A confluence of high-stakes political drama and market-moving tech news created a volatile backdrop for investors, as Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook took the unprecedented step of suing President Donald Trump to block her ouster, while AI chip titan Nvidia saw its stock stumble after a less-than-stellar forecast.
Fed's Independence on Trial: Cook Sues Trump
In a historic move, Fed Governor Lisa Cook has filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order against President Trump's attempt to fire her for alleged mortgage fraud. The lawsuit argues that her removal would cause "irreparable harm" to the U.S. economy by undermining the central bank's credibility and independence.
Key points from the developing legal battle:
- The Defense: Cook's lawyers suggest the mortgage issue stems from an unintentional "clerical error" and is not material cause for dismissal, especially as it predates her time on the Fed board.
- The Legal Standard: Unlike many government officials, a Fed governor can only be fired "for cause." The upcoming emergency hearing will be a critical test of whether the allegations meet this high bar.
- Market Impact: Despite the gravity of the situation, markets remained largely unfazed, with the S&P 500 hitting record highs. Analysts suggest this is due to low summer trading volumes and the belief that the legal process will be lengthy and its outcome uncertain.
As one expert noted, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is likely praying for the restraining order, as it would allow him to deflect questions during the next FOMC press conference by citing an ongoing legal case.
Nvidia's AI Boom Hits a Snag
Even as the broader market rallied, Nvidia—the undisputed leader of the AI boom—saw its shares dip. While the company delivered another strong "beat and raise" quarter, its revenue forecast for the upcoming period merely met, rather than exceeded, Wall Street's lofty expectations.
The primary source of concern is uncertainty surrounding its business in China. The Trump administration has floated a proposal that would require U.S. chipmakers to hand over 15% of their China revenue. Nvidia's CFO, Colette Kress, pushed back firmly, stating she needs to see an "official regulatory document" before complying with such a directive. This geopolitical uncertainty forced Nvidia to exclude potential China sales from its guidance, creating a cloud over its otherwise explosive growth trajectory.
Hyperscaler Spending vs. Physical Constraints
Nvidia's leadership remains bullish, pointing to a potential $600 billion in capital expenditures from hyperscale cloud companies this year alone. However, some analysts are questioning the sustainability of this spending spree.
"Even if Hyperscalers raise their CapEx to $150 billion... where do you find the power to deploy all the chips you are getting from Nvidia? You will hit a wall ultimately." - Mandeep Singh, Bloomberg Intelligence
This highlights a growing concern that physical constraints, particularly energy and data center infrastructure, could soon become a bottleneck for the AI industry's growth, regardless of chip supply.
A Shake-up at the CDC
Adding to the day's news, the Trump administration ousted CDC Director Susan Monarez following a reported clash with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policy. The move has reportedly triggered a "mass exodus" of senior career officials, raising significant concerns about the stability and leadership of the nation's primary public health agency.
标题： 美联储动荡与英伟达预警：库克起诉特朗普，AI芯片巨头预测令人失望
摘要： 一场充满戏剧性的日子正在上演：美联储理事丽莎·库克以美国经济面临风险为由，对特朗普总统提起诉讼以阻止其解雇。与此同时，因中国业务不确定性而蒙上阴影的英伟达，其平淡的营收预测给蓬勃发展的人工智能行业敲响了警钟。
正文： 高风险的政治戏剧与撼动市场的科技新闻交织在一起，为投资者创造了一个动荡的背景。美联储理事丽莎·库克（Lisa Cook）采取了前所未有的行动，起诉总统唐纳德·特朗普以阻止自己被罢免；而AI芯片巨头英伟达则在发布了不尽人意的预测后股价受挫。
美联储独立性受审：库克起诉特朗普
在一项历史性举动中，美联储理事丽莎·库克提起诉讼，寻求针对特朗普总统试图以涉嫌抵押贷款欺诈为由解雇她的临时限制令。诉讼称，将她免职会损害中央银行的信誉和独立性，从而对美国经济造成“不可挽回的伤害”。
这场正在发展的法律战的关键点：
- 辩护理由： 库克的律师表示，抵押贷款问题源于一次无意的“文书错误”，并非解雇的实质性原因，特别是因为此事发生在她进入美联储理事会之前。
- 法律标准： 与许多政府官员不同，美联储理事只能“因故”被解雇。即将举行的紧急听证会将是对这些指控是否达到这一高标准的关键考验。
- 市场影响： 尽管局势严重，市场基本保持冷静，标普500指数创下历史新高。分析师认为，这是由于夏季交易量低，以及市场认为法律程序将是漫长的，其结果也不确定。
正如一位专家所指出的，美联储主席杰罗姆·鲍威尔可能正在祈祷法院发出限制令，因为这将使他能够在下一次联邦公开市场委员会（FOMC）的新闻发布会上，以正在进行的法律案件为由回避相关问题。
英伟达的AI热潮遇阻
尽管大盘反弹，但作为AI热潮无可争议的领导者，英伟达的股价却有所下跌。虽然公司再次交出了一份强劲的“超预期并上调指引”的季度报告，但其对下一季度的营收预测仅仅是符合而非超越华尔街的高期望。
担忧的主要来源是其中国业务的不确定性。特朗普政府提出了一项提案，要求美国芯片制造商上缴其中国收入的15%。英伟达的首席财务官科莱特·克雷斯（Colette Kress）对此表示坚决反对，称她需要看到“官方的监管文件”才会遵守这样的指令。这种地缘政治的不确定性迫使英伟达在业绩指引中排除了潜在的中国销售额，为其爆炸性的增长轨迹蒙上了一层阴影。
超大规模数据中心的支出与现实制约
英伟达的管理层依旧看好前景，指出仅今年一年，超大规模云服务公司的资本支出就可能达到6000亿美元。然而，一些分析师开始质疑这种支出狂潮的可持续性。
“即使超大规模数据中心将其资本支出提高到1500亿美元……你从哪里找到电力来部署所有从英伟达获得的芯片？你最终会撞到一堵墙。” —— Mandeep Singh，彭博行业研究
这凸显了一个日益增长的担忧，即物理限制，特别是能源和数据中心基础设施，可能很快成为AI行业增长的瓶颈，无论芯片供应如何。
CDC人事震荡
此外，特朗普政府在据报道与卫生与公众服务部部长小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪（Robert F. Kennedy Jr.）就疫苗政策发生冲突后，解雇了美国疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）主任苏珊·莫纳雷斯（Susan Monarez）。据称此举引发了高级职业官员的“大规模离职潮”，引起了对国家主要公共卫生机构稳定性和领导力的严重关切。