Public Markets 8 Hours

Last updated: July 13, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

Geopolitical Tensions Drive Oil Prices and Market Volatility

Oil futures held steady as escalating tensions between the US and Iran raised concerns about energy supply disruptions and potential inflation. President Trump's threat to impose a 20% fee on goods transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a move that and has been met with internal contradiction from his own administration according to reports past $80 a barrel. This development revived historical precedents for taxing waterways as detailed in a historical analysis. The intensifying US-Iran hostilities spooked investors, leading to a broad market selloff and a shift to risk-off sentiment, with Asian stocks poised to. U.S. natural gas futures, however, extended losses for a fourth consecutive session, weighed down by a substantial storage surplus and reduced LNG demand.

Corporate Dealmaking and Regulatory Scrutiny

Private equity owner Seidler Equity is exploring the sale of its stake in the 139-year-old baseball gear maker Rawlings. In the healthcare sector, Brazilian company Oncoclinicas is preparing to file for an out-of-court debt restructuring. Fast fashion giant Shein has secured long-awaited regulatory approval for its Hong Kong listing, but may dampen its valuation. Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed by Democratic states could delay Paramount's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially costing the studio tens of millions of dollars. In the energy sector, Shell has agreed to sell its Indian wind and solar business for $1.8 billion as it refocuses on oil and gas.

Market Movements and Investor Sentiment

India's large-cap stocks are poised to rebound, supported by returning foreign investors, an improving earnings outlook, and attractive valuations, according to analysts. Canadian gold miners Cadillac Mines Corp. and Amapa Minerals Holdings Inc. have filed for initial public offerings, signaling a pickup in Canadian listings. Investors have on Asia's chipmakers, while a sharp selloff in AI-related stocks in the artificial intelligence trade, contributing to a decline in U.S. stocks. Goldman Sachs is pitching investors on loans to their own private funds, a move designed to bridge the gap between investor commitments and fund deployment. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System reported a 14.8% gain for its latest fiscal year, driven by stocks and private equity.

Regulatory and Legal Developments

A federal appeals court has revived lawsuits linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism and ADHD, overruling a district court judge who had dismissed the cases. The U.S. Department of Justice is turning over evidence in shootings involving federal agents in Minnesota. In a separate legal development, a judge denounced a lawsuit against the IRS as an improper exercise in self-dealing. Separately, the Trump administration against the International Criminal Court, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating the U.S. would "dismantle" the court if necessary.

Other Notable Developments

The CEO of Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman, Lawson Whiting, is set to retire. Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev's family trust prevailed in its effort to remove the manager of a bankrupt $2.5 billion venture capital fund. New Jersey is initiating a process to develop new nuclear power plants to meet rising electricity demand. In a separate environmental decision, the EPA under President Trump proposed to approve Alabama's application to take over issuing certain coal waste permits.