Market Monitor News June 13 (Oracle UP - Gamestop DOWN)

Oracle Hits the Gas, Boeing in Turmoil, and Markets Walk a Tightrope Amid Rising Global Tensions

Another day on Wall Street, and once again, it was anything but boring. As someone who follows the markets daily, I like to take a step back each evening to filter the noise and connect the dots.

Here’s my take on what really moved the markets, and why it matters.

Inflation Eases, Yields Cool Off, Market Breathes

Both the Dow Jones and Nasdaq managed a modest +0.2% gain. And while that doesn’t scream “bullish breakout,” under the surface, there was enough going on to keep the bulls engaged.

The main driver? Inflation, or rather, the lack of it. U.S. producer prices rose just 0.1% in May, softer than the 0.2% economists had penciled in.

That follows Wednesday’s surprisingly tame CPI reading. In short: markets are finally getting the kind of inflation data they’ve been craving for months.

Also worth noting: the 30-year Treasury auction went better than expected. Yields came in at 4.844%, below prevailing market rates.

Translation: strong demand. That’s a clear signal that investors aren’t (yet) hitting the panic button on U.S. debt.

Oracle Delivers a Statement, and Then Some

If you’re watching the tech landscape, you couldn’t miss what happened to Oracle (ORCL | +13.31%). The stock exploded to a record $199.85 after the company served up what can only be described as a knockout earnings report. Full-year revenue up 9% (constant currency), net income up 20%, and a CEO who didn’t blink when she used the word “spectacular” to describe the growth outlook.

The fuel? AI infrastructure and cloud growth, expected to jump from 24% to more than 40% in the coming year. That’s not incremental; that’s parabolic.

Barclays bumped their price target from $202 to $221. Evercore now sees $215 as fair value. But it wasn’t just about numbers — it was about conviction. Oracle is clearly betting the house on AI-fueled cloud infrastructure, and right now, it’s winning.

Boeing Can’t Catch a Break

While Oracle was flying, Boeing (BA | -4.79%) was crashing, figuratively and tragically, literally. A 787-8 Dreamliner went down shortly after takeoff in India, en route to London.

With 242 people on board and early reports suggesting almost no survivors, this is a humanitarian disaster, and also another blow to Boeing’s already battered reputation.

Let’s be real: this company has been under intense scrutiny for years now. Every new incident (and there have been far too many) chips away at what little investor confidence is left. The market’s verdict was swift: nearly 5% off the share price by the closing bell.

Chime’s IPO Sends a Signal

IPO windows don’t just “open”, they’re kicked wide by big-name entrants. Chime (CHME | +59.3%) debuted at $27, opened at $43, and held there. A 59% first-day pop is impressive by any standard, especially for a neobank without a banking license.

Still, a $15.7B valuation is notably below its $25B private round in 2021, a reminder that even the darlings of the pandemic era don’t escape gravity. That said, with 8.6 million active users and $518.7M in quarterly revenue, Chime made a loud statement: the IPO market is back in business.

Middle East on Edge — Israel Strikes Iran

Now for the real powder keg. While U.S. equities stayed relatively calm, the geopolitical backdrop became significantly more dangerous overnight. Israel launched what it calls a “targeted preventive strike” on Iranian nuclear and military targets. Several top Iranian military figures were reportedly killed, including names that don’t just headline internal reports, they shape Middle East policy.

Iran didn’t wait long to retaliate. Over 100 drones were reportedly launched toward Israel, and Tel Aviv declared a state of emergency, grounding flights and prepping for the worst.

This isn’t noise. This is real escalation. Oil held steady for now (WTI flat after Wednesday’s +5% spike), but if this drags on, the implications for global supply and risk premiums could hit hard and fast.

In Tech: Winners and Losers

Back to the U.S. tech space, some key movers worth mentioning:

Nvidia (NVDA | +1.52%) continued its AI-driven momentum. CEO Jensen Huang reminded everyone that the U.S. still leads in chip design, though he warned that excluding China too aggressively could backfire.

AMD (AMD | -2.18%) launched its MI350 AI chip series. Meta and Oracle are already on board, but the stock took a hit. Investors might be questioning whether AMD can really dent Nvidia’s lead.

GameStop (GME | -22.45%) collapsed on news it plans to issue $1.75B in convertible debt. The Reddit crowd might not like it, but they should probably get used to it.

BioNTech (BNTX | -0.51%) is buying CureVac (CVAC | +37.59%) in a $1.25B stock deal to expand its oncology pipeline. Market liked the deal more for CureVac than BioNTech.

What’s Next?

The Fed announces its next rate decision next Wednesday.

Expectations? A hold. But the real focus will be on Powell’s tone, especially after Trump once again blasted him, calling him a “fool” for not cutting rates. Trump’s now pushing for a 2-point cut, claiming it would save the U.S. $600B a year.

Politics aside, the inflation data gives the Fed some breathing room. But with markets priced for multiple cuts in the second half of the year, Powell’s words next week could spark real volatility.

I’ll wrap it up here. If you're a short- or medium-term trader, keep your eyes on rate expectations and geopolitics, both can trigger sudden rotations. And if you’re a ChartMill user, now's a good time to revisit your AI stocks, the Oracle move might just be a preview of what’s next.

Until tomorrow.

Kristoff - Co-Founder ChartMill

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Next to read: Market Monitor Trends & Breadth Analysis, June 13