Public Markets 24 Hours

Last updated: July 29, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

Middle East Tensions and Oil Market Impact

Oil prices rose sharply as renewed hostilities in the Middle East and strikes in Iraq elevated concerns over supply disruptions. U.S. crude oil inventories to 404.5 million barrels, reaching a "precariously low" level that could erode the ability to supply global markets dependent on. Shipping risks due to attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab strait, further disrupting tanker traffic. This escalation and contributed to rising Treasury yields, with renewed hostilities pushing up yields as. Saudi Aramco is considering new oil pricing for Asia as Houthi militants. Pakistan and Bangladesh are paying $1 billion more for LNG as the Strait of. The potential for hotter-than-expected inflation due to the Middle East war led U.S. stocks to fall sharply.

Corporate Earnings and Financial Health

Renault reported higher as cost-cutting efforts showed positive results, leading the company to reaffirm its full-year outlook. Humana maintained adjusted, though investors were underwhelmed, and shares fell despite second-quarter results beating expectations. Greggs shares soared as the UK bakery chain defied fears of a peak in sausage roll demand, with its stock rally punishing short sellers. Campari confirmed its 2026 sales view, with aperitif demand offsetting a slump in U.S. bourbon sales, and the company recorded 2.5% organic sales growth in the June quarter. Airbus profits climbed as jet deliveries rose by 39% year-on-year in the second quarter. GE HealthCare Technologies, boosted by an 11% increase in total orders. General Dynamics in the second quarter, with performance improving across all business lines. Bausch + Lomb following a strong quarter, increasing its revenue target by $20 million. BASF profit soared due to the sale of its coatings division and higher prices, reporting a multi-billion euro disposal gain. Porsche AG after first-half profitability rose, indicating a potential turnaround. Bunge Global raised its outlook on strong soybean and softseed performance, which drove second-quarter sales up nearly 90%. Intesa Sanpaolo and expects net profit to exceed €10 billion this year. Eni hiked share again after conflict-driven earnings boosted results, coinciding with higher oil and gas prices.

Banking and Financial Services Sector Activity

Deutsche Bank after its earnings beat expectations, with pretax profit increasing 11% year-on-year. UBS and Deutsche Bank in reporting trading-led profit surges. UBS also plans a $3 as its investment bank and wealth units lifted profit, with the program expected to end by the second quarter of 2027. The high-grade corporate bond market in July, according to the New York Fed. Bank of Montreal covering about $5 billion of corporate loans, joining other Canadian lenders in tapping investor demand. Grant Thornton's US arm agreed to buy rival accountant CBIZ Inc. for $5 billion, marking a significant acquisition in the professional services sector. Morgan Stanley bankers for wealthy clients, though the bank stated it has not compromised underwriting standards. Hong Kong finance stocks are poised for their best month in two years, with investors favoring banks and insurers as tech enthusiasm wanes. Singapore stocks are in nearly six years, supported by a rally in banking shares. BNY Mellon will adopt blockchain technology for records, signaling a new era for Wall Street.

Technology and Artificial Intelligence Investments

Core Weave Inc. has sweetened terms on a $2.6 billion loan to fund computing capacity for firms including Anthropic, aiming to attract investors wary of AI-related debt. The U.S. is repurposing federal land for AI data centers, including converting a former uranium enrichment facility into a data center campus. Data centers are emerging as important revenue drivers for PPG. Brookfield is partnering with Next Era to turn a former nuclear weapons site into an AI campus. Nvidia's chips may be novel, but its "circular financing" approach, essentially enabling customers to buy more products than they could otherwise afford, is not. Wall Street is racing to roll out investment products tied to SpaceX shares, aiming to shield buyers from losses following its market debut. Cybersecurity firm Proofpoint faces higher borrowing costs and tighter covenants in a $5 billion debt deal, with AI risks contributing to the refinancing challenges. PwC published reports on AI that were marred by AI, highlighting challenges in the technology's application. Google Deep Mind dismantled its Nobel-winning Alpha Fold team as part of a strategy shift towards building broader AI systems for scientific discovery. The Nasdaq 100 is as investors brace for earnings reports from Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon, with Big Tech turmoil clouding the AI earnings picture.

Retail and Consumer Sector Trends

Retail investors are becoming more selective, offloading the most individual stocks on Tuesday since the pandemic. L'Oréal plans to more than triple sales of Gucci after acquiring the beauty license from Kering for €4 billion. Hermès International SCA and Kering SA shares diverged by a record margin, reflecting a reversal in fortunes for the luxury goods makers. Hermès shares dropped as investors worried about a weak China luxury market, with the luxury group hit by a fall in tourist shopping. Hermès' Chief Axel Dumas tracks China's pork prices to gauge the. VF Corp's revenue fell due to weakness in the Vans brand, and its CFO will depart. Bausch + Lomb upgraded its full-year outlook on strong demand for its eye health products. Procter & Gamble gave a soft outlook for its new fiscal year, expecting a $1 billion hit from higher costs related to the Iran war, and is working harder to win over inflation-squeezed consumers for brands like. Unilever India received rating upgrades after its earnings triggered the worst selloff in over six years.

Energy and Utilities Market Dynamics

U.S. refiners are producing fuel at a pace not seen since pre-Covid, but this is unlikely to curb soaring prices. U.S. crude oil inventories as the Iran war disrupts supply. France's move to expel a pro-Kremlin involves media owned by Vincent Bolloré. European wildfires, amplified by the emptying countryside and fewer farms, are becoming larger due to a warming planet and shift away from farming. Wildfire evacuations have also hurt. North Sea drilling is being pushed to be compatible with net zero, with energy project licenses conditional on carbon dioxide disposal. U.S. natural gas futures held steady after four sessions of losses. Saudi Arabia's Sabic narrowed its loss on higher selling prices despite lower volumes, and its strong balance sheet is expected to aid resilience amid supply disruptions and elevated energy prices.

Global Economic and Policy Developments

The US high-grade corporate bond market in July. Retail investors are becoming more selective, dumping most single stocks since the pandemic. Investors are bracing for an uncertain Fed, with the central bank expected to leave rates unchanged but traders preparing for surprises. The Fed's stance can influence consumer savings and borrowing. The European Union Fifa's $20 billion commercial venture. South Korea is cracking down on risky retail funds after a tech rout, with regulators limiting access to leveraged ETF products. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) dropped its pursuit of private equity executives over price gouging. Spain's value investors are scoring a rare win. Australia's core inflation, leading traders to slash bets on further RBA rate increases. The Turkish government lifted its milling as a record harvest is expected.

Automotive and Transportation Sector

Porsche AG after first-half profitability rose. BMW aims to cut 8,000 jobs as woes mount in China, following a recent slash to sales and profitability guidance. Ferrari's EV, designed by Jony Ive, has already hit its, with strong demand from China reported for the electric model. Jet Zero's blended-wing aircraft, the Z4, received a $3 billion loan commitment to help start production.

Other Notable Developments

The U.S. is making the most fuel since pre-Covid, but it's not enough to rein in soaring prices. Trump will end subsidies for Medicare drug premiums, potentially increasing costs for millions of older Americans. Mark Walter, owner of the Dodgers, is at the center of a federal probe and suffered a. Jim Leaviss, a renowned British bond investor, died at 55. Glen Hansard, frontman of Irish band The Frames, died at. Elon Musk settled a long-running legal battle with an X advertising group. Ex-Westpac Chief Economist Bill Evans died after a cancer battle.