Bitget US Stock Morning Brief | CPI Cools Ahead of Expectations; AI Giants Join Genesis Initiative; NYSE Holiday Trading Unchanged (December 19, 2025)

I. Market Highlights

Federal Reserve Dynamics

Hassett Applauds CPI Performance Beating Expectations

• November inflation data shows significant deceleration, reinforcing market optimism on Fed's 2025 rate-cut trajectory
• Key Points: Hassett notes economy achieving concurrent high growth and low inflation; wage growth exceeding price increases; Trump interviewing 3-4 Fed chair candidates, decision expected within weeks; Fed must enhance policy transparency to stabilize market expectations
• Market Impact: Development may further boost risk assets, though escalating data disputes could amplify near-term volatility

International Commodities

Goldman Sachs Raises Gold Price Target to $4,900/oz

• Goldman forecasts gold rally extending into 2026 with $4,900/oz target price; meaningful upside potential
• Key Points: Central banks averaging 70 tons monthly gold purchases driven by geopolitical risk; ~14% appreciation projected for 2026; hedge demand remains robust
• Market Impact: Reinforces gold's safe-haven role amid uncertainty; likely to support precious metals ETFs and mining equities

Macroeconomic Policy

Economists Question CPI Data Accuracy

• November CPI cooling exceeded market consensus, but anomalous housing data triggers authenticity discussion
• Key Points: Official assumption of zero October rent growth deemed unrealistic, potentially understating inflation; government shutdown may disrupt data collection; January CPI release for December data awaited for validation
• Market Impact: If discrepancies confirmed, may undermine Fed decision-making foundation, triggering bond yield and equity adjustments

II. US Stock Market Review

Index Performance

• Dow Jones: +0.14%, extending modest rebound trajectory
• SP 500: +0.79%, tech stocks furnish primary momentum
• Nasdaq 100: +1.38%, semiconductor and AI sectors drive outsized gains

Tech Giants Update

• Apple (AAPL): +~3% linked to TSMC advance, benefiting from chip capacity expansion expectations
• Amazon (AMZN): +>2%, AI infrastructure investment momentum continues to build
• Google (GOOGL): +~2%, government AI project participation bolsters confidence
• Meta (META): +>2%, new AI model development progresses positively
• Microsoft (MSFT): +~2%, Genesis initiative membership reinforces energy-AI positioning
• Nvidia (NVDA): +~2%, brisk AI compute demand provides support
• Tesla (TSLA): +>3%, favorable tech sector sentiment benefits EV sector

Overall Assessment: Magnificent Seven predominantly higher, driven by Micron earnings beat and AI investment momentum, underscoring tech stocks' index support role.

Sector Rotation

Memory/Storage Concept Stocks Rise Significantly

• Key names: Micron Technology (MU) +>10%, Western Digital (WDC) +>5%
• Drivers: Micron's robust results highlight storage chip supply-demand tightness; AI computing investment sustains demand momentum

Semiconductor Sector Mostly Gains

• Key names: Marvell Technology (MRVL) +>3%, AMD (AMD) +>1%
• Drivers: Chip capacity expansion and bullish AI application outlook; TSMC 2nm progress provides further catalyst

Space Concept Stocks Rally Collectively

• Key names: Rocket Lab (RKLB) +>11%, AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) +>6%
• Drivers: Trump signs space policy executive order emphasizing America First; drives exploration and commercialization momentum

Cannabis Stocks Mixed Performance

• Key names: Canopy Growth (CGC) down ~12%, Tilray (TLRY) down >4%
• Drivers: Trump downgrading cannabis regulation triggers "buy rumor, sell news" effect; profit-taking pressure intensifies

III. Deep Dive: Key Stock Insights

1.Micron Technology — Earnings Far Exceed Expectations

Event Overview: Micron reported results crushing market expectations, driving after-hours stock surge exceeding 10%. Company emphasizes sustained storage chip supply-demand tightness driven by AI computing investment. TSMC's 2nm capacity expansion further supports supply chain optimization; monthly production capacity expected to reach 100K wafers by 2026. Morgan Stanley raised price target, forecasting Q4 2025 gross margins exceeding 60%.

Market Interpretation: Institutional consensus uniformly constructive. Wells Fargo economists note data anomalies yet overall trend positive; Goldman Sachs emphasizes AI demand will sustain chip cycle vigor.

Investment Insight: Storage sector near-term momentum robust; suggest focusing on AI-themed fund allocations.

2.Meta Platforms — Advancing New-Generation AI Models

Event Overview: Meta internally confirms development of codename "Mango" image/video AI model and next-generation text large language model, expected release H1 2026. Company's Chief AI Officer discussed progress in QA, emphasizing sustained AI investment. After-hours stock rose >2%, reflecting market recognition of innovation capability.

Market Interpretation: Analysts view this strengthening Meta's AI competition positioning, similar to OpenAI partnerships; Elliott and other institutions bullish on long-term growth potential.

Investment Insight: AI model iteration may drive advertising business upgrades; suitable for long-term tech growth equity holdings.

3.Oracle — Wins Approval for AI Data Center Power Supply

Event Overview: Michigan regulators approved Oracle-OpenAI joint data center power supply, totaling 1.4GW capacity with multi-billion-dollar investment. Overall US-China collaboration exceeds 8GW with $450 billion three-year commitment. After-hours stock rose ~6%, highlighting cloud service expansion pace.

Market Interpretation: Institutional views bullish, noting project secures AI training power demand; Goldman Sachs forecasts will enhance Oracle cloud market share.

Investment Insight: Energy-AI fusion trend evident; monitor related infrastructure stock opportunities.

4.Nike — Q2 Results Disappoint

Event Overview: Nike Q2 revenue $12.43 billion, YoY growth modest at 0.6% but missed expectations; net income $792 million, down 32% YoY; gross margin compressed to 40.6%. After-hours stock plummeted >10%, reflecting consumer weakness pressure. Elliott holds >$1 billion stake, driving CEO transition.

Market Interpretation: Analysts concerned over demand slowdown; Wells Fargo points to discount strategy margin impact; yet Goldman Sachs believes brand recovery potential remains.

Investment Insight: Near-term consumer equity hedge prudent; reassess rebound potential post-management transition.

5.SoFi Technologies — Enters Stablecoin Market

Event Overview: SoFi launched fully-reserved US dollar stablecoin SoFiUSD, surging >4% after hours. Move expands fintech services, targeting cryptocurrency sector growth. Company emphasizes compliance and reserve transparency, aiming to attract more digital asset users.

Market Interpretation: Institutions note intensifying stablecoin market competition, but SoFi's banking heritage provides advantage; Morgan Stanley constructive on diversification strategy.

Investment Insight: Fintech equities exhibit elevated volatility; track crypto policy shifts closely.

IV. Upcoming Events Alert

Market Holiday Schedule:

• NYSE holiday trading schedule unchanged; normal operations continue
• Monitor January 2 for 12-month CPI data validation (December reading)
• Quarterly earnings season remains active

 

Bitget Research Institute Perspective: December 19, 2025 reflects risk-asset recovery driven by CPI relief and broadening AI infrastructure participation. Tech leadership and semiconductor strength suggest growth continuation into year-end. Monitor January economic data closely for policy inflection signals.

 

Disclaimer: Content compiled via AI research and verified by human review for publication only. Not intended as investment advice.