Public Markets 8 Hours

Last updated: July 15, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

Energy Markets Flare Amid Middle East Tensions and Supply Concerns

Oil futures climbed for a fourth day as the U.S. continued attacks on Iran in a bid to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Military clashes over control of the Strait, with oil traders warning the market is close to running on empty as the waterway closes again. Saudi Arabia’s oil loadings from inside the Persian Gulf have slumped in the wake of an upsurge of attacks on supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz, with stockpile levels acting as shock absorbers early in the Iran war now running low. U.S. military forces following the collapse of the cease-fire with Iran, with President Trump ordering U.S. warships and aircraft to stop vessels going to and from Iran. The U.S. military attacked Iranian on Greater Tunb, one of several small islands in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil futures rose as the U.S. reinstated its Iranian blockade after dropping a plan to charge a 20% fee to cover the cost of protecting ships from other countries moving through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iran war is spurring investments for new U.S. liquefied natural gas export infrastructure, according to consulting firm S&P Global. U.S. natural gas futures with help from a slight warming in the weather outlook.

Global Markets React to Inflation Data, Corporate Dealmaking, and Emerging Market Dynamics

Gold steadied traders against escalating attacks in the Middle East for clues to the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate path. The WSJ Dollar Index fell 0.3%, down for two consecutive trading days. Stocks in Asia are set to open mixed on Thursday after a U.S. session that saw shares rally on the back of softer-than-anticipated inflation data. Funding conditions in Malaysia’s money market will likely tighten further later this year, with some analysts expecting stronger economic growth to prompt the country’s central bank to raise interest rates. Billionaire Li Ka-shing and his family are preparing to usher in a new generation of leaders after some of their longest-serving lieutenants wrap up the sale of various assets to overhaul Hong Kong’s business empire. Brazil’s government plans to renegotiate more than 100 billion reais ($20 in rural debt as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva prepares to seek.

Corporate Dealmaking and Sector-Specific Trends Emerge

NextEra and Dominion, asking regulators in three states and at a federal agency to approve a deal that would create a combined company with 10 million customers across the Southeast. PayPal received $53 from Stripe and Advent, a private equity firm, though analysts described it as a "lowball" offer. Uber is nearing a €12.5 billion deal to acquire Delivery Hero, with the German food delivery group spinning off Turkish and some European operations to a different buyer. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is lining up a debt package worth up to $3 billion to support Warburg Pincus’ acquisition of Pantherx Specialty LLC. Smaller deals involving regional banks and wealth managers are driving acquisitions in the financial services industry. BHP Group Ltd.’s iron ore production fell in the three months through June as the miner pushes ahead with expansions in copper and potash.

Tech and Investment Landscape Shows Mixed Signals

Global investors largely shut out of China’s biggest IPO in nearly four years are looking at creative proxy trades as a way to profit from the country’s fast-rising memory-chip leader. New SK Hynix ADRs are trading at a significant premium, indicating a speculative fervor in the memory markets. Wall Street’s biggest investment banks are hauling in the most revenue from advising on equity offerings in the second quarter since 2021, fueled by SpaceX’s record-setting IPO and a fundraising blitz. SpaceX bears are minting billions on paper as the company’s stock price cracks ahead of a closely-watched rocket launch and upcoming earnings that will unlock a flood of shares. SpaceX sell-offs have wiped $1 trillion from Musk’s rocket group, with stock trades below $135 for the first time since the AI and space conglomerate’s Wall Street debut in June.

Commodity Markets Face Volatility and Shifting Consumer Behavior

Lead prices after Trafigura Group made a second record-breaking delivery of metal into London Metal Exchange warehouses. Silver hit the lowest it has traded at since Dec. 4, 2025, marking its fifth decline into the close in the past seven trading sessions. Shares of companies in the swimming pool business sank on Wednesday amid signs that wary consumers are pulling back on spending despite a summer of intense heat.