US Stock Market Close: SpaceX Retreats from Highs to Close Up Nearly 5%, Rivian Falls by Almost 10%, MSTR Drops 6.35%

June 17. A research note from Guolian Minsheng Securities points out that, despite market hopes that AI-driven productivity gains will ease pressure on U.S. national debt, historical experience and current realities suggest AI is unlikely to replicate the debt resolution successes seen in the post-World War II era or during the Clinton administration in the short term. By the end of 2025, U.S. national debt is projected to hover near $38 trillion, with net interest payments approaching $1 trillion. The report outlines three strategies to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio: lowering interest rates, boosting economic growth, and shrinking fiscal deficits. Historically, the U.S. has completed two major debt reduction cycles: between 1946 and 1974, it relied on post-war high growth and technological transformation, cutting the debt ratio from over 100% to roughly 20% over three decades. In the 1990s, leveraging the internet revolution and Clinton administration fiscal discipline, it posted an a

On June 17, SK Hynix announced it is scrapping all formal educational requirements and adopting a rolling admissions process for entry-level positions. The South Korean semiconductor giant said the move comes amid growing competition in the AI semiconductor space, as the company will now hire talent based on actual work ability and growth potential, rather than relying solely on academic background. Previously, SK Hynix’s job postings had specified a minimum requirement of a four-year bachelor’s degree. Under the new policy, applicants can apply for entry-level roles regardless of their educational background, provided their work experience, job-specific skills, and fit with the company’s culture meet the position’s needs. SK Hynix’s stock rose 0.92% on the day the announcement was made.

June 17. Beijing time Thursday morning will mark new Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy meeting. Markets widely expect the central bank to hold interest rates steady at this session, but attention has shifted to possible tweaks to its policy framework and communication tools. Analysts note current market pricing shows investors are betting on a near-term rate hike, as inflation and employment data have strengthened, clouding the Fed’s policy outlook. Amid volatile oil prices and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, some observers argue inflationary pressures could ease temporarily, though a tight labor market would leave limited room for rate cuts. A key highlight of this meeting is the quarterly "dot plot"—the FOMC’s compilation of individual members’ interest rate projections. Markets will watch if divisions among committee members over the future rate path grow, or if officials signal a clear hike or extended period of elevated rat

June 17 — Frank Flight, chief macro strategist at Castle Securities, says the Federal Reserve could launch a fresh round of interest rate increases this year, with a total hike of 75 basis points, potentially kicking off as soon as September. In its report, the firm notes that against a backdrop of persistent, widening inflation, multiple factors are amplifying price pressures: loose financial conditions, supply chain snags, a tightening labor market, and a boom in AI-related investing. While the recent de-escalation in the Middle East has pushed oil prices lower, past conflicts have left a structural imprint on inflation expectations. Flight expects incoming Fed Chair Kevin Wash to adopt a hawkish tone at his first policy meeting, which could upend market bets that the central bank will cut rates in September. He also sees September, December, and early 2023 as all potential timeframes for those rate hikes. On the policy path front, Castle Securities thinks the June Fed meeting wil

According to monitoring data from OnchainLens, an address linked to Arthur Hayes received an additional 1,400 ETH (valued at $2.51 million) from FalconX on June 17. Separately, this same address had increased its ETH holdings by 3,000 ETH on June 15, pushing its total ETH balance to 4,400 ETH (worth $7.89 million).

June 17 — Serenity, sharing Mizuho Securities’ latest research note, called the recent sharp sell-off in CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) concept stocks an entirely unwarranted overreaction. Mizuho’s report dismisses market concerns over CPO mass production delays and slow 800V DC data center deployment as unfounded. Both tech pathways are on track, with mass production still targeted for 2028–2029. Fueled by rising demand for Nvidia’s 3.2T Spectrum-X CPO switch in 2027, Mizuho has upped its Optical Engine (OE) shipment projections. On the technological front, Mizuho identifies InP DFB lasers as CPO’s long-term mainstream standard, specifically naming $SIVE as a related beneficiary. VCSEL and microLED have not been sufficiently validated for short-distance intra-rack and chip-to-chip use cases above 1.6T, making them unlikely to become mainstream alternatives in the near term. For 800VDC data centers, incremental shipments are set to launch in 2027, with penetration rates rising further