Contributor: Edward Meir

AI is seeing an aggressive buildup, but some cracks are beginning to show.

Base metals ended mostly lower last week as many complexes were quite overbought and arguably due for a correction.

This piece examines how markets responded over the past 24 hours to the Federal Reserve's latest rate cut, tracking shifts in metals and money markets following Chair Powell's comments.

It was a generally more positive week for most markets as a better tone in US equities ushered in a measure of stability. The bitcoin/crypto sell-off eased somewhat as well. Some of the battered AI-related names also recovered. The likelihood of another December Fed rate cut this week also helped sentiment.

So much for Thanksgiving being an uneventful week for the markets as the last few days defied conventional thinking. Most markets came roaring back, ignoring the fact that US investors were AWOL – busy gorging on turkey. Stocks The most notable advance occurred in the US equity markets. All three major averages reclaimed their 50-day […]

For a third week in a row, there was intense volatility in the US equity markets that spilled over into metals, bitcoin, and energy. Bitcoin is now trading at a seven-month low while some of the other cryptocurrencies have rolled back pretty much their entire yearly advance in just the last three weeks. A stronger dollar – now at a six-month high – contributed to the general selling.

It was another volatile week in the markets as wild gyrations in US equities rocked the commodity space as well. By week's end, both complexes went their separate ways. Stocks closed mixed, while commodities ended lower based on a general index that we follow.

Aluminum finished down by 1.25%. But there is no easing in physical premiums, which continue to climb in both the US and Europe.

Bullish sentiment remained in place in US equity markets this past week as a de-escalation in US-China trade tensions and strong earnings reports from several "Mag-7" names offset the rather hawkish remarks on interest rates made by Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday. For the week, the NASDAQ Composite gained 2.2%, while the S&P 500 and the Dow each were up by about .7% in what has been an incredible run.

As of this writing Monday, Aug. 5, the markets are experiencing upheaval and the jury is out as to when/how all the current turmoil is going to play out.