Artificial Intelligence

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has given markets a rare opportunity to test risk appetite across credit and equity in recent days, having followed its blockbuster initial public offering (IPO) with a bond market debut.

We have had an eventful few weeks of AI-driven volatility in markets, with markets seemingly swinging from “everyone’s a winner” to “everyone’s a loser” faster than technological progress itself.

Market focus has shifted in recent weeks from hyperscaler spending to the threat AI could pose to numerous software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses.

Oracle returned to the bond market yesterday, just five months after its $18 billion September jumbo deal, finally removing the cloud of uncertainty around supply that has hung over the credit.

For much of the past year, the AI story in markets has been one of unrestrained optimism. Firms have been racing to spend on chips, infrastructure, and data centres, and equity valuations have generally rewarded those with the boldest capital expenditure plans.