Japan bond repurchase program receives 1.51 billions yen bids

As companies make massive investments in AI infrastructure, U.S. corporations are set to usher in another strong earnings season. According to Goldman Sachs, the S&P 500 companies are expected to report a 27% year-over-year increase in earnings for the September quarter, driven by firms at the core of the AI infrastructure boom. Ben Snider, Chief U.S. Equity Strategist at Goldman Sachs, stated, "Recent macroeconomic data and signals related to the AI investment frenzy show no indication that investment is slowing down." Manish Kabra, Chief U.S. Equity Strategist at Societe Generale, said that this will mark the third consecutive quarter with profit growth exceeding 25%, an unprecedented streak outside of the post-financial crisis recovery periods. Revenue is projected to grow by 12%. Steve Chiavarone, Chief Investment Officer for Federated Hermes Equities, pointed out that thanks to capital expenditures related to AI infrastructure, investors are witnessing "the best profit and margin growth in our lifetimes." He added, "The worries that have built up... will ultimately be shattered by strong earnings performance."

According to the Financial Times, robust AI spending signals another profitable earnings season in the US, offering potential gains for investors. Goldman Sachs predicts that, driven by companies at the heart of the AI infrastructure boom, S&P 500 component companies' earnings for the September quarter are expected to increase by 27% year-on-year.

Jefferies raised ConocoPhillips (COP.US) target price from $159 to $174.

(1) Statistics Canada reported that goods exports in August rose by 2.5% month-on-month to 77.9 billion Canadian dollars, reversing from a previous decline of 2.6%, while imports fell by 2% to 73.7 billion Canadian dollars. The trade surplus expanded to 4.2 billion Canadian dollars, much higher than market expectations of 1.55 billion Canadian dollars. The previous value was revised upward to 787 million Canadian dollars. (2) During the period, exports of energy products (including refined oil products and crude oil) increased by 4.7% to 19.03 billion Canadian dollars; excluding energy products, exports rose by 1.8%. (3) To avoid the newly imposed 50% US tariffs, Canadian exporters shipped goods to the US ahead of schedule. In August, Canada’s exports to the US rose by 8.1%, while imports fell by 2.5%. The trade surplus with the US reached 11.2 billion Canadian dollars, the highest in 19 months. (4) The new US tariffs on Canadian goods cover approximately 20 billion US dollars’ worth of products and took effect on August 22. Economists expect that the September data will more accurately reflect the impact of the new US tariffs.