Global News | U.S. stocks close lower across the board, AI chip export controls may expand globally

【U.S. Stock Indices】

On March 5th, Eastern Time (Thursday), the three major U.S. stock indices all closed lower, with the S&P 500 down 0.56% at 6,830.71; the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.61% at 47,954.74; and the Nasdaq down 0.26% at 22,748.99.

【U.S. Bonds】

On March 5th, the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was 4.13%, and the yield on the 2-year Treasury, most sensitive to Federal Reserve policy rates, was 3.57%.

【Popular U.S. Stocks】

Among popular stocks, Nvidia rose 0.16%, Apple fell 0.85%, Google C fell 0.84%, Google A fell 0.74%, Microsoft rose 1.35%, Amazon rose 0.98%, TSMC fell 0.97%, Meta fell 1.07%, Tesla fell 0.10%, Super Micro Semiconductor fell 1.30%, and Intel rose 0.81%.

【Global Indices】

【Chinese Indices】

On March 4th, overnight Hang Seng Tech Index futures fell 0.82%, Nasdaq China Golden Dragon Index rose 0.80%, and FTSE China A50 Index fell 1.60%.

【Chinese Concept Stocks】

Among popular Chinese concept stocks, Tencent Holdings (HK) fell 0.79%, Alibaba fell 2.21%, Pinduoduo fell 0.45%, NetEase fell 2.64%, Baidu fell 0.88%, Ctrip rose 2.16%, Li Auto fell 2.03%, Xpeng Motors rose 1.08%, and NIO fell 2.27%.

【Forex and Commodities】

【Global News】

U.S. plans to expand AI chip export controls globally; Nvidia, AMD, and other companies require licenses to export

According to media reports citing insiders, U.S. officials have drafted regulations to restrict the shipment of AI chips worldwide without U.S. approval. The legislation will grant Washington broad authority to decide whether and under what conditions other countries can build facilities for training and running AI models. The proposed rules will require companies to obtain U.S. licenses to export nearly all AI accelerators produced by Nvidia, AMD, and others. This will extend current controls, which cover about 40 countries, to a global scale. (First Financial)

OpenAI releases GPT-5.4 and GPT-5.4 Pro models

OpenAI officially launched GPT-5.4, featuring a “Thinking” mode, available on ChatGPT, API, and Codex platforms. Additionally, GPT-5.4 Pro, optimized for complex tasks, was released. OpenAI states that GPT-5.4 improves reasoning in deep web research and retains context better during extended thinking—users can now interrupt responses, add instructions, or change directions mid-response. The guiding feature is now available on Android and web versions, with iOS coming soon. OpenAI developers say GPT-5.4 has native computer usage capabilities. Codex and API support up to 1 million context tokens, enabling optimal proxy coding for complex tasks, scalable tool search within larger ecosystems, and more efficient reasoning for long, tool-intensive workflows.

OpenAI launches new financial service tool GPT-5.4

OpenAI releases a new financial service tool, GPT-5.4, rivaling Anthropic. GPT-5.4 is better suited for generating spreadsheets, documents, and presentations.

European Central Bank to conduct a 12-month digital euro pilot starting in late 2027

The European Central Bank will launch a 12-month digital euro pilot project in late 2027.

Traders increase bets on ECB rate hikes, expecting an 18 basis point increase this year

Traders are increasing bets on ECB rate hikes, expecting an 18 basis point increase this year.

Texas Instruments and Nvidia collaborate to accelerate safe deployment of humanoid robots from simulation to real-world applications

Texas Instruments and Nvidia are working together to speed up the safe deployment of humanoid robots from simulation to real-world environments.

Science raises $230 million to challenge Neuralink in brain-computer interface commercialization; race heats up

Neurotech company Science Corp has raised $230 million from investors to commercialize its implant devices for the visually impaired and develop more advanced brain devices. Insiders say that after this round, Science’s valuation (including new funds) reaches $1.25 billion, making it the second-highest valued brain-computer interface company globally after Elon Musk’s Neuralink. The company is also among the most well-funded, with a total of $489 million raised so far.

Brain-computer interfaces included in government work report for the first time; future industry focus

According to Xinhua News Agency, brain-computer interfaces were included in the government work report for the first time, becoming one of the key tech buzzwords during the National Two Sessions, and identified as a future industry development focus. Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun stated that during the 14th Five-Year Plan, efforts will be made to strengthen technological breakthroughs in brain-computer interfaces and related fields. This technology, at the intersection of medicine and computer science, is seen as a critical pillar for future high-tech industry development. China has achieved parity with international levels in non-invasive techniques and is gradually advancing in industrial applications involving smart interaction and intelligent manufacturing. Promoting brain-computer interface development requires strengthening basic research and multi-party collaborative innovation.

Meta to allow AI competitors access to WhatsApp

Meta will permit AI competitors to access WhatsApp to avoid regulatory action by the European Union. (Sina Finance)

Lilly’s first large-scale AI factory in the world is operational, equipped with over 1,000 GPUs

On March 5th, it was reported that Lilly’s AI pharmaceutical factory, LillyPod, has begun operations. It is the world’s first fully autonomous AI pharmaceutical factory operated by a pharmaceutical company. The factory was assembled in just four months and is equipped with over 1,000 Nvidia Blackwell Ultra GPUs, providing immense computing power for scientific research. (First Financial)