AI and Financial Stocks Strong Amid Interest Rate and Oil Price Anxiety

International oil prices continue their upward trend, rekindling inflation pressure. The potential for war escalation in the Middle East is cited as a major cause of rising oil prices, which burdens the global economy. High oil prices can lead to increased production costs and reduced consumption, fueling inflation and raising the possibility of interest rate hikes by central banks worldwide.

The Bank of Japan's (BOJ) signal of an interest rate hike is having a ripple effect on global financial markets. Japanese insurance companies and banks, in particular, have begun a rebalancing process, divesting loss-making assets and reallocating funds to new investment opportunities. Changes in fund flows resulting from this process contribute to increased volatility in international financial markets.

The current market faces macroeconomic uncertainties from rising oil prices and potential interest rate hikes. In this situation, market participants seek sectors that can offer both uncertainty avoidance and stable returns. The AI sector consistently attracts funds due to its perceived high growth potential, independent of environmental changes, while financial holding companies also see concentrated demand driven by expectations of improved performance during rate hike periods. Both sectors act as havens for investors amid the market's current unstable trends.

In the past, even when oil prices surged, refining stocks often did not follow suit. However, recently, when international oil prices rise, related oil refining stocks also show a concomitant increase. This suggests a change in the market dynamics of the refining industry or in investors' perceptions.

Whenever market instability increases, investors typically move towards safe assets. However, in the recent market, the meaning of 'safety' has expanded beyond merely protecting against stock price declines to pursuing relatively higher returns compared to other assets. Investors are paying greater attention to assets that can maintain resilience in a downturn while still expecting a certain level of return. This shows that the focus of investment strategies is changing with shifts in the market environment.

As a rule, stock investments should never be made in an inverse-array phase. An inverse-array signifies a continuous downward trend where stock prices are below their long-term moving averages. As the market transitions from an inverse-array to a normal-array, sector rotation can occur within related sectors, making it essential to focus on identifying stocks in anticipation of this period.

The US market and the overall macro situation continue to make investors uncomfortable. In this uncertain environment, it is crucial to maintain the core of your portfolio. A strategy of holding onto core sector investments such as financial holding companies, semiconductors, and power infrastructure through Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) or individual stocks is recommended. Conversely, loose trading aimed at short-term gains should be avoided in the current market, and investors should consider securing cash and observing the market.

While such statements might foster expectations of lower oil prices in the market, their sincerity is questionable. Therefore, aggressive trading based on the premise of falling oil prices is risky, and market participants should be careful not to make hasty judgments by simply taking Trump's wording at face value.

As seen with Apple, even without a rapid succession of new products or services, a strong base of loyal customers provides a foundation for a company's resilience. Customer loyalty, where customers consistently purchase and use a specific company's products or services, ensures stable corporate revenue and acts as a decisive factor in gaining a competitive edge in the market. In particular, dependence on a software ecosystem or robust security systems prevents customer churn and further strengthens a company's moat. Furthermore, even when transitioning to a Large Language Model (LLM) platform, existing data migration issues create a customer lock-in effect, further highlighting the importance of loyal customers.

This bill is expected to have an impact on the cryptocurrency market as significant as interest rate decisions. The Clarity Act could have ripple effects across the fintech industry, not just the crypto market, and its passage could accelerate the formation of related themes.

The company is pursuing a business to help card issuers secure funding by combining payment settlement data with on-chain lending infrastructure. This move is expected to increase the utility of stablecoins and accelerate the convergence of traditional financial systems with the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

The domestic financial industry still tends to adhere to a bank-led model due to regulations. Related regulations, such as the Securities Transaction Act, restrict fintech companies and traditional financial institutions from combining to offer various transaction services in department store apps, for example. This raises concerns that the domestic financial industry could fall behind as overseas big tech companies dominate financial markets. It is time for the domestic financial environment to seek change in line with global fintech innovation.

Today is triple witching day, which could lead to increased volatility in the stock market. In particular, ETF rebalancing occurring simultaneously could result in significant intraday movements. However, historical data shows that sharp volatility on expiration day tends to revert to normal the following day. Investors should be aware of these characteristics and approach the market cautiously.

While past triple witching days had certain volatility patterns, the current market environment may differ from the past, making it difficult to predict the direction of volatility today. Expiration days inherently involve volatility, but their direction and magnitude can vary depending on market conditions, a point to be mindful of.

Major robot-related stocks such as Yuil Robotics, Rainbow Robotics, and Robotis are leading the upward trend. This is interpreted as a reflection of the market's expectations for the robot industry's growth potential and technological innovation. The robot sector's solo run amid the struggles of other sectors draws significant investor attention.