☕️ [Task Coins Giveaway] Daily Market Talk

☕️ Quick afternoon thought: Tesla Q1 crushes it, SK Hynix profits soar 5x, Trump's Iran ceasefire talk hits another twist, and Singapore's March exports jump 15% on AI chip demand. Time for today's 3 big questions 👇

💬 Today's 3 Big Questions

1. Trump says US-Iran talks could resume "Friday or within 1.5-3 days" — but Iran calls it "another lie," with ceasefire set to expire April 26. Is a diplomatic breakthrough possible, or is the market too optimistic on oil?

2. Tesla Q1 revenue hits 3-year high, EPS beats across the board, FCF turns positive at $1.4B.Musk warns capex will surge. Is the AI/auto story finally gaining traction, or are margin pressures ahead?

3. SK Hynix Q1 net profit soars 500% to 40 trillion won ($27B) — operating margin hits a staggering 72%. With memory prices soaring, can this AI-driven super-cycle sustain, or are we due for a pullback?

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⏰ Deadline: 23 Apr 2026, 11:59 PM (SGT)

📊 Quick Market Recap

🌍 Geopolitics: Ceasefire Extended But Talks Stalled

Trump signals potential restart of Iran talks as soon as Friday. In a New York Post interview, the president suggested peace talks could take place "within the next one and a half to three days". Iran's leadership has dismissed this as "another lie," with reports suggesting Tehran remains deeply divided on how to proceed. Israeli media reports indicate the current ceasefire may end on April 26.

Meanwhile, Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire earlier this week, saying "I will therefore extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted". Iranian officials have so far refused to attend a second round of talks in Islamabad.

For oil markets, this means continued uncertainty. Brent crude remains elevated near $90-100/bbl as the market digests conflicting signals.

🇺🇸 US Markets

• Tesla Q1 earnings — strong beat, cash flow surprise. Tesla reported Q1 revenue of $22.39 billion, up 16% YoY, slightly below consensus but marking the highest revenue growth in three years. GAAP net income came in at $477 million, up 17% YoY, while adjusted EPS hit $0.41, beating expectations of $0.34. Operating margin improved to 4.2% from 2.1% a year earlier. Operating cash flow surged 83% to $3.94 billion, and free cash flow turned positive at $1.4 billion. However, Musk signaled a sharp increase in capex ahead — targeting annual production of 1 million Optimus humanoid robots.
• SK Hynix delivered jaw-dropping Q1 results. Revenue hit 52.58 trillion won, with net profit soaring 498% YoY to 40.35 trillion won (approximately $27.3 billion), far surpassing market expectations of 29.39 trillion won. Operating margin reached an eye-watering 72% — a single-quarter record. The results were driven by surging HBM demand for AI, with DRAM average selling prices jumping over 60% QoQ.
• Boeing Q1 results — backlog hits record $695B. Revenue rose 14% to $22.2 billion, driven by 143 commercial deliveries. Net loss narrowed to just $7 million, far better than the $31 million loss a year ago. The record backlog — including over 6,100 commercial airplanes — signals sustained demand for aircraft despite geopolitical headwinds.
• TSMC delays ASML's latest EUV machines. The chip giant confirmed it won't deploy ASML's newest high-NA EUV lithography equipment until at least 2029, citing cost and timing concerns.
• US initial jobless claims are due at 8:30 PM SGT tonight. Markets expect claims to rise slightly to around 210,000.
• Intel reports after market close today. Analysts expect revenue of ~$12.4 billion with breakeven EPS on a GAAP basis, though some forecasts remain negative at -$0.18.

🇭🇰 Hong Kong & China Markets

China Telecom and Aluminum Corp of China report earnings today. Markets are watching for updates on AI infrastructure spending and industrial demand recovery.

🇸🇬 Singapore Markets

• Retail investors provided a buffer for Singapore equities in March. According to exchange data, retail investors posted net inflows of about S$640 million in March, even as institutions and foreign investors sold amid Middle East-related uncertainty. SGX market strategist Geoff Howie noted that while retail flows help cushion swings, institutional and foreign flows remain the key drivers for STI direction.
• Keppel Corp Q1 net profit edged slightly lower — infrastructure gains offset by weaker real estate contributions. The company has monetized S$385 million in assets year-to-date, on track for its S$2-3 billion non-core asset monetization target.
• CapitaLand China Trust Q1 NPI fell 3.5% to RMB 282.4 million, primarily due to divested assets no longer contributing. Excluding those disposals, same-store portfolio NPI actually grew.