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Last updated: August 6, 2026, 5:31 AM ET

Public Markets

Equity Markets Show Mixed Performance Amidst Economic Signals

U.S. stocks finished mixed as optimism surrounding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was counterbalanced by increased volatility in artificial-intelligence wagers. The blue-chip average, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, achieved its 24th record high of the year, while the Nasdaq Composite index experienced a slip. rose in early trade, driven by corporate earnings, with the Stoxx 600 index showing gains led by consumer-facing stocks and healthcare. soared the most since their 1995 initial public offering, indicating that the advertising agency's turnaround efforts are gaining momentum. jumped more than 20% as its root-and-branch review to streamline businesses began to bear fruit. declined in Asia and the U.S. as investors grew nervous about the sustainability of artificial-intelligence spending. net profit rose 54%, surpassing expectations, bolstered by factors including foreign-exchange gains and U.S. tariff refunds. lifted its full-year buyback program and again increased its guidance for a key metric after reporting higher second-quarter revenue. lifted its Smart Infrastructure outlook, with profit and orders boosted by strong demand for data center equipment, as companies accelerate their build-out of artificial intelligence infrastructure. also raised its outlook, citing robust results and easing currency headwinds, with stronger demand in life-science and electronics markets and resilience in its healthcare operations. unveiled a new share buyback program as Chief Executive Officer Bettina Orlopp seeks to demonstrate strong returns from her strategy, while Italian rival UniCredit SpA is reportedly preparing to increase its stake. is nearing a €2 billion deal for the beauty group Aroma-Zone, with French asset manager Eurazeo in talks to sell its stake in the company. first-half profit exceeded estimates, with all key business units performing in line with targets, and the reinsurer announced additional cost-cutting measures. reported a 13% profit increase for the first half of 2026, driven by accelerating demand across all its businesses, particularly in global data center and energy infrastructure. trimmed its sales guidance due to Germany's cancellation of a warship project, expecting a €300 million hit this year, though revenues have still grown amid a boom in defense spending. warned that high fuel costs might completely wipe out profits, swinging to a loss of almost €200 million between April and June. annual profit grew at its fastest pace in four years, despite accelerating inflation in Kenya eroding consumer spending power. experienced its second short-lived share plunge on the Nextrade exchange in approximately a week, raising concerns about trading volatility on South Korea's alternative stock exchange. to dismiss a lawsuit from Apple, which it claims aims to prevent employees from leaving, as it prepares to launch its own AI device. new AI safety review guidelines appear to exempt Chinese artificial intelligence models, unlike those from OpenAI and Anthropic. reported a smaller-than-expected decline in quarterly net income, benefiting from a rally in its chip-stock holdings while awaiting further gains from its investments in OpenAI. net profit for the first quarter dropped due to lower gains from its Vision Funds business., Citadel, reportedly made billions last week after acquiring the majority of Situational Awareness's stock book. hedge funds reported significant losses in July as AI shares tumbled, most notably forcing the highly leveraged Situational Awareness to sell most of its stock portfolio at a substantial discount. declined to their lowest level since mid-July on renewed speculation that Indonesia will grant a higher ore-production quota to one of its largest mines, potentially increasing supplies. a record amount of distillate fuel overseas last week as domestic stockpiles continued to fall, indicating a global scramble for diesel is increasingly depleting U.S. supplies. yields rose slightly, with investors focusing on the prospect of the Strait of Hormuz reopening and the upcoming release of key U.S. monthly jobs data. are scaling back their bets on an October rate hike after dovish statements from the Reserve Bank of India, with the earliest anticipated rate hike now expected in December. unveiled a €1.2 billion buyback program as discussions with UniCredit loom. is nearing a €2 billion deal for the beauty group Aroma-Zone, with French asset manager Eurazeo in talks to sell its stake. is observing a thaw in capital markets that is accelerating the pace of exits from investments across various industries, according to Chief Financial Officer Justin Plouffe. as watchdogs to exploit changes in EU crypto regulations, informing customers at hundreds of unlicensed exchanges to withdraw funds, thereby creating opportunities for fraudsters. is terminating its contract with a Kentucky nonprofit following reports of abuses, as it allegedly pressured medical workers to remove organs from organs from patients who were improving. suspended government activities in the Mexican state of Michoacan, which will affect avocado imports from the country's largest producing region to the United States. Lockheed Martin Corp.'s rocket joint venture plans to sell bonds in the private market to refinance its debt. will conduct an audit in Brazil at the end of August, which could allow the country's poultry exports to avoid a ban scheduled to take effect on September 3. will cut 12% of its workforce as its CEO focuses on the core marketplace, with the layoffs not driven by cost-cutting or artificial intelligence initiatives. reported moderated growth and issued a soft forecast as it continues to invest heavily in autonomous vehicles. acceleration in revenue, forecasting increased third-quarter sales growth driven by AI-powered search and broad merchant expansion, which are fueling market share gains. raised its outlook as the Depop acquisition closed and revenue increased, now expecting gross merchandise volume to grow between 11.5% and 12.5% in 2026.