Public Markets 3 Days

Last updated: July 15, 2026, 2:30 AM ET

Global Markets React to Inflation Data and Geopolitical Tensions

Asian stocks gained Wednesday as markets dialed back U.S. rate-hike expectations following an unexpectedly upbeat inflation print, while the Singapore dollar strengthened slightly against its U.S. counterpart amid reduced Federal Reserve rate-hike expectations. The WSJ Dollar Index fell 0.4%, down three of the past four trading days. Treasury yields on mild U.S. CPI data, and gold was steady in early Asian trade, with broadly higher yields increasing the opportunity-cost of holding non-interest-bearing assets like gold. Comex gold at $4061.10, and silver rose nearly 2%, snapping a two-session losing streak. U.S. natural gas futures but struggled to make headway given adequate domestic supply.

Energy Markets Volatile Amid Middle East Conflict

Oil rose early amid Iran’s attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. crude approaching $80. Renewed missile attacks on ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. oil futures added to yesterday’s gains but settled off the day’s highs after President Trump withdrew a plan to charge a 20% fee to cover the cost of protecting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The back-and-forth voyages of shuttle runs have been instrumental because only a small number of shipowners were willing to risk sending their tankers through Hormuz. Palm oil climbed for a second day as a surge in crude prices fueled by renewed US-Iran hostilities brightened demand prospects for biofuels. India refiners as war drives shortages, with oil-product shipments from India on track to climb to their highest level since September.

Corporate Earnings and Tech Sector Performance

Wall Street banks have unveiled, but risks loom. IBM stock suffers its worst day on record as customers shift spending to AI, with shares plunging 25% after the company reported preliminary results that missed analyst expectations. Software and IT services companies plunged Tuesday after International Business Machines Corp. reported preliminary results that missed analyst expectations. Chip-machine supplier ASML on unrelenting AI demand, with the upgrade to annual guidance a sign that companies are scrambling for its semiconductor-making tools in the race to build AI infrastructure. Oracle leads race with top-secret cloud services, proposing an ‘air-gapped’ network as the U.S. pressures Tokyo to tighten security of sensitive data.

China's Economic Landscape and Global Trade

China’s economy, with economic growth of 4.3 percent in the second quarter reflecting a broad slump outside of the country’s export-oriented manufacturing might. Beijing’s export controls on rare earths and other niche metals are distorting markets and fueling resource nationalism. China’s AI developer DeepSeek in Shanghai next year, needing more funds for costly research in a race with Anthropic and other U.S. companies. China’s crude imports as stockpiling returns, with analysts and traders expecting a recovery from a months-long slump. Chinese automakers have rapidly displaced competitors elsewhere in the world, with one executive stating BYD can take Toyota’s crown without the U.S. market and signaling wider European expansion.

European Markets and Regulatory Developments

European stocks were muted as declines in technology shares were offset by gains in the energy sector, which was lifted by higher oil prices. Brussels risks a row with member states over how emissions trading scheme revenues are spent, as Europe faces a fight over a push to direct carbon levy to green industry. The EU’s push to deregulate banks will propose looser capital requirements, following in the footsteps of the U.S. and UK. Germany’s financial watchdog BaFin said financial companies that engaged in two controversial strategies to game dividend taxes are facing related legal and fiscal liabilities of as much €7.01 billion. Europe’s sovereign-debt dynamics are in danger of going badly awry if the region doesn’t get a grip on its public finances, the International Monetary Fund warned.

Real Estate and Financial Services Sector

Estate agents are convinced the UK’s most popular property portal exploits its dominant position, but determining whether vendors foot the bill is tricky. A home has stopped being just a place to live—it has also become an asset, contributing to the housing crisis also being a retirement crisis. Wall Street banks have unveiled record quarterly profits, with lenders riding the tech wave, too. However, lenders’ results contrast with measures that show the highest credit card delinquency rates in 15 years. Deutsche Bank and World Bank, starting a €1 billion trade finance platform for frontier and emerging markets.

Startup Funding and Technology Trends

Daniel Ek’s body-scanning start-up, with a funding round seeing Neko Health’s valuation jump fourfold to almost $7 billion for the Spotify founder. German start-up Helsing’s ‘crazy’ valuation, with its fundraise giving it a higher revenue multiple than many U.S. and European peers. The evolution of AI technology offers fresh opportunities for hoodwinkers and charlatans. Washington’s demand signal could do for quantum computing what early defense contracts did for silicon, suggesting U.S. quantum computing needs a national buyer.

Geopolitical Developments and Market Impact

The U.S. and Iran escalated attacks, risking a return to high energy prices, even as inflation slowed during a pause in the war with Iran. The Consumer Price Index fell to a 3.5 percent annual increase in June, and prices marked their biggest drop from a month earlier since 2020. Senate Democrats over war in Iran, reflecting how the political debate over the conflict in the Middle East has sapped bipartisan support for a normally popular measure. President Trump’s war has a saving grace: Its goals are in alignment with energy realism. The president’s administration has been ratcheting up pressure on Baghdad to diminish Iran’s influence in Iraq.

Other Notable Market and Business News

Airtel Africa for a rare London IPO of its mobile money business, with the flotation potentially raising around $1.5 billion and providing a much-needed boost for the UK’s depressed public markets. Paramount and Disney, as studios built streaming platforms believing it would create a tight bond with viewers. Shortened tenures are turning succession planning into a constant and proactive process, indicating why boards can no longer wait to pick their next CEO. Consumer groups warn that overhaul of the regime for the £14 billion ‘buy now, pay later’ market asks lenders to perform affordability checks, potentially excluding millions. Saudi Arabia’s Nour Net is working with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and HSBC Holdings Plc on a potential initial public offering, adding to a pipeline of Gulf listings.