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REDMOND, Washington (Reuters) -Microsoft envisions a future where any company’s artificial intelligence agents can work together with agents from other firms and have better memories of their interactions, its chief technologist said on Sunday ahead of the company’s annual software developer conference. Microsoft is holding its Build conference in Seattle on May 19, where analysts expect the company to unveil its latest tools for developers building AI systems. Speaking at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, ahead of the conference, Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott told reporters and analysts the company is focused on helping spur the adoption of standards across the technology industry that will let agents from different makers collaborate.

Wall Street share futures slipped with the dollar on Monday and Treasury yields rose as concerns about erratic U.S. economic policies were underlined by Moody’s downgrade of the country’s credit rating. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent used television interviews on Sunday to dismiss the downgrade, while warning trade partners they would be hit with maximum tariffs if they did not offer deals in “good faith”. Bessent is off to a G7 meeting this week for more talks, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met on Sunday to discuss trade.

AI models like ChatGPT and Perplexity could be threats to Google’s search dominance. Google posted just a 2% year-over-year increase in paid clicks last quarter. The Google owner is underperforming the Nasdaq Composite, which has rallied in recent weeks and is only down about 1% year to date at the time of writing.

Moody’s cited the potential extension of President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which could add around $4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.

Nvidia’s dominance in the AI chip market and robust software moat has made it a darling of the stock market. Amazon’s AWS cloud computing platform, complete AI stack, and effective data-driven advertising platform are key growth catalysts. The U.S. equity market has been challenging for investors in 2025, weighed down by inflation, geopolitical tensions, and rising interest rates.

The U.S. and China struck a deal to lower import tariffs significantly from levels that had surpassed 100%. Tech stocks have been center stage as tariff concerns mounted because they heavily rely on manufacturing abroad. Things were looking extremely difficult for technology companies just a few weeks ago.

Regardless of whether headline inflation numbers appear to be easing or retailers are warning of coming price hikes, it is always a smart investment in inflation-proofing your portfolio. NewEdge Wealth Head of Portfolio Strategy Brian Nick comes on Catalysts to speak more on where he is finding opportunities, especially in fixed income and the bond market (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX), as well as in foreign markets like Europe and China. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here.

Results from some of the Magnificent 7 names last week reignited the AI trade.

We profile a pair of blue chips that recently announced dividend hikes, which has turned out to be a broader Q2 theme

McKinsey expects that AI chips and related hardware will receive the largest allocation of infrastructure spend over the next five years. Global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company recently published a report detailing compelling trends in research and development (R&D) and capital expenditure (capex) related to artificial intelligence (AI) investments over the next five years. Per McKinsey’s analysis, spending on AI infrastructure could reach $6.7 trillion by 2030.

Warren Buffett has been a net seller of stocks quarter after quarter and has built up a record level of cash. The billionaire has proven his knowledge of the market over 59 years — and has outperformed the S&P 500. The bull market roared on last year, and investors favored high growth stocks in particular — with the idea that these sorts of players would excel in a potentially lower interest rate environment.

Wall Street market strategists entered 2025 bullish, but many lowered their targets for the S&P 500 after Trump’s tariff announcements. Wells Fargo’s Christopher Harvey did not waver in the face of a potential trade war. After the tariff drama began to unfold in late March and early April, most Wall Street strategists did not hesitate to lower their price targets for the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC).

Dividend stocks can be a great way for investors to generate passive income. Dividends can also be more predictable than stock prices, which have fluctuated intensely this year. The stock market has been incredibly volatile this year, registering a nearly 20% fall from February highs before bouncing back with a roughly 20% gain since President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement in April.

Dollar General’s stock price bucked the market malaise in 2025. The low-price retailer’s strong performance makes sense, given economic concerns. Although Dollar General’s business is positioned to benefit in some ways, there’s one worrying “growth” issue to monitor.

No matter your investment time horizon, market volatility can make it difficult to stay calm if you’re invested in stocks and bonds. But that’s exactly what investors need to do during turbulent times.

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