The CAC 40 Index bounced back last week, even as a major rating agency downgraded the company’s outlook. It jumped to a high of €8,225, up from the year-to-date low of €6,762. This article explores some of the top catalysts that will move the index this week.

Top corporate earnings to impact the CAC 40 Index 

The CAX 40 Index rose last week after the strong earnings be LVMH, the biggest constituent company and the parent company of Tiffany, Fendi, and Christian Dior. Its revenue rose by 1% in the third quarter as it returned to growth following two quarters of negative growth.

LVMH stock jumped by 12% after the report, helping to boost the performance of other companies in the luxury goods industry like Hermès, Kering, and Burberry. Essilor, the biggest company in the eye industry, also published strong financial results last week.

The CAC 40 Index will react to earnings from some of the top constituent companies. Luxury brands companies like Kering and Hermès will publish their financial results on Wednesday.

The other top CAC 40 Index companies to release their earnings this week are Dassault Systemes, Orange, Renault, and Sanofi. Other companies like Airbus Paribas and Airbus will release their numbers in the following week.

Potential sale of Kering’s  beauty unit to L’Oréal 

The other notable catalyst for the CAC 40 Index will be rumors of corporate activity in France. According to Bloomberg, Kering, the parent company of Gucci, is considering selling its beauty business to  L’Oréal for about €4 billion. That will be the biggest deal in France this year  

The deal’s goal will be to turn around one of the biggest fallen angels in France, which has struggled in the past few years amid slowing Gucci sales. It will be the first turnaround efforts implemented by Luca de Meo, who became CEO last month.

Kering entered the beauty industry in 2023 with a €3.5 billion acquisition of Creed, a company that makes colognes. By selling this business, de Meo hopes to refocus the company on its core brands.

France politics after the downgrade 

The other notable catalyst for the CAC 40 Index this week will be France’s politics and the budget process.

Last week, the index rose after the country’s prime minister, Sebastian Lecornu, survived two no-confidence motions in parliament after he committed to suspend a law to boost the retirement age until after the presidential election in 2027.

Lecornu then submitted the draft budget to parliament, which will start to debate it. Still, despite this, S&P Global downgraded the French economy by one notch to A+/A-1 from AA-/A-1+. The agency said: 

“Additional risks to our growth forecast are considerable, particularly given the possibility of a pass-through of higher government borrowing costs into the cost of financing for the rest of the French economy.”

The credit rating downgrade explains why French bond yields rose on Friday. The 10-year rose to 3.36%, up from 3.30%. It remains much lower than the year-to-date high of 3.630%.

US corporate earnings 

The CAC 40 Index also jumped after the US earnings started, with most companies publishing strong results. The only issue came from some regional banks, which reported losses linked to fraud.

More notable companies will publish their earnings this week. The most notable one will be giants like Netflix, General Electric, Coca-Cola, Tesla, IBM, Thermo Fisher, Lam Research, Intel, and BlackStone. 

While these are all American companies, chances are that their performance will impact those in France and other countries.

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The Nikkei 225 Index jumped to a record high of ¥48,880 on Monday, continuing a strong bull run that started in 2022 when it collapsed to ¥24,660. Most recently, the index jumped in the last eight consecutive weeks, its longest streak in months.

Nikkei 225 Index boosted by politics

The Nikkei 225 and Topix indices have been in a strong bull run this year because of the ongoing political developments in Japan.

It jumped after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party reached a coalition deal with the Japan Innovation Party, popularly known as Ishin. The two parties will now hold about 231 seats in the lower house.

Ishin has made a few requests, including a temporary sales tax on food, stricter rules on political funding, and a cut in parliamentary lawmakers. Additionally, the party has sought for welfare system reforms. 

Therefore, the Nikkei 225 Index is rising because of the political certainty that this deal brings. It is also rising because it ensures that Sanae Takaichi will now become Japan’s prime minister.

Takaichi believes in Abenomics, a policy that Shinzo Abe supported. These policies include aggressive monetary policy, including interest rate cuts and quantitative easing, government spending, and deregulation. 

All these policies are friendly to the Japanese stocks and bearish for the Japanese yen. Data shows that the Japanese yen has pulled back from the month-to-date high of 153.13. 

Still, it is unclear whether Takaichi will be able to achieve her goals of monetary policy. That’s because the bank has already hinted that it will maintain a hawkish tone in the next meetings.

Japan earnings season nearing

The Nikkei 225 Index is also doing well as investors anticipate the upcoming Japan earnings season. Some top companies will start publishing their results this week, with most of them delivering their numbers from next week.

Chugai Pharmaceuticals, a company with a market capitalization of over $75 billion, will be the top company to watch this week. This is a major biotech company with expertise in oncology, immunology, and rare diseases. It will publish its results on Friday. 

The other notable company will be Shin-etsu Chemical, which is the biggest manufacturer of silicon wafers. It is also one of the top providers of PVC, photoresists, and specialty chemicals. 

More Nikkei 225 Index companies will publish their results next week. The most notable ones are Hitachi, Japan Tobacco, Takeda, Fujitsu, Panasonic, and Komatsu.

The Nikkei 225 Index will also react to the ongoing American earnings season. Hundreds of companies, including popular names like Tesla and Netflix will publish their financial results this week.

The other key catalyst for Japan stocks will be the upcoming Japan trade numbers on Wednesday and inflation report on Friday. Analysts expect the headline inflation to move from 2.7% in August to 2.9% in September. 

Nikkei 225 Index technical analysis 

Nikkei 225 chart | Source: TradingView

The weekly chart shows that the Nikkei 225 Index has been in a strong bull run this year and is now at the all-time high of ¥48,900. 

It jumped above the important resistance level at ¥42,470, the highest point on June 8. The index has remained above the 50-week and 25-week moving averages.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Stochastic Oscillator have moved to the overbought level. That is a sign that they have strong momentum going on. 

Therefore, the most likely scenario is where the Nikkei Index continues rising as bulls target the next key resistance at ¥50,000. A move below the support at ¥45,000 will invalidate the bullish outlook.

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There are signs of a crypto bull run as Bitcoin and most altcoins bounce back today. Bitcoin price has jumped to $111,000 for the first time in a week, while Ethereum has moved above $4,000. 

The market capitalization of all coins has jumped to over $3.77 trillion, while the 24-hour volume soared by 60% to $158 billion. This rally is happening as investors remain optimistic about a trade deal between the US and China. 

To be clear: as we wrote earlier, this crypto market rally may be a dead-cat bounce (DCB). A DCB is a temporary gain that happens when an asset is in a freefall. It is also known as a bull trap.

Best Altcoins to buy in a crypto bull run

This article explores some of the best altcoins to buy if this crypto bull run sticks. The most notable ones are Ripple (XRP), Chainlink (LINK), and Bittensor (TAO).

XRP price to benefit from key catalysts

XRP is one of the best altcoins to buy if there is a crypto bull run. It has numerous catalysts that will help it bounce back from the current bear market.

The first main catalyst is that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will likely approve multiple XRP ETFs that have been filed by top companies like Franklin Templeton, Invesco, and Bitwise. 

These ETFs have a high chance of attracting inflows from American investors. A good example of this is the ongoing performance of Bitcoin and Ethereum funds, which have attracted over $60 billion and $12 billion in assets since last year. 

The other notable catalyst that will boost the XRP price is the ongoing growth of the Ripple USD (RLUSD), which is about to cross the $1 billion asset milestone. 

Additionally, the XRP price will likely be boosted by the recent Ripple Labs acquisitions, including companies like GTreasury, Rail, and Hidden Road. All these companies will be integrated in the XRP Ledger over time. 

XRP Ledger is also gaining market share in other industries, including the real-world asset (RWA) sector. Its total value locked in the RWA industry has jumped to over $362 million.

Chainlink (LINK)

Chainlink price has crashed in the past few days, mirroring the performance of the overall crypto market. Still, LINK is one of the best crypto to buy once the crypto bull run starts. 

First, the amount of LINK tokens in the Strategic Reserves has continued rising this month. These reserves have jumped to over $9.3 million, up from zero a few months ago. 

Second, Chainlink price will benefit from the ongoing growth of industries like real-world asset (RWA) and decentralization. Chainlink has already inked deals with some of the top companies in finance, like JPMorgan, Swift, and Coinbase. Its total value secured (TVS) has jumped to over $60 billion.

Third, like XRP, the SEC will likely approve the Grayscale and Bitwise Chainlink ETFs either this year or in 2026. Those funds will likely lead to more demand in the coming months.

Bittensor (TAO)

Bittensor is another top crypto to buy as its token jumps. TAO token jumped from a low of $200 to the current $450. It is hovering at the highest point since October 15. 

Bittensor is a top crypto to buy because of the ongoing AI boom and the recently launched Grayscale TAO boom. This is notable because Bittensor is one of the top players in the AI space, where it offers an open marketplace or AI. 

As a result, instead of the AI industry being controlled by a few centralized companies, its design allows it to reward anyone who contributes models or data.

The other top altcoins to buy are the likes of Mantle, Binance Coin (BNB), and Aerodrome Finance (AERO).

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Carnival share price has pulled back in the past few weeks, moving from the year-to-date high of 2,205p in August to 1,924p today. It is hovering near its lowest level since July despite the ongoing demand for cruising. 

The cruise boom is continuing

Carnival stock price has pulled back in the past few months despite the ongoing cruise boom and record numbers. 

The most recent results showed that the company did better than expected in the third quarter of this year. Its net yield rose to 4.6%, higher than the guidance of 3.5%. 

The adjusted EBITDA jumped to $3 billion, higher than the guidance of $2.9 billion. Its net income of $2 billion was also higher than its guidance by about $200 million. 

Carnival and other top players in the cruising industry are benefiting from the ongoing demand from customers seeking cheaper vacation options. That’s because hotels and airfares have remained higher since the pandemic ended. 

Cruise line companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean have capitalized on this issue and boosted marketing that showcases cruises a better alternative to land-based resorts. 

A recent report by the American Automobile Association estimated that over 21.7 million US travelers will sail in 2026, up from 20.7 million this year. This growth marks the fourth consecutive year that the industry is booming.

Carnival bookings have soared

Carnival also reported higher bookings. For example, 2026 has already been half booked even as prices have jumped to a record high. The CEO said:

“Looking further ahead, 2027 is already off to a great start, achieving record booking volumes during the third quarter.”

Carnival has also continued to improve its balance sheet, including by refinancing, which helps it to reduce the interest expense. 

It did that by issuing two senior unsecured notes of $1.2 billion and $3 billion, maturing in 2031 and 2032. These approaches have helped it to receive a higher credit rating from Moody’s and S&P Global.

Carnival’s business will likely continue doing well as it monetizes its customers by increasing its offerings, including by opening Celebration Key, a major resort in the Bahamas.

The company is also benefiting from the ongoing crude oil price plunge. Brent, the global benchmark, has moved to $60 after falling by over 20% from the year-to-date high.

Analysts are optimistic that Carnival’s business will continue thriving in the coming years. The average estimate is that its revenue will rise by 6.50% this year to $26.65 billion, followed by 4.3% in 2026 to $27.80 billion.

Carnival share price technical analysis 

CCL stock chart | Source: TradingView

The daily timeframe chart shows that the Carnival stock price has pulled back in the past few months. It has now plunged below the 50-day and 100-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA). 

The stock has dropped below the important support level at 1,937p. This price is notable as it was the neckline of the head-and-shoulders pattern, which is a common bearish reversal sign. It has also formed a bearish flag pattern.

Therefore, the Carniva stock price will likely continue falling as sellers target the next key support at 1,800p. A move above the resistance at 2,000p will invalidate the bearish outlook.

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The Dow Jones and its exchange-traded funds (ETFs) like DIA have done well this year and are hovering near their highest level on record. It was trading at $46,200, up by over 26% from its lowest level this year. This article identifies some of the top companies driving the blue-chip index. 

Why the Dow Jones Index has jumped

The Dow Jones Index has jumped this year for several reasons. First, like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices, it is benefiting from the ongoing artificial intelligence tailwinds. This is notable as some key companies in the AI industry like Nvidia and Microsoft, are some of its biggest constituents. 

Second, it has jumped as investors embrace the new normal on trade. One main reason for this is that Donald Trump’s tariffs have not had a major impact on earnings. Data compiled by FactSet shows that the S&P 500 Index had an earnings growth of 11% in the second quarter. 

12% of the companies have published their third-quarter earnings. Their earnings growth was about 8.8%, the ninth quarter of growth. 

Third, companies have benefited from the actions of the Federal Reserve, which has started to cut interest rates. It slashed rates by 0.25% in its September meeting and hinted of more to come. 

Polymarket traders have placed odds of another rate cut in October to 96%. The stock market does well when the Fed is slashing interest rates. 

Caterpillar (CAT)

Caterpillar stock price has jumped this year, making it the best-performing Dow Jones constituent. It has jumped by 40% this year and by 100% from its lowest point this year. 

This growth is likely because of its mining equipment business, which is benefiting from the ongoing surge in prices.

The most recent results showed that the company’s revenue dropped slightly to $16.6 billion. Its backlog jumped by $2.5 billion, while the company returned $1.5 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. 

Nvidia (NVDA)

Nvidia stock price has jumped by 44% this year, making it the second-best-performing company in the Dow Jones Index. It has soared by over 26,367% in the last decade, making it one of the best-performing companies in Wall Street.

Nvidia has done well because its leading role in the artificial intelligence industry. It offers the top chips that are used by most AI companies globally. As a result, its revenue growth has continued to accelerate in the past few years, and analysts anticipate this trend to continue. 

Goldman Sachs (GS)

Goldman Sachs stock price has jumped by 30% this year, making it one of the top gainers in the Dow Jones. Its surge is primarily because of the ongoing resurgence of deal-making in the US. 

Recent data shows that the company’s business is booming, with its third-quarter revenue rising to $15.18 billion. Its Global Banking and Markets revenue rose by 18% to $10.12 billion, while the asset and wealth management jumped by 17% to $4.4 billion. This growth will likely continue as deal-making jumps.

The other top gainers in the Dow Jones are companies like IBM, JP Morgan, Microsoft, Walmart, Boeing, Cisco, and 3M. IBM and Microsoft are benefiting from the ongoing AI tailwinds, while JPMorgan has seen strong growth across all its businesses.

On the other hand, the top laggards in the index and ETF are companies like UnitedHealth, Salesforce, Merck, Nike, Honeywell, and Procter & Gamble. 

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The crypto market was highly volatile last week as investors reacted to the recent liquidation that cost investors at least $19 billion in a single day. This week will likely be more volatile for the industry as investors react to some notable news. This article highlights some of the best crypto news to watch this week.

Crypto market to react to US inflation data

The first main crypto news to consider this week will be the US inflation data, which will come out on Friday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has pledged to publish this report despite the ongoing government shutdown because of the implications on the social security. 

This data is important during the calculation of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Analysts expect the report to show that the headline consumer price index (CPI) jumped from 2.9% in August to 3.1% in September. 

The core CPI, which excludes the volatile food and energy products, is expected to move from 3.1% to 3.2%. If these numbers are accurate, they will have an impact on the Federal Reserve, which will deliver its interest rate decision a week later. 

The crypto market does well when the Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates. 

Top token unlocks

Cryptocurrency prices are normally affected by token unlocks, which increase the number of coins in circulation. Token unlocks are normally bearish, especially during a bar market. 

Hundreds of tokens will be unlocked this week. Data compiled by DeFi Llama shows that tokens worth over $212 million will be unlocked in the next seven days. The figure will likely be much higher as the platform does not capture all the unlocks. 

Some of the top tokens with large unlocks this week are LayerZero, which will unlock tokens worth over $40 million, representing 21% of those in circulation, TON, Kaito, EigenLayer, Mantra, Avalanche, and Axelar. 

Crypto liquidations

The other notable catalyst for the crypto market will be liquidations, which have remained at an elevated level recently. 

Over 1.6 million traders were liquidated on Friday as the crypto market crash accelerated. Total liquidations that day jumped to over $20 billion. Another 300k traders were liquidated last Friday as the amount jumped to over $1 billion. 

The soaring liquidations explain why the crypto market pulled back last week as many of the liquidated ones stayed in the sidelines. Another surge in liquidations will likely drag the crypto market this week.

US and China trade talks

Meanwhile, the crypto market will react to the progress on US-China trade talks. Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, confirmed that teams from the two sides will meet in Malaysia to prepare for the meeting between Donald Trump and China. 

These talks are important as they will likely lead to de-escalation between the two sides. They will come at a time when China has spotted its leverage on the US and is using it to the maximum. 

For example, it has unveiled measures to limit rare earth materials, a move that would impact US manufacturing. It has also announced targeted tariffs and an investigation on some companies.

A deal between the US and China would be highly bullish for the crypto market as it would reduce one of the top risks today. It will also lead to higher chances that the Federal Reserve will cut rates. 

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