The hit another fresh record on Tuesday, as a semiconductor rally crowned the world's most valued company. Shares in the AI chipmaker climbed as much as 4%, to help it claim the top spot from Microsoft. Qualcomm, Taiwan Semiconductor, and Micron Technology all rose at least 3%.
Meanwhile, Treasury yields sank six basis points as markets were given more reason to expect interest rate cuts this year. May's retail sales data came in below expectations, indicating consumers are pulling back spending. "Consumer spending is cooling in a fairly orderly fashion.
So far, the economy could pull off a soft landing, especially if the Fed is quick to adjust policy as conditions change," LPL Financial chief economist Jeffrey Roach said. May's report also came with downward revisions to previous months, which were a source of bigger concern for analysts. If that's paired with more softness in labor data, the Federal Reserve may be forced to move up the timing of its rate cutting cycle, LPL's chief global strategist Quicy Krosby wrote separately.
For now, Fed officials continue to signal just one interest rate cut in December, but are betting on the cycle to start in September, instead. On Tuesday, industrial production data rose 9%, though much of this was led by higher output from utilities..