Key Points

• Wall Street Rallies: The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq closed at record highs for a second straight session, lifted by trade optimism and strong tech gains, with Tesla up 8% and Apple nearly 5%.
• Porsche Outlook Cut: Porsche shares fell nearly 7% after slashing its 2025 profitability forecast and delaying EV launches, dragging the broader European auto sector lower.
• Airport Cyberattack: A cyberattack on Collins Aerospace disrupted check-in systems at Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels airports, causing widespread cancellations and highlighting vulnerabilities in aviation infrastructure.
• H-1B Visa Shock: Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee rattled tech and finance firms reliant on skilled foreign workers, prompting emergency guidance from Amazon, Microsoft, and JPMorgan.
• Buffett Exits BYD: BYD stock dropped 3.4% after Berkshire Hathaway confirmed it sold its entire stake, ending a 17-year bet amid growing competition and a 30% decline from recent highs.

Wall Street Extends Rally on Tech Gains and U.S.-China Trade Progress

U.S. equities closed at record highs for a second consecutive session Friday as optimism around trade talks with China and strong tech performance propelled markets.

The Dow gained 0.4%, the S&P 500 added 0.5%, and the Nasdaq advanced 0.7%, supported by Apple’s nearly 5% rise on iPhone demand optimism and Tesla’s 8% weekly surge.

All three indexes logged weekly gains, with the Nasdaq leading at 2.2%. Investor sentiment improved following President Trump’s talks with China’s Xi Jinping, which signaled progress on trade and a potential TikTok resolution, while nuclear and AI-related stocks showed divergent performance.

Porsche Tumbles on Outlook Cut as Visa Crackdown Weighs on European Markets

European equities edged lower Monday, with the Stoxx 600 down 0.2%, as auto stocks led declines following Porsche’s decision to cut its 2025 profitability outlook and delay new EV launches amid weakening demand. Shares of Porsche fell nearly 7%, dragging Volkswagen down 5.5%, while the sector index dropped 2.3%.

Investor sentiment was further pressured by the Trump administration’s abrupt move to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, raising concerns for global recruitment, particularly in tech. Broader markets remained cautious ahead of euro zone consumer confidence data and China’s latest lending rate decision.

European Airports Hit by Cyberattack, Forcing Cancellations and Delays

Major European airports faced ongoing disruption after a cyberattack struck Collins Aerospace, the provider of check-in and boarding systems for several airlines.

Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels airports were among the most affected, with Brussels canceling half of Monday’s departures as the system outage extended into a second day.

RTX, Collins’ parent company, confirmed the disruption to its MUSE software and said manual check-ins were mitigating the impact. The incident underscores the aviation sector’s vulnerability to supply-chain cyberattacks, with analysts warning that compromised third-party systems can trigger widespread, cross-border operational disruptions.

Trump Imposes $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee, Tech and Finance Scramble

Global technology and finance firms were jolted after President Donald Trump announced a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, a move poised to disrupt America’s skilled immigration pipeline.

Amazon, which employs more than 14,000 H-1B holders, along with Microsoft, Meta, Apple, Google, and major banks, advised employees to avoid international travel amid uncertainty.

The measure, part of Trump’s broader crackdown on legal immigration, triggered concern in India and South Korea over humanitarian and economic fallout. While the White House framed the move as protecting U.S. workers, businesses warned it risks undermining competitiveness in tech and finance.

BYD Slides as Buffett Exits Longtime Stake

Shares of BYD fell 3.4% in Hong Kong after reports confirmed Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway fully exited its stake in the Chinese EV maker, ending a 17-year investment. Berkshire began paring its holdings in 2022, and a recent filing showed the position valued at zero as of March 31.

The sale comes after BYD’s stock gained over 4,500% since Buffett’s initial purchase in 2008, but has since retreated about 30% from a record high amid intensifying price competition in China’s EV sector. BYD acknowledged Buffett’s exit, thanking Berkshire for its long-term support.

Conclusion

Wall Street’s rally underscores continued confidence in tech and trade progress, yet corporate challenges — from Porsche’s weakened outlook to cyber vulnerabilities at major airports — reveal underlying fragility.

Trump’s H-1B visa fee signals a structural shift in labor dynamics with potential long-term implications for global talent flows.

Meanwhile, Buffett’s BYD exit highlights risks in China’s competitive EV market.

Global markets remain in flux as investor sentiment oscillates between optimism from record U.S. equity gains and caution from geopolitical and policy shifts. Investors must balance near-term momentum with vigilance over policy shocks and sector-specific vulnerabilities.

Investment Insights

• U.S. equities: Record highs in the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq highlight strong tech momentum and improving trade sentiment, but stretched valuations call for selective exposure.
• European autos: Porsche’s cut in profitability outlook underscores risks from weak EV demand, suggesting caution in European auto equities and supply chains.
• Cybersecurity: The airport cyberattack highlights systemic vulnerabilities, reinforcing long-term investment opportunities in cybersecurity infrastructure and solutions.
• Policy risk: Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee could raise labor costs for tech and finance, pressuring margins while accelerating automation and reshoring trends.
• China EVs: Buffett’s BYD exit signals rising competition and margin compression in China’s EV sector, pointing to potential market consolidation.

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