Higher for longer is testing Asia’s AI trade

TSMC posts a record US$23.5 billion profit — yet Asian tech hardware gets crushed. Memory chips plunge 11 per cent. Credit default swaps for AI investors like SoftBank and CoreWeave widen to record highs. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz stays in limbo, oil markets juggle ceasefires and tanker attacks, and the Kospi suffers its sharpest drop in months. Are we watching the moment debt-fueled AI expansion hits a wall? Oriano Lizza from CMC Markets joins Howie Lim to find out in Market Focus Weekly. Highlights: 01:52 TSMC's record profit vs. Asia's tech wreck 02:48 CXMT Rising; chip gap closing for Samsung and SK Hynix 03:58 Oil, Hormuz, and the geopolitical seesaw 06:20 Credit risk widens and the debt wall 09:18 Asia's higher-for-longer survival guide --- --- Send us your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to [email protected]. --- Written and hosted by: Howie Lim ([email protected]) With Oriano Lizza, sales trader, CMC Markets Edited by: Howie Lim & Claressa Monteiro Produced by: Howie Lim & Chai Pei Chieh A podcast by BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media --- Follow Market Focus Weekly podcasts every Friday: Channel: bt.sg/btmktfocus Amazon: bt.sg/mfam Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/mfap Spotify: bt.sg/mfsp YouTube Music: bt.sg/mfyt Website: bt.sg/mktfocus Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. Discover more BT podcast series: BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks BT Correspondents at: bt.sg/btcobt BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.