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President Trump announced that the U.S. government plans to invest $500 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure. This project, carried out in collaboration with companies such as OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, aims to create 100,000 jobs.Trump also pledged to support the project through emergency declarations.
OpenAI, along with SoftBank, Oracle, NVIDIA, and ARM, announced the start of their collaboration in technology development. This partnership includes Microsoft’s commitment to Azure, with plans extending until 2030.
Microsoft confirmed that it will maintain its strategic partnership with OpenAI and participate in the Stargate project. This collaboration includes new agreements granting Microsoft priority rights to utilize the new capacity. Additionally, Microsoft will leverage OpenAI’s intellectual property (IP) in its products, such as Copilot.
This week’s economic calendar is dominated by major events related to central banks. The U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Canada will announce their interest rate decisions on Wednesday, while the European Central Bank will follow on Thursday.
Additionally, several significant economic reports are expected. On Monday, data on new home sales for December will be released. On Tuesday, reports on durable goods and the Consumer Confidence Index will be published. On Thursday, the U.S. GDP for Q4, weekly jobless claims, and pending home sales data will be announced. Finally, on Friday, the PCE index (the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation), along with personal income and spending reports, will be released.
It is projected that the U.S. economy will grow at an annualized rate of 2.6% this quarter, compared to 3.1% in the previous quarter. If the data surpass expectations, the likelihood of the Fed adopting expansionary policies may decrease. Similarly, inflation data from the PCE index and consumer income and spending reports on Friday will play a crucial role in shaping expectations for rate cuts.
Unlike the European Central Bank and the Bank of Canada, the Federal Reserve is expected not to reduce interest rates. The robust U.S. economy and inflationary pressures have left the Fed with limited room to lower borrowing costs. This situation existed even before Trump’s administration and the Republican-led Congress implemented tax cuts and tariff hikes.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has stated that the Fed has no predetermined path and may raise interest rates if new government policies lead to higher inflation. However, inflationary pressures have recently eased and could continue to decline in early 2025. Christopher Waller, a prominent Fed official, recently hinted at a possible rate cut in the first half of the year, but market reactions to his comments were muted, with only minor dollar weakening following news of Trump’s tariffs.
Several major companies are set to release their quarterly financial updates this week. Among them are some members of the Magnificent 7, as well as leading firms in technology, energy, finance, and manufacturing. Microsoft, Meta, and Tesla are scheduled to report on Wednesday, while Apple will release its financial information on Thursday.
Tesla’s report comes as Elon Musk, its CEO, has taken on a role in President Trump’s administration. The company’s recent vehicle delivery data fell short of analysts’ expectations.
Microsoft’s planned report follows last week’s announcement of a $500 billion AI initiative, which includes Microsoft-backed OpenAI. Meta’s report comes as the company raises its investment forecasts for emerging technologies such as AI. Meanwhile, Apple’s report is being released amid analysts’ downgraded ratings due to concerns about demand for its new iPhones.
