US Markets Reach New Heights as Tesla Surprises with Strong Q1 Earnings

Financial News Highlights: The Nasdaq Composite Index has reached an all-time high, and Tesla’s first-quarter earnings report has exceeded expectations.

Key Events to Watch:

• The second phase of the Canton Fair will take place from April 23 to April 27.
• The full-platform public beta test for “Yihuan,” developed by Perfect World’s Huan Tower studio, is scheduled for April 23.
• The Fifth China International Mining Investment and Development Summit will be held from April 23 to April 25.
• The 2026 Integrated Smart Inspection Conference and the 11th National Drone Power Application Technology Summit Forum will take place on April 23.
• The 2026 China Aerospace Conference (CSC2026) is set for April 23.
• The State Council Information Office will hold a press conference on April 23 regarding the agricultural and rural economic performance in the first quarter of 2026.
• The Ministry of Commerce will hold a press conference on April 23 to discuss recent key work in the business sector.
• The State Council Information Office will hold a press conference on April 23 regarding the construction of a strong intellectual property nation in China by 2025.
• The Huawei Qian Kun Technology Conference will take place on April 23 at 19:00.

Data Releases: The U.S. will release the preliminary S&P Global Manufacturing PMI for April, as well as the number of initial jobless claims for the week ending April 18.

Market Overview: U.S. stock indices closed higher across the board overnight. The Dow Jones rose by 0.69% to 49,490.03 points, the S&P 500 increased by 1.05% to 7,137.9 points, and the Nasdaq climbed by 1.64% to 24,657.57 points, marking a new historical high. Boeing shares rose over 5%, and Apple gained more than 2%, leading the Dow. The Wind U.S. Tech Giants Index rose by 1.81%, with Amazon and Google both up over 2%. The Nasdaq Golden Dragon Index, which tracks Chinese companies listed in the U.S., dropped by 0.05%. Daqo New Energy surged over 16%, while Zai Lab fell more than 6%.

International precious metals futures generally rose, with COMEX gold futures increasing by 0.82% to $4,758.30 per ounce and COMEX silver futures up 1.56% to $77.69 per ounce. The ongoing uncertainty in U.S.-Iran ceasefire negotiations, coupled with persistent inflation in Europe and America, is supporting a rise in precious metals.

U.S. oil futures rose, with the main contract up 3.57% to $92.87 per barrel, and Brent crude gained 3.12% to $101.55 per barrel. The second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations has stalled, and the U.S. continues its maritime blockade against Iran, causing concerns over crude oil supply shortages.

In the London metals market, most base metals saw gains, with LME aluminum rising 1.83% to $3,622.0 per ton, LME copper up 1.81% to $13,470.5 per ton, LME tin rising 1.33% to $50,595.0 per ton, LME nickel increasing 1.32% to $18,465.0 per ton, and LME zinc up 0.70% to $3,466.5 per ton. LME lead remained steady at $1,963.5 per ton.

Macroeconomic Policies: The General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council have issued guidelines for effectively managing coal-fired power generation and promoting non-fossil energy development. The guidelines emphasize the need to balance energy conservation, carbon reduction, and energy security, while strictly controlling fossil fuel consumption.

In economic data, Shanghai’s GDP grew by 5.9% in the first quarter, and Shenzhen saw a growth of 5.8%. Various provinces and cities have announced their first-quarter GDP figures, with Shanghai’s GDP at 1.35 trillion yuan, Anhui exceeding 1.3 trillion yuan, and Shenzhen surpassing 950 billion yuan.

Fifteen government departments have collaborated to enhance guidance on youth marriage and relationships, exploring interconnected support policies for childbirth across housing, transportation, and consumption sectors.

Company News: Tesla’s first-quarter earnings report exceeded Wall Street expectations, calming market concerns about slowing sales and cash flow pressures. The report indicated a revenue of $22.39 billion, a 16% year-over-year increase, with a net profit of $477 million, up 17%. Tesla’s gross profit margin reached 21.1%, the highest in over three years, and free cash flow turned positive at $1.44 billion.

In a related note, Tesla plans to begin construction of its first humanoid robot factory in the second quarter and will collaborate with SpaceX to build the world’s largest chip manufacturing facility. However, following the earnings call, Tesla’s stock price retreated after announcing a projected $5 billion increase in spending.

Tencent and Alibaba are in talks to invest in DeepSeek, valuing the AI startup at over $20 billion.

NVIDIA is discussing a partnership with a South Korean power equipment company to develop an 800V DC system.

Meta has instituted a tracking software on employees’ computers to record mouse movements and keystrokes for AI training purposes, raising privacy concerns among staff.

Google announced that 75% of its new code is now generated by AI, while Tesla’s voice service in its vehicles will integrate with the Doubao model.

Samsung has halted its plans for 1D DRAM mass production due to material shortages, raising concerns about delays in its next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) plans.

UBS warns that oil prices may stabilize at around $80 per barrel, even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens, due to energy security concerns and the need for countries to rebuild inventories.

Investors are advised to exercise caution and stay informed about market trends and company developments.