Public Markets 3 Days

Last updated: July 13, 2026, 2:30 AM ET

Geopolitical Tensions and Commodity Markets

Renewed hostilities between the US and Iran spurred a surge in oil prices, with Brent crude futures climbing and the Treasury two-year yield reaching its highest in over 16 months. The escalating conflict for base metals, causing them to retreat. The FTSE 100 futures and the British pound also experienced a decline amid the heightened geopolitical tensions. In response to potential supply shocks, South Africa since the apartheid era, while China’s oil imports may be set to recover as stockpiling returns following a slump. The impact of these events is also for consumers already facing post-Covid inflation.

Technology and Corporate Earnings

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) reported, meeting expectations and signaling continued momentum in AI spending. Investors, however, are on Asian chipmakers after a blistering rally, with TSMC, SK Hynix, and Samsung Electronics now accounting for 29% of the MSCI Emerging Markets index. SK Hynix Inc. shares declined in Seoul following its highly anticipated US trading debut, despite the company's chairman promising "much, much bigger" US investment plans. US equities, digesting the SK Hynix debut and Iran tensions ahead of second-quarter earnings, which Wall Street anticipates will be near-record. Wall Street banks are feasting on fees from the SpaceX IPO and mega-mergers, benefiting from a revival in large deals fueled by AI optimism and a strong consumer. Meanwhile, companies are to cut costs, with Door Dash, Siemens, and Airbnb among those seeking to reduce reliance on US technology, although Mini Max Group Inc.'s shares plunged after JPMorgan cut its target price on value dilution concerns.

Investment Flows and Emerging Markets

Global funds, pouring more than $1 billion into equities last week, with Goldman Sachs predicting further inflows due to a stable currency and improved earnings expectations. However, foreign funds’ bearish futures contracts remain close to last year’s record levels amid the Middle East flare-up. Investors are rotating beyond AI winners in emerging markets, where just three technology stocks worth $4.4 trillion drive an outsized share of returns. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. is evaluating India, including its stake in Yes Bank, as it seeks to consolidate its presence in the fast-growing market.

Financial Sector and Deal-Making

Mastercard is examining the sale of its UK payments subsidiary Vocalink, with discussions to sell a majority stake back to British banks underway. Deutsche Bank and UniCredit are suing Linde over Russia sanctions losses in a test case that could determine if lenders can recover hundreds of millions of euros seized by courts. Nippon Paint has for Akzo Nobel's decorative coatings unit, including the Dulux brand, in an attempt to gatecrash a rival deal. US Senator Elizabeth Warren has Jamie Dimon over whether he lobbied the UK government on advice from Jeffrey Epstein. The UK's digital finance shift could to the economy if progress is made in areas like issuing sovereign bonds on blockchain.

Strategic Resources and Supply Chains

China is with a new investment firm aimed at bolstering its grip on overseas resources, pushing back against Western efforts to curb its dominance. A study suggests that cutting reliance on China would, highlighting the challenge facing the US and EU in reducing Beijing's dominance over strategic supply chains. Australia is in its renewable energy shift, with clean energy now making up about half of the country's energy supply. New Zealand aims to sign an LNG import plant deal before its November election, betting on cheaper global LNG prices to make the facility viable as it targets a contract.

US Corporate and Market Developments

The US Department of Agriculture estimates it will of Mexican sugar in the 2026-2027 period. MGM Resorts International is engaged in deal talks with Barry Diller's People Inc. after the entertainment mogul offered to acquire the part of the casino company he doesn’t already own. Jersey Mike's IPO is for the sandwich sector, which is facing concerns over consumer spending. Palantir CEO Alex Karp is about the growing power of AI upstarts. Circle Internet Group has received US regulatory approval to, a milestone for launching a cryptocurrency-focused bank. Alpha Quest founder Nigol Koulajian admitted losing control of trading at his $2 billion quantitative hedge fund before announcing plans to shut it down, an institutional investor alleged in a lawsuit.

Global Economic and Regulatory Trends

The Czech central bank said monetary policy caution remains warranted, with headline inflation likely to return to or "slightly above" the 2% target this year following a recent drop. Volkswagen AG CEO Oliver Blume is facing an uphill battle to push through a fundamental overhaul of Europe's biggest carmaker after failing to win initial backing from supervisors. The EU is preparing to for consumer protection failures, with Commissioner Michael McGrath seeking to strengthen social media safeguards. Brussels is also warning Meta over Facebook and Instagram's addictive feeds, stating the tech group has failed to adequately assess and mitigate risks that could negatively impact users.