All posts by PARKERYL

A Federal Reserve interest-rate decision, comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and the Fed’s “dot plot” interest-rate projections will likely be in the spotlight this week, with retail sales data also due for release as businesses brace for the impact of tariffs.

Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang will deliver the keynote address at the company’s annual GTC conference on Tuesday, amid increasing focus on demand for the company’s chips to support artificial intelligence (AI). Nvidia partner Micron Technology (MU) is set to report earnings, along with Nike (NKE), Accenture (ACN), shipping giant FedEx (FDX), Tesla competitor Xpeng (XPEV), and others.

Monday, March 17

• U.S. retail sales (February)
• Empire State Manufacturing Survey (March)
• Business inventories (January)
• Homebuilder confidence (March)
• Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), Harrow (HROW), Getty Images (GETY), and Altus Power (AMPS) are scheduled to report earnings

Tuesday, March 18

• Housing starts (February)
• Building permits (February)
• Import/export price index (February)
• Industrial production/capacity utilization (February)
• Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting begins
• Adobe Summit keynote address
• Nvidia GTC conference keynote featuring CEO Jensen Huang
• Tencent Music (TME), XPeng, and HealthEquity (HQY) are scheduled to report earnings

Wednesday, March 19

• FOMC interest-rate decision
• Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference
• General Mills (GIS), Ollie’s Bargain Outlet (OLLI), and Five Below (FIVE) are scheduled to report earnings

Thursday, March 20

• Initial jobless claims (Week ending March 15)
• Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey (March)
• Existing home sales (February)
• U.S. leading economic indicators (February)
• PDD Holdings (PDD), Accenture, Nike, Micron Technology, FedEx, Lennar (LEN), and Darden Restaurants (DRI) are scheduled to report earnings

Friday, March 21

• First day for comments from Fed officials following meeting blackout period
• Carnival (CCL) and Nio (NIO) are scheduled to report earnings 

Fed Interest-Rate Decision, Powell Remarks, ‘Dot Plot’ Projections, Retail Sales Data in Spotlight

Investors expect the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged when it concludes its two-day meeting this Wednesday. It would be the second consecutive meeting where the  Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) kept rates unchanged after it reduced interest rates by a full percentage point over the final three meetings of 2024. According to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool, market participants have priced in a near certainty that the FOMC will keep rates at its current levels of 4.25% to 4.5%. 

The Fed’s report will also include its quarterly economic projections, including the closely followed “dot plot” that lays out the expected path of interest rates. After the decision, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to answer media questions on interest rates and economic policies, which could have an impact on markets. 

On Monday, February retail sales data arrives as worries over consumer resiliency grow after spending declined sharply in January and consumer confidence waned over tariff fears. Several reports of housing data are on tap for this week as real estate professionals begin to look toward the spring selling season to thaw a frigid housing market that has suffered under high prices and limited inventory. 

The homebuilder confidence report on Monday comes as tariffs on steel and aluminum threaten to raise construction costs, while housing starts data on Tuesday will give some indication on the pace of building activity in February. The Thursday report on existing home sales will show if homebuying continued its slow pace last month. 

Nvidia Kicks Off GTC Event, With Nike, FedEx, Micron, and More Set To Report Earnings

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will deliver remarks this week at the company’s annual conference for artificial intelligence (AI) developers, coming as the chipmaker faces market pressure amid a tech stock sell-off.  Huang is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday at Nvidia’s GPU Technology Conference, commonly known as GTC, with his remarks coming as the chipmaker faces challenges from Chinese AI technology like DeepSeek.

Investors also will be watching the Adobe Summit this week for updates on AI technology. Nvidia partner Micron Technology is set to report earnings Thursday, after the memory chip maker lowered its revenue projections below analyst estimates as the company cited a weak PC replacement cycle and slower demand for its auto and industrial sector products. 

Also Thursday, Nike is scheduled to deliver its quarterly results after the athletic wear maker reported better-than-expected results in new CEO Elliott Hill’s first quarter as head of the global fashion giant.

FedEx’s scheduled report for Thursday arrives after the shipping company laid out plans late last year to spin off its freight business into a separate public company. In its most recent earnings report, FedEx lowered its full-year outlook to project flat year-over-year revenue growth as the company anticipated weaker demand from consumers.

Several reports from restaurants and retailers also could provide a window into the health of the consumer amid worries about a spending slowdown after January’s retail sales data declined. Discount retailers Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Five Below are scheduled to release earnings on Wednesday, while Olive Garden parent Darden Restaurants is expected to report on Thursday. Cereal maker General Mills’ report scheduled for Wednesday could also speak to consumer trends. 

Editor’s note: “Humanoid Robots: Betting on the Next Big AI Breakthrough” was previously published in February 2025. It has since been updated to include the most relevant information available.

For years, artificial intelligence has been trapped behind screens, powering chatbots and crunching data. But the next big revolution in AI won’t just talk. It will walk, move, and work in ways very similar to us. 

I’m talking, of course, about humanoid robots. 

These creations are finally stepping out of science fiction and into reality, possibly poised to become the most disruptive AI advancement yet. From factory floors to elder care, these machines could easily reshape industries, redefine labor… maybe even challenge what it means to be human. 

But don’t just take my word for it. 

Everyone who’s anyone in the tech world is betting on humanoid robots being the next big AI breakthrough. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is certainly all-in on them. 

His firm Tesla (TSLA) has created a humanoid robot called Optimus, which is already being used inside Tesla factories to complete a variety of tasks. The company plans to ramp Optimus production to use them in its factories worldwide. It’s said that next year, it will start selling its robots to outside companies. And after that, it aims to offer them to consumers like you and me. We could soon have our own personal humanoid robot assistant in our homes, doing everything from unloading groceries and cleaning to safeguarding our house while we’re away. 

Clearly, Musk thinks humanoid robots are big business. In fact, on a recent Wall Street conference call, he said that he thinks “Optimus will be overwhelmingly the value of the company” with “the potential to be north of $10 trillion in revenue.” 

Those are bold statements. 

Yet, his bullishness on this breakthrough tech is not isolated. 

Big Tech’s Sweeping Bullishness

Meta (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg is just as enthusiastic about a humanoid robot ‘takeover.’ 

He just created a new business unit within the company that is dedicated to the development of humanoid technology. Reportedly, Meta isn’t trying to create a full robot but, rather, an underlying software platform that robot-makers like Tesla can integrate into their bots. 

Meanwhile, Apple (AAPL) – the world’s largest company – has research teams within its own AI business that are working to develop robotics technologies. According to analysts, Apple is considering a range of robotics systems, from simple devices to complex humanoid machines, as part of a future smart home ecosystem where everything is automated. 

Alphabet (GOOGL) has also been investigating robotics technology and just invested in humanoid robotics startup Apptronik. 

Nvidia (NVDA) just launched a new family of foundational AI models called Cosmos designed to help humanoid robots navigate the real world. 

OpenAI – maker of ChatGPT – is reportedly considering embarking on a humanoid endeavor. And Microsoft (MSFT) has partnered with Sanctuary AI to build general-purpose humanoid robots. 

It seems the race is on!

And that means humanoid robots are coming soon – maybe to your very own home…

Written by Steven Dooley, Head of Market Insights, and Shier Lee Lim, Lead FX and Macro Strategist

US sharemarkets recover after horror week

US sharemarkets recovered on Friday after a horror week that saw US shares down as much as 5.0% at one point, but Friday’s rebound saw the benchmark US S&P 500 up 2.1% on Friday and end the week down only 1.4%.

In FX markets, the Australian and NZ dollars were both higher on Friday helped by improving global sentiment.

The AUD/USD gained 0.6% with the pair in a clear trading range between 0.6200 and 0.6400 in which the pair has been stuck since early February.

The NZD/USD climbed 0.8% with this pair also in an obvious trading range between 0.5600 and 0.5775.

In Asia, the greenback eased from recent short-term highs, with the USD/SGD and USD/CNH both down 0.2%.

Fed, BoJ and BoE all due in massive week

The upcoming week features several critical central bank decisions, including the Federal Reserve’s FOMC and the Bank of England.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan is expected to hold its target rate steady at 0.5% on Wednesday, with no major surprises anticipated.

Inflation remains a primary concern, with key CPI readings from the Eurozone (Wednesday), Japan (Friday), and Canada (Tuesday).

Australia’s labour market data for February, including unemployment (expected to remain steady at 4.0%) and employment change (consensus: +28k), will also be closely watched for signs of resilience.

Growth indicators also dominate the agenda, with New Zealand’s Q4 GDP report (consensus: +0.4% QoQ) likely to draw attention, especially after the previous contraction of -1.0%.

On Tuesday, Germany’s ZEW survey results are expected to shed light on business sentiment (previous expectations: 26), while US housing starts data will provide another perspective on the state of the real estate market.

China braces for tariff turbulence

This Monday at 1.00pm AEDT, the retail sales figures for China will be revealed.

With the help of the extended Lunar New Year break, the enlarged consumer trade-in program, and some wealth benefits from the recent stock market boom, we anticipate that retail sales growth will accelerate to 4.0% year over year in January and February from 3.7% in December.

We see potential risk of further increase in tariffs on China on 2 April.  Based on our estimation, the existing 32% tariffs on China is not yet fully priced in.

USD/CNH currently sits at 50-week moving average support 7.2242, where USD buyers may look to take advantage.

Aussie, kiwi higher, but remain in respective ranges

Table: seven-day rolling currency trends and trading ranges  

Key global risk events

Calendar: 17 – 22 March

All times AEDT

Have a question? [email protected]

*The FX rates published are provided by Convera’s Market Insights team for research purposes only. The rates have a unique source and may not align to any live exchange rates quoted on other sites. They are not an indication of actual buy/sell rates, or a financial offer.

​Currently trading at $626.66, BNB marks a 4.14% drop from its previous closing of $659.57. After a significant attack involving Ethereum-based assets, Ethereum (ETH) has plummeted 6.39% to $2,630.09, following its declining path. In response to these latest swings, many investors have looked for other prospects with more upside potential. Rexas Finance (RXS), a blockchain project targeted at real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, distributed finance (DeFi), and AI-driven security solutions, is among the latest projects attracting notable investor attention. Early adopters could get a 28x return on investment (ROI), so analysts estimate that RXS could explode to $5.60 post-launch from a current presale price of $0.20.

Rexas Finance (RXS): A Game-Changer in Blockchain Finance

Unlike conventional cryptocurrencies driven mostly by speculation, Rexas Finance offers practical, real-world uses. The platform unlocks liquidity in usually illiquid assets by allowing users to tokenize and trade real estate, equities, and commodities on the blockchain. By offering a more effective, distributed, and easily available means of investing in valuable assets, this creative method is poised to upend the worldwide financial sector. Starting its presale in September 2024, RXS has seen a 567% increase from an original price of $0.03 to $0.20. Having sold 453,629,533 RXS tokens, the presale is already 90.73% sold and has raised $46,726,364. Such significant demand emphasizes investor faith in RXS’s ability to beat ETH and BNB in percentage increases.

Early Listings and Strategic Decentralization

Early listing on major websites, which has given legitimacy and more visibility, is a major reason driving RXS’s quick acceptance. Furthermore, Rexas Finance has chosen a distributed strategy, unlike many new crypto ventures that depend mostly on venture capital (VC) funding, Rexas Finance has chosen a distributed strategy. This calculated move guarantees a more consistent price path after it begins trading on significant exchanges, therefore removing the possibility of significant sell-offs by institutional investors following launch.

$1 Million Giveaway and Upcoming Exchange Listings

Rexas Finance is holding a $1 million RXS token giveaway. Twenty lucky winners will receive $50,000 worth of RXS tokens. This giveaway will accelerate adoption, as investors’ enthusiasm about this project has increased demand before its formal June 19, 2025, exchange launch. The highly anticipated listing is set to debut at $0.25 on at least three major tier-1 exchanges. Newly launched tokens on top-notch exchanges often see notable price swings historically. One of the most exciting crypto investments of the year, analysts estimate RXS might hit $5.60 within months of introduction.

How RXS Stacks Up Against Ethereum and Binance Coin

Although Ethereum is still the most popular smart contract platform, problems, including high gas fees, network congestion, and security flaws—challenges made worse by recent high-profile hacks—have dogged it. Though it has a great ecosystem, Binance Coin is still tightly linked to the Binance exchange, making it vulnerable to market swings and legal issues. On the other hand, Rexas Finance offers a distributed ecosystem that lets users tokenize and safely exchange actual assets. With real-world relevance outside the confines of conventional cryptocurrencies, this makes RXS a more utility-driven investment. Security is one of the main issues in the crypto field, particularly given recent hacks that compromised important initiatives. Rexas Finance has tackled this directly by completing a thorough security audit under Certik, one of the most reputable blockchain security companies. Among the most technologically advanced blockchain initiatives in 2025, RXS also uses AI-driven security solutions to identify and stop fraudulent activities. These proactive security policies help lower the danger of smart contract vulnerabilities and boost investor confidence.

Why Would Ethereum and Binance Coin Investors Choose RXS?

Many investors seek high-growth options with better ROI potential, while BNB and ETH show volatility.  Rexas Finance is becoming the preferred option fast because of its:

• Real-world utility through asset tokenization
• Decentralized financial ecosystem with DeFi innovations
• AI-powered security mechanisms for enhanced protection
• Massive investor interest, with presale nearly sold out
• Upcoming exchange listings, driving potential price surges

Final Thoughts: A 28x Opportunity for Early Investors

Although Ethereum and Binance Coin are already major players, early investments in exciting new ideas generate the largest crypto gains. Analysts predict a possible price of $5.60 post-launch, and Rexas Finance (RXS) presents exactly that possibility and an incredible 28x ROI. RXS offers a special and profitable chance for investors wishing to diversify their portfolios and profit from a high-growth crypto project that might compete with the early years of Ethereum and Binance Coin.

For more information about Rexas Finance (RXS) visit the links below:

Website: https://rexas.com

Win $1 Million Giveaway: https://bit.ly/Rexas1M

Whitepaper: https://rexas.com/rexas-whitepaper.pdf

Twitter/X: https://x.com/rexasfinance

Telegram: https://t.me/rexasfinance ​

Disclaimer: The views and opinions presented in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CoinCheckup. The content of this article should not be considered as investment advice. Always do your own research before deciding to buy, sell or transfer any crypto assets. Past returns do not always guarantee future profits.

Nike (NKE) is scheduled to report earnings for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 after the closing bell on Thursday, with analysts more bullish than bearish on the apparel maker’s stock.

Half of the 18 analysts tracked by Visible Alpha rate Nike stock as a “buy,” with seven “hold” and two “sell” ratings. Their average price target of near $82 would represent a premium of about 14% from Friday’s close.

Nike is expected to report $11.02 billion in revenue for the quarter, down from $12.43 billion the same time a year ago. Earnings per share (EPS) is expected to decline year-over-year to 28 cents.

Second Report Under New CEO Amid Turnaround Effort

Thursday’s report will mark Nike’s second under new CEO Elliott Hill, who took over the top job in October. In the second quarter, Nike’s results topped estimates, and Hill laid out his vision for improving sales. A number of analysts soon lowered their price targets, however, warning Nike’s turnaround could take longer than expected.

Morgan Stanley analysts said recently they see room for “slight outperformance” in third-quarter EPS and projections for the fourth quarter. However, they still “prefer to stay on the sidelines” on the stock, considering an uncertain growth trajectory amid the company’s strategic revamp.

Nike has increased its marketing and product efforts for women in recent months. The company announced a collaboration with Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS for a new line of products, and aired a Super Bowl commercial highlighting prominent female athletes.

Nike shares have lost about 30% of their value over the past 12 months, closing the week just under $72.

Editor’s Note: Over the past three months, consumer sentiment has dropped by 21%, its largest three-month crash since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in summer 2020.

As my InvestorPlace colleague Luke Lango puts it… we’ve reached the bottoming zone. 

However, big consumer sentiment rebounds out of the bottoming zone can coincide with major market rebounds; this means this could actually be a great time to buy stocks.

Luke is joining us today to tell us why, despite the data, consumer sentiment could rebound over the next few months – and why stocks could, too…

Take it away, Luke…

Consumers are feeling gloomy about the economy right now… and the University of Michigan’s awful Consumer Sentiment Report shows that the outlook is only getting worse.

There’s no other way to put it – consumer sentiment is crashing. The university’s headline index dropped from 64.7 in February to 57.9 in March, its lowest level since November 2022.

The Current Conditions Index dropped to 63.5, its lowest since September 2024. And the Expectations Index dropped to 54.2, its lowest since July 2022.

Across the board, consumer sentiment is collapsing. But this is not a new trend; it’s been happening all year long.

Over the past three months, consumer sentiment has dropped by 21%, its largest three-month crash since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in summer 2020.

That’s ugly data.

However, as we all know, there’s perception, and there’s reality.

In reality, are things really that bad?

At 2.3%, gross domestic product (GDP) growth is still positive. Consumer spending is steady. Unemployment is low at 4.1%. Inflation is falling, currently hovering around 2.8%. At about 4.3%, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, wage growth is strong and running above inflation. And as the fourth-quarter earnings season illustrated, corporate profits are still growing, with more than 75% of the S&P 500 exceeding consensus estimates.

Sure, we have ongoing tariff drama and policy uncertainty. But the economy still remains on solid footing.

So, while sentiment is in the basement right now, the real economy appears to be doing just fine.

That could change, of course. But as of right now, economic conditions are pretty normal.

That’s why we think consumer sentiment will rebound over the next few months – and as that happens, stocks should, too…

Is the Bottom Near?

Consumer sentiment is currently being walloped by tariff drama, federal spending cuts, and policy uncertainty. But we think all those dynamics will ease in the coming months.

In our view, the Trump administration is front-loading these moves so it can pave the way for other things – like a big tax cut package and more deregulation – which should boost consumer sentiment.

That is, we believe temporarily bad policy developments are weighing on consumer sentiment. But as the administration shifts focus in the coming months, consumer sentiment should rebound.

The data seems to agree with this thesis.

The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index has crashed to levels that are historically considered the “bottoming zone.”

Since 1980, consumer sentiment has oscillated violently between really low and really high readings. But it has consistently bottomed in the 50 to 60 range.

In 1980, amidst the Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate-hiking cycle, it bottomed at 52. In 2008, it bottomed at 55 during the financial crisis. It bottomed at 56 in 2011 during the European sovereign debt crisis and at 50 in the thick of 2022’s inflation crisis.

The consumer sentiment index just dropped below 58. Historically speaking, we’ve reached the bottoming zone.

If this truly is the bottom, then this could be a really good time to be buying stocks…

Because big consumer sentiment rebounds out of the bottoming zone – like we saw in the early 1980s, coming out of the GFC, in 2012/13, and in 2023/24 – coincided with major market rebounds.

The Final Word on Consumer Sentiment

Wall Street is in turmoil right now.

This week, the S&P 500 fell into correction territory – dropping 10% from recent highs – in one of its fastest crashes of all time. Similarly, the Nasdaq has crashed 15% from recent highs, and the Russell 2000 has plunged almost 20%.

But if we’re right about consumer sentiment data finding a bottom soon… then stocks should do the same… meaning Wall Street’s recent volatility is actually creating a great buying opportunity.

That’s why we’re telling our subscribers to back up the truck and buy stocks right now.

But where should folks look for the best buying opportunities?

It’s no secret that we’re bullish on AI – the greatest technological revolution in three decades. This breakthrough has already created fabulous investment opportunities, allowing investors to lock in ~990% gains in Palantir (PLTR) and 400% profits in Nvidia (NVDA) over the past two years. And so much more is yet to come.

But here’s the challenge: the broader AI trade is crowded. That’s why we’ve been hunting for the next big industry breakthrough…

And we’ve found it in what I call AI 2.0 – a development that could be an order of magnitude bigger than anything we’ve seen in the AI Boom so far.

Discover the next generation of AI that may hold even more profit potential than today’s leading tech companies.

Sincerely,

Luke Lango

Editor, Hypergrowth Investing