Public Markets 3h Briefing
×Last updated: July 26, 2026, 8:30 PM ET
Energy Markets React to Geopolitical Pause
Oil futures tumbled at the week's open bloomberg.com as the US and Iran paused strikes ft.com over the weekend, easing concerns about supply disruptions in the Middle East. Brent crude opened lower ft.com after two weeks of escalating violence had pushed prices above $100 a barrel. U.S. equity futures rose bloomberg.com as the continued U.S. restraint from striking Iran for a second night bloomberg.com. No strikes have been reported since Friday, leaving investors nytimes.com.
Corporate Finance and AI Investment
Nvidia wsj.com is reportedly in talks to finance as much as $250 billion for OpenAI to build a vast data center, which would be one of the largest AI computing hubs and involve U.S. government-controlled power. Separately, authorities are wsj.com in private-credit deals involving Mark Walter’s insurance companies, following a whistleblower's tip that sparked a federal probe into potential fraud.
Legal Industry and Infrastructure Deals
David Fox, who played a key role in building Kirkland & Ellis into a top law firm, sees AI as the industry's future wsj.com and has plans to reshape "Big Law" once again. Meanwhile, a new Detroit bridge to Canada, a project that faced trade tensions and nearly saw its permit revoked by the Trump administration, is set to open Monday wsj.com after a decade-long saga.
Philippine Economy and Corporate Takeover Interest
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s upcoming State of the Nation address is seen as crucial for reviving the nation's economy, particularly after last year's address revealed billions of dollars in graft. In a separate business development, Sazerac, the maker of Buzz Ballz cocktails, has sent a letter wsj.com to the Brown family urging them to reconsider a previously rejected takeover offer for Jack Daniel's maker Brown-Forman.