Shares slide again as oil stays high; AI earnings in focus
By Shashwat Chauhan and Rocky SwiftEuropean shares fell for the second straight day on Tuesday, as another rise in crude oil prices kept risk sentiment in check, while investor focus honed in on results from key AI bellwether companies later this week.The pan-European STOXX 600 dipped 0.6% after dropping close to 1% on Monday, with European semiconductor companies including ASML and ASMI falling more than 3%.The euro recouped some losses from the previous day, while yields on French government bonds edged lower after their biggest one-day jump in about a month, as widespread protests underscored difficulties the government faces in reducing its large deficit.France's cities were calm overnight under curfews imposed after last weekend's scenes of chaos, as protest groups announced a new round of demonstrations next Saturday."The weekend's protests have further intensified concerns about French public finances given the size of the austerity measures needed to significantly reduce the budget deficit," said Pia Fromlet, an economist at SEB.French stocks, however, showed no signs of respite and fell in line with the broader market weakness.Crude prices resumed their climb, with Brent hitting a five-month high above $110 a barrel. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they launched several attacks on Saudi energy, airport and military targets.The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, fell 0.2% to 101.77. The euro was up 0.2% at $1.122.The Japanese yen strengthened 0.2% after an auction of long-dated Japanese government bonds drew record demand. Meanwhile, media reports said the Bank of Japan may raise its inflation outlook for the next fiscal year in forecasts due this month.In the US, futures on the tech-heavy Nasdaq slipped 0.3% a day after technology stocks found some footing following last week's sharp selloff.EARNINGS AND AI MAJORS IN FOCUSThe spotlight is on corporate earnings. Investors will be looking for evidence that consumers and the broader economy remain resilient, but chiefly, that the vast amount of capital pouring into the AI buildout is showing signs of paying off.Reflecting some of this nervousness was a near-30% drop in shares of South Korean AI infrastructure company Elice Group on Tuesday, when the stock fell below its initial public offering price in its market debut.Quarterly earnings are due from SpaceX and Netflix on Tuesday, with results from AI heavyweights such as Meta and Tesla scheduled for later in the week."Investors are fine with AI being used more. What they're questioning is whether every dollar of AI capex earns more than it costs to finance," said Ninghui Liu, head of investment strategy and research for APAC at State Street Investment Management.With oil prices around five-month highs, gold remained under a touch of pressure, down 0.4% at $4,122 an ounce, while in cryptocurrencies, bitcoin fell 0.7% to $81,339.5, and ether eased 0.6% to $2,383.4.Elsewhere, the Canadian dollar rose against the US dollar, which fell 0.35% to C$1.406, after residents in Alberta voted to remain part of Canada in the province's first-ever referendum on separation.Finally, a number of European Central Bank officials, including Martin Kocher and Olli Rehn, speak on Tuesday, as well as Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Megan Greene. Their words may help shape investors' expectations for interest rates in the euro zone and Britain.