$118 billion in capital investments this year, primarily focused on AI capabilities and cloud infrastructure expansion.
