📊 Markets Slide as Fed Hawkishness & Tariffs Weigh, Meta & Microsoft Lead AI Boom

• OpenAI revenue hits $12B run rate, with 700M weekly ChatGPT users—AI adoption enters hypergrowth
• Q2 GDP beats at +3.0%, but real final sales up just 1.2%, exposing soft consumer demand
• Copper crashes 22% as U.S. slaps 50% tariffs on semi-finished goods; refined copper excluded
• Layoffs jump 140% YoY in July, despite jobless claims holding steady at 218K
• Trump secures South Korea trade pact, locking 15% tariff and $450B in LNG & infrastructure deals
• Earnings: Meta +11%, Microsoft +4%, Apple beats, Amazon dips on AWS

📊 GDP Jumps, Fed Holds — Meta & Microsoft Soar Post-Earnings

• U.S. Q2 GDP rose 3.0%, but real demand showed weakness; Fed held rates, signaling no immediate cuts
• Stocks were mixed, with the NASDAQ up +0.15%, while the S&P 500 and Dow slipped; markets digest Powell’s cautious tone
• Meta crushed earnings (EPS $7.14 vs. $5.85), surging +9% post-close; Microsoft also beat and jumped +6.5%
• Alphabet dipped after a revenue miss, while AMD soared on raised guidance and strong AI chip demand
• Crude oil fell as U.S. inventories surged and China demand worries lingered; gold attempted a bounce but stayed below resistance
• XRP held $3.00, but on-chain data suggests weakening conviction; Ethereum steadied above $3,730 as it turns 10

📉 Markets Stall Near Highs Ahead of Fed Decision

S&P 500 and NASDAQ slipped -0.30% after intraday records, with traders cautious before the Fed, GDP, and jobs data

Whirlpool, PayPal, and Rivian sank on weak earnings, while Starbucks gained in after-hours despite an EPS miss

U.S. and EU finalized a 15% tariff-cap trade deal, easing uncertainty in export-heavy sectors

Crude oil surged 3.75% to $69.21 on looming Russia sanctions; private API data showed a surprise crude build

IMF raised global growth forecasts, but warned of inflationary risks from tariffs and geopolitical tensions

Bitcoin dropped toward $112K support, with on-chain activity and momentum indicators turning lower