Stock market investors on Wednesday were spooked by the prospect of an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve while flaring U.S.-Iran tensions propelled oil prices. GE HealthCare (GEHC) soared on the stock market today after its earnings report. Meanwhile, Meta Platforms (META) and Microsoft (MSFT) reports are on deck.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 800 points, or 1.6%, amid mixed reactions to earnings reports from Visa (V) and Procter & Gamble (PG). The S&P 500 flopped 0.8%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 1.1%. The Nasdaq-100 (NDX) dropped 1% and once again stumbled into correction territory, falling 10% from its June highs. Small caps were hit as well, pulling the Russell 2000 index lower by 1.1%.
In the face of heightened hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, West Texas intermediate crude oil futures spiked more than 7%, trading around $84.90 per barrel. Brent crude futures also jumped more than 7%, trading at $88 per barrel.
Also, ahead of the Fed's announcement on the fed funds rate, the 10-year Treasury yield rose 2 basis to 4.62%. Bitcoin slid near $63,990.
GE Healthcare (GEHC) soared more than 10%, rebounding from a downward-sloping 50-day moving average. It was the best performer on the Nasdaq composite Wednesday, and was on track for its largest percentage increase on record, according to Dow Jones Markets Data.

#wednesday #gehc #average

I recently released my first batch of my favorite NFL win totals to bet for the 2026-27 season. A derivative futures market off of that one is whether or not a team will make the postseason, which is what I'll explore in this article.
I like trying to find some longer shots in these markets, where our preseason priors might end up being far off and the returns from our wagers can loom larger. I found three teams with some asymmetry worth exploiting.
Here are a few NFL playoff make/miss wagers that I like right now:
The Rams have the shortest odds to win the Super Bowl, and yet I am interested in their market to miss the playoffs entirely. So, what gives?
Among NFL teams, Los Angeles is one where injury risk looms the largest. A 37-year old Matthew Stafford came into last season with serious concerns about his back injuries, sitting out most of training camp and all of preseason, while getting multiple pain injections into his spine. While Stafford went on to nullify those concerns — playing in all 17 games and winning MVP — it doesn't change the fact that he's now a year older and still has a heightened injury possibility compared to other QBs. If Stafford got hurt, the Rams would have to rely on rookie first-round pick QB Ty Simpson.

#wagers

Soybeans are trading with 41 to 42 ¼ cent losses across most contracts on Monday. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price is 41 1/2 cents lower at $11.72 1/2. Soymeal futures are $11.20 to $11.70 lower, with Soy Oil futures down 250 to 279 points. Crude oil is down $6.63 to add pressure.
The weekly Export Inspections report showed soybean shipments of 348,850 MT (12.82 mbu) in the week of 7/23. That was a 9.3% increase from the week prior but 18.5% below the same week last year. Mexico was the largest destination of 88,217 MT, with 65,154,620 MT shipped to Egypt and 57,290 MT to ****** an. Shipments for the marketing year are now at 38.97 MMT (2.843 bbu) of soybeans, which is 17.5% below the same period last year.
What Do Monday Morning's Markets Bring to Mind?
Everyone Loves November Soybeans Right Now. History Doesn't!
Abundant Supplies Slam Cocoa Prices

#year

The wheat complex is falling back with the rest of the commodity complex on Monday. Chicago SRW contracts are 15 to 16 cents in the red. KC HRW futures are trading with 14 cent front month losses on the day. MPLS spring wheat is slipping 7 to 8 ¼ cents at midday.
Monday morning's Export Inspections report showed wheat shipments of 394,785 MT (14.51 mbu) in the week of 7/23. That was up 71.82% from the week prior and 36.01% above the same week last year. Bangladesh was the largest destination of 58,341 MT, with 56,444 MT shipped to ****** an and 54,407 MT to Mexico. The marketing year total is now 2.543 MMT (93.4 mbu) of shipments, which is now 23.21% below the same period last year.
What Do Monday Morning's Markets Bring to Mind?
Everyone Loves November Soybeans Right Now. History Doesn't!
Abundant Supplies Slam Cocoa Prices

#wheat #cents #shipments #last

Corn futures are trading with contracts down 13 to 15 cents across most front months, pressured by an improving weather forecast and $6.63 losses in the crude oil. The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price is down 13 ¾ cents at $4.20 1/4.
USDA's FGIS tallied corn export shipments at 1.488 MMT (58.58 mbu) during the week ending on July 23. That was 7.74% below week prior and 2.88% below the same week last year. Mexico was the top destination of 454,201 MT, with 252,204 MT headed to ******* an and 236,112 MT to Colombia. Marketing year exports for 2025/26 are 75.324 MMT (2.965 bbu), which is now 24.81% above the same period last year.
What Do Monday Morning's Markets Bring to Mind?
Everyone Loves November Soybeans Right Now. History Doesn't!
Abundant Supplies Slam Cocoa Prices

#corn

Cotton futures are trading with 70 to 86 points higher at Monday's midday. Crude oil is down $6.63 per barrel, with the US dollar index up 0.018.
Friday afternoon's Commitment of Traders report showed managed money spec funds in cotton futures and options adding another 3,525 contracts to their net long in the week ending on Tuesday to 53,209 contracts.
What Do Monday Morning's Markets Bring to Mind?
Everyone Loves November Soybeans Right Now. History Doesn't!
Abundant Supplies Slam Cocoa Prices

#crude #commitment

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is up +0.11%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is up +0.54%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -0.46%. September E-mini S&P futures (ESU26) are up +0.11%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU26) are down +0.40%.
Stock indexes gave up early gains today and are trading mixed, with the Nasdaq 100 falling to a 2.5-month low. The weakness in chipmakers is weighing on the broader market as investors rotate out of semiconductor and AI-infrastructure stocks and into beaten-down sectors, such as software.
Dear ***** eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for August 6
Amazon Stock Just Hit a Major Hurdle Ahead of Earnings
Elon Musk Just Revealed a Quiet Win for Tesla's AI Ambitions

#NASDAQ #Stock #today

September U.S. T-Bond futures (ZNU26) present a selling opportunity on more price weakness.
See on the daily bar chart for September U.S. Treasury bond futures that prices are trending down and last week hit a two-month low. Bears have the near-term technical advantage.
Dear **** eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for August 6
Amazon Stock Just Hit a Major Hurdle Ahead of Earnings
Elon Musk Just Revealed a Quiet Win for Tesla's AI Ambitions

#Stock #bond #bears

Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) stock gained by more than 3% during Monday's premarket session as risk appetite improves alongside a firm overnight tape. Nasdaq futures are up 1.57% while S&P 500 futures have gained 0.93%.
The broader market rally coincided with a major development in the global memory-chip industry that could reshape long-term competitive dynamics.
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China's leading DRAM maker, made a blockbuster stock market debut that underscores Beijing's push to build a domestic memory champion.
While the listing highlights rising competition in commodity memory, ***** ysts believe Micron remains well positioned in the faster-growing AI memory market.
CXMT raised 57.92 billion yuan, or $8.55 billion, after pricing its IPO at 8.66 yuan per share. The stock surged more than 531% to about 54.60 yuan, valuing the DRAM maker at roughly 3.68 trillion yuan and making it China's most valuable listed company.

#memory

September S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESU26) are up +0.98%, and September Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQU26) are up +1.59% this morning, pointing to a sharply higher open on Wall Street as a slump in oil prices boosted investor sentiment at the start of a busy week.
The price of WTI crude cratered more than -8% on Monday after the U.S. and Iran refrained from attacking each other for a third consecutive night. The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump has put off a major military escalation against Iran amid efforts to revive diplomacy aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing debate over the impact of dwindling munitions stockpiles. Mr. Trump has consistently said "he prefers a diplomatic solution, but he continues to retain all options if Iran continues terrorist activities in the Strait of Hormuz or against allies," a White House spokesman said in a statement. Meanwhile, Iran's army said on Sunday that it has suspended its retaliation against U.S. bases and troops in the region following Trump's decision to hold off on strikes.
Dear ****** eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for August 6
Amazon Stock Just Hit a Major Hurdle Ahead of Earnings
Elon Musk Just Revealed a Quiet Win for Tesla's AI Ambitions

#september #wall #street #major

Crude oil prices dropped sharply on Monday as investors unwound geopolitical risk premiums following indications that tensions between the United States and Iran may be easing. The selloff erased much of the rally seen last week, when fears of a wider conflict briefly pushed Brent crude close to the $100-per-barrel level.
By 06:11 GMT, Brent crude futures were down 6% at $90.93 per barrel after briefly falling below $90 earlier in the session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures declined 6.1% to $83.83 per barrel.
Last week, Brent climbed to around $100 a barrel after the conflict expanded beyond the Strait of Hormuz into the Red Sea, raising concerns over Middle Eastern oil exports.
However, market sentiment shifted after Washington paused its military campaign following 13 consecutive nights of strikes, allowing additional time for diplomatic negotiations after weeks of escalating hostilities.
Iran quickly responded to the move. According to Reuters, an Iranian official said Tehran would halt retaliatory attacks provided the United States maintained its suspension of military operations. Both governments have nevertheless indicated they are prepared to resume military action if negotiations fail.

#united #Iran

U.S. stock futures moved higher on Monday as investors welcomed signs of a pause in hostilities between the United States and Iran, helping to ease pressure on energy markets ahead of a crucial week for corporate earnings and central bank decisions.
By 05:49 GMT, Dow Jones futures had gained 398 points, or 0.8%, while S&P 500 futures were up 66 points, or 0.9%. Nasdaq 100 futures led the advance, climbing 406 points, or 1.4%.
Wall Street ended last week on a mixed note as rising oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty weighed on investor sentiment. However, indications that the White House is seeking to avoid a broader military escalation have improved market confidence, pushing oil prices lower while supporting both equities and bond markets.
Investors are now turning their attention to one of the busiest weeks of the earnings season, with around one-third of S&P 500 companies scheduled to publish quarterly results. Overall earnings are forecast to increase by approximately 26.5% compared with the same period last year.
Several of the world's largest technology companies are due to report this week, including Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). Their results are expected to provide fresh insight into whether the rapid pace of investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure can continue, as markets increasingly debate the long-term profitability of AI-related spending.

#points #investors #prices

US tech stocks sank before the bell on Tuesday as a sell-off in Korean memory makers underscored concerns about AI circular financing deals, overshadowing a drop in oil prices and earnings optimism.
Contracts on the Nasdaq-100 (NQ=F) fell 0.9%, signaling further losses for the tech-heavy index, while those on the S&P 500 (ES=F) dropped 0.2%. But Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) edged into the green, up 0.1%.
South Korea's Kospi (^KS11) stock benchmark tumbled over 10% on Tuesday as investors dumped shares in top memory chipmakers SK Hynix (SKHY, 000660.KS) and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), which sank more than 14% and 13%, respectively.
Sentiment on the AI trade has soured amid reports that Nvidia (NVDA) is exploring a $250 billion funding backstop for OpenAI (OPAI.PVT), further intertwining the two companies and heightening worries about circular financing. Tech traders also grew nervous that Chinese competition is narrowing the AI gap with US companies, undermining prospects for a payoff.
Oil prices, meanwhile, continued to retreat after the US and Iran halted active fighting and President Trump said the two sides were in diplomatic talks. "There's a good chance that something could happen, and if it does, good," Trump said aboard Air Force One on Monday. "If it doesn't, we go back to doing what we were doing."

#sank #circular #financing #further

West Ham United have confirmed that Oona Siren has signed a new two-year contract, with the Finland international committing her future to the Hammers until the summer of 2028.
The announcement is another positive step for the club as preparations continue for the 2026/27 Barclays Women's Super League season. While summer transfer windows are often defined by new signings, securing the futures of established players is equally important. West Ham have ensured one of their most dependable performers will remain in east London for years to come.
Since arriving from Norwegian side LSK Kvinner in September 2024, Siren has become one of the most influential players in the squad. Calm in possession, intelligent without the ball and relentless in her work rate, the midfielder has developed into a player her teammates can rely on every single week.
The new deal also comes at an exciting time for the club following the appointment of Rita Guarino as head coach. As the experienced Italian prepares for her first campaign in charge, keeping a player of Siren's quality provides an important foundation to build upon.
After signing her new contract, Siren spoke of her happiness at remaining with West Ham. She made it clear she believes there is still plenty to achieve in claret and blue.

#west #contract #player

Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke, whose company commands a market capitalization near $154 billion, told his social media followers this week that a tax-tiered voting system—one that would strip voting rights from anyone who pays no income tax—would be a "good system."
That two-word endorsement, dropped into a viral thread, has reignited a debate over wealth, power, and democracy that most Americans thought was settled more than a century ago.
The proposal would invert the founding American principle of "no taxation without representation" into something closer to "no representation without taxation"—and specifically, high taxation. Reactions online split sharply: Some framed it as a provocative thought experiment about aligning fiscal responsibility with political voice, while others called it a naked attempt to legitimize plutocracy by giving billionaires and multimillionaires a formal, multiplied vote over the laws that govern everyone else.
But it also revealed that America is grappling with a political economy debate, as a frozen housing market and an entrenched wealthy baby boomer demographic have many, not just Lütke, arguing that something big needs to change.
The exchange began with a provocation from Lütke: Pension recipients should have their financial futures "locked in and guaranteed," but in return would be reclassified as "dependents" and lose the right to vote—the same way minors can't vote. A reply from "Eric Thor," who claimed to be a retired banking executive as well as "armchair economist and policy wonk," proposed a sliding scale: zero votes for anyone who pays no income tax, one vote for those earning $1–100K, two votes for $100–200K, scaling up in that pattern to a hard cap of five votes for anyone earning $500K or more. The pitch was framed as fairness—reward "representation" for those who "foot the bill" through taxation.

#taxation #representation #votes

The second wave of the US-Iran conflict shows no signs of letting up. Attacks by the Houthi militia have threatened to curtail shipping through the Red Sea. Russia's refineries are buckling under the weight of bombardment by the Ukrainian military.
For global oil markets, already in a precarious situation, critical logistical nodes just keep getting thwarted. Things keep going wrong. Oil prices have started rebounding in return, reaching levels not seen since the first weeks of June before the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding as Brent futures (BZ=F) crossed $100 per barrel on Thursday.
"If a ceasefire does not materialize," Rystad Energy head of geopolitical ***** ysis Jorge León said, "the risk of a significant rebound in oil prices would be substantial."
As the war between the US and Iran initially began in late February, attention swung toward the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway responsible for roughly a fifth of the world's oil trade. Threats of violence and, eventually, direct attacks on vessels by Iranian military wings sent traffic through the strait collapsing, kicking off the largest energy supply crisis on record.
Six months down the road, as the conflict has reignited, the danger for the global oil market has diversified, no longer concentrated in a single waterway or oil-producing country. Instead, disruptions are accumulating across the infrastructure that carries crude from the Middle East, processes Russian oil into 11% of the world's diesel, and supplies fuel to consumers from Europe to Asia — and at a time when the market is already squeezed after half a year's worth of supply disruptions.

#energy

London looks set to open in the red on Friday, with tech selling and oil topping $100 a barrel combining to darken the mood heading into the weekend.
Futures traders have the FTSE 100 called 40 points lower, building on Thursday's 77-point decline to 10,639. The blue-chip index faces pressure from two directions: a sharp Wall Street sell-off driven by disappointing Big Tech earnings, and fresh geopolitical anxiety in the Middle East pushing oil prices to triple figures for the first time in months.
US stocks fell heavily overnight, with the Nasdaq leading the way down 2.2% as investors took a dim view of quarterly results from Alphabet and Tesla. The S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, its worst session of the month, while the Dow shed 1%.
The problem wasn't the earnings themselves, according to Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya; it was the spending. "Earnings themselves were not the problem; spending and evaporating free cash flow were," she said. "Both Alphabet and Tesla stood by their capital investment plans, while Alphabet raised its capex outlook by $15 billion to $205 billion. Meanwhile, free cash flow at both Alphabet and Tesla turned negative in the second quarter."
Ozkardeskaya warned that Big Tech, once defined by being capital-light and cash-heavy, is becoming the opposite: increasingly reliant on equity and debt issuance to finance AI ambitions at a time when interest rate expectations are moving higher.

#tesla #ozkardeskaya

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Thursday fell -1.49%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) fell -1.11%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) fell -2.26%. September E-mini S&P futures (ESU26) fell -1.50%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU26) fell -2.23%.
Stock indexes fell sharply amid a double whammy of soaring oil prices and a decline of -7% in Alphabet following its earnings report released after Wednesday's close. Alphabet raised its capital spending forecast for this year to $205 billion from $190 billion, spending more than double its 2025 capital spending and raising concern that the company will struggle to earn a sufficient return on its outsized AI investment. Tesla fell by an even larger -14% after its earnings report late Wednesday, which also showed a surge in capital spending and raised questions about Elon Musk's intention to refocus Tesla on AI and robots.
Dear ****** eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 23
Microsoft Earnings Preview: Get Ready for Soaring AI Spending to Sink MSFT Stock
Why Nvidia (NVDA) Stock Faces Sell-the-News Risk Following Its Q2 Earnings Report

#report #NASDAQ #september

Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Gold (GC=F) August futures opened at $4,074.60 per troy ounce on Thursday, July 23, 2026, down 1.9% from Wednesday's closing price. The price of gold moved up this morning, trading at $4,086.60 as of 8:08 a.m. ET.
The gold price closed above $4,100 Wednesday and opened lower on Thursday. Two opposing forces are keeping the gold price in a tight range. Investors are weighing the potential for higher interest rates against the likelihood of broader geopolitical and economic instability prompted by the Iran war.
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved up to $95 billion in funding for the war, aid to farmers, and parts of the SAVE America Act. The plan still needs Senate approval, but the move signals support for ongoing activity in the Middle East — where the war may be at an inflection point. Yemen's Houthi rebels are now targeting Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening to disrupt another critical shipping lane.
The potential for higher interest rates tends to encourage lower gold prices, while global unrest can stimulate safe-haven demand for the precious metal.

#interest

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -1.34%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -1.07%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -2.06%. September E-mini S&P futures (ESU26) are down -1.43%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU26) are down -2.25%.
Stock indexes are trading sharply lower today amid a double whammy of higher oil prices and a decline of more than -7% in Alphabet following its earnings report after Wednesday's close. Alphabet raised its capital spending forecast for this year to $205 billion from $190 billion, spending more than double its 2025 capital spending and raising concern that the company will struggle to earn a sufficient return on its outsized AI investment. Tesla is down more than -13% today after its earnings report late Wednesday also showed a surge in capital spending.
Dear **** eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 23
The Biggest Risk to **** eX Stock Comes After Earnings. Here Are The Numbers You Should Keep An Eye On.
Walmart Stock's Extended Downturn Could Trigger a Possible Comeback

#down #index #alphabet

Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Silver (SI=F) September futures opened at $60.01 per ounce on Thursday, July 23, 2026, down 0.5% from Wednesday's closing price. The silver price moved lower this morning, reaching $58.42 as of 8:40 a.m. ET.
Silver opened just above $60 on Thursday for the first time since July 10. The metal has gained 7.3% over the past week as investors weigh inflation concerns against safe-haven demand.
The gold/silver ratio at the open was 67.9, which is in line with the average since 2000. The ratio calculates how many ounces of silver it takes to purchase one ounce of gold. Investors use it as an indicator of each metal's relative value. A ratio value above 75 could signal that silver is undervalued and positioned for higher performance.
The opening price of silver futures on Thursday, July 23, 2026, was 0.5% lower compared to Wednesday's closing price. Here's how today's opening silver price has changed versus last week, month, and year:

#price #thursday #futures #ounce

If you hold shares in the AI software firm, you're already carrying the full weight of a market pricing an exceptionally broad range of futures for the company.
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) is a stock that inspires fierce debate. But what if you could see a price tag on that very uncertainty? The options market provides just that, and right now, it's pricing a remarkably wide field of possibilities for PLTR over the coming year. If you own the stock, you own this risk, whether you trade options or not.
How the Market Is Pricing Both A Steep Drop And A Sharp Rally
Based on its options, the market is pricing a 68% probability that Palantir stock, trading today around $124.57, will end up somewhere between a floor near $70 and a ceiling near $221 over the next year. That's not a prediction, but a measure of the risk you're carrying. A move to that ceiling would represent a 77% gain from here. A drop to the floor would be a 44% loss. The key takeaway for a shareholder is the sheer size of that two-sided swing.
Why the Market Is Pricing More Risk Than Usual

#drop

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -0.80%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.66%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -1.20%. September E-mini S&P futures (ESU26) are down -0.77%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU26) are down -1.10%.
Stock indexes are trading lower today amid a double whammy of higher oil prices and a decline of more than -5% in Alphabet following its earnings report after Wednesday's close. Alphabet raised its capital spending forecast for this year to $205 billion from $190 billion, spending more than double its 2025 capital spending and raising concern that the company will struggle to earn a sufficient return on its outsized AI investment. Tesla is down more than -10% today after its earnings report late Wednesday also showed a surge in capital spending.
Dear ***** eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 23
The Biggest Risk to ***** eX Stock Comes After Earnings. Here Are The Numbers You Should Keep An Eye On.
Walmart Stock's Extended Downturn Could Trigger a Possible Comeback

#earnings #today

September U.S. T-Note (ZNU26) futures present a selling opportunity on more price weakness.
See on the daily bar chart for September U.S. Treasury note futures that prices are trending down and have just hit a two-month low. See, too, at the bottom of the chart that the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) indicator is also in a bearish posture, as the blue MACD line is below the red trigger line and both lines are trending down. The T-Note bears have the near-term technical advantage.
Dear **** eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 23
The Biggest Risk to **** eX Stock Comes After Earnings. Here Are The Numbers You Should Keep An Eye On.
Walmart Stock's Extended Downturn Could Trigger a Possible Comeback

#futures

July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. energy shares rose in premarket trading on Thursday as Brent crude briefly touched $100 a barrel, extending a ‌five-day rally after attacks on two Saudi oil tankers intensified ‌Middle East tensions and heightened concerns over global oil supply disruptions.
Houthi forces in Yemen have widened the conflict by targeting vessels carrying Saudi oil in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, after declaring a naval blockade on Saudi shipments.
The attacks have heightened fears that disruptions to Middle East oil exports could spread beyond the Strait ‌of Hormuz, tightening global ⁠crude supplies and supporting higher energy prices.
Here are more details:
• Brent crude futures rose as much as 6.3% to $100 ⁠per barrel by 1302 GMT for the first time since May 26. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 5.2% at $91.30 per barrel.

#east #strait #attacks

Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (CBOE) is a leading global exchange operator and financial markets infrastructure company valued at a market cap of $29.5 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, it operates exchanges for options, equities, futures, foreign exchange (FX), and digital ******* ets, serving institutional and retail investors worldwide.
The world's leading derivatives and securities exchange network is expected to announce its fiscal second-quarter earnings for 2026 before the market opens on Friday, Jul. 31. Ahead of the event, ******* ysts expect CBOE to report a profit of $3.41 per share on a diluted basis, up 38.6% from $2.46 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company beat the consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters.
Dear ******* eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 23
Walmart Stock's Extended Downturn Could Trigger a Possible Comeback
The Biggest Risk to ******* eX Stock Comes After Earnings. Here Are The Numbers You Should Keep An Eye On.

#earnings #market

September S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESU26) are down -0.42%, and September Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQU26) are down -0.51% this morning as earnings from Alphabet and Tesla heightened concerns over the scale of AI spending, while rising oil prices drove bond yields higher.
Alphabet (GOOGL) fell nearly -4% in pre-market trading after the Google parent raised its full-year capital spending guidance to as much as $205 billion, overshadowing its stronger-than-expected Q2 results. Notably, Alphabet's quarterly cash flow turned negative for the first time since the company went public more than two decades ago, underscoring the magnitude of its capital spending. Also, Tesla (TSLA) slumped more than -5% in pre-market trading after the EV maker reported weaker-than-expected Q2 adjusted EPS, with a surge in spending leading to its first cash burn in two years.
Dear **** eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 23
Walmart Stock's Extended Downturn Could Trigger a Possible Comeback
The Biggest Risk to **** eX Stock Comes After Earnings. Here Are The Numbers You Should Keep An Eye On.

#spending #alphabet

S&P 500 member United Rentals (URI) soared on stronger-than-forecast Q2 results after Wednesday's close as Google (GOOGL) got a late-day haircut. The divergent reactions to earnings weren't entirely unrelated.
AI data center construction has helped supercharge earnings for URI, which provides a one-stop shop for large construction projects. Google's plan to keep boosting capital spending suggests the demand environment for heavy machinery will keep shining, even as it may slow the pay-off for AI hyperscalers.
URI stock looks set to clear an early entry buy point at Thursday's open. Google raised its capex outlook for the full year to a range of $195 billion to $205 billion, up $15 billion at both ends. The company confirmed that it still expects CapEx to "increase significantly" in 2027.
Futures Fall As Google, Tesla Skid On Earnings
Results: URI posted second-quarter earnings of $12.76 per share, crushing the FactSet consensus forecast by $1.22 a share. Earnings growth accelerated to 21.9% from 9.6% in Q1 and negative growth throughout 2025. Revenue growth accelerated to 11.8% from 7.2%, as sales of $4.41 billion exceeded $4.21 billion estimates.

#capex #forecast #Share

Artisan Partners, an investment management company, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter for its "Artisan Small Cap Fund". A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The fund reported strong absolute returns and modestly outperformed the Russell 2000® Growth Index, which gained 25.7%. Global equities rebounded as resilient US growth, moderating inflation, strong earnings and continued AI investment outweighed delayed rate cuts, rising bond yields and geopolitical uncertainty. Investor Class: ARTSX, Advisor Class: APDSX, and Institutional Class: APHSX returned 26.02%, 26.05%, and 26.11%, respectively, in the second quarter, compared to a 25.71% return for the index. Market leadership favored loss-making, highly leveraged companies, creating a difficult environment for quality-focused active managers. Health care was the strongest relative contributor, while energy, materials, financials and real estate also helped. Technology, industrials and consumer discretionary detracted, partly because the fund did not own oversized index contributors. Software holdings also weakened despite strong fundamentals. The fund remains positive on small-cap opportunities, AI infrastructure and health care, but has reduced software exposure and is staying selective as valuations rise and competitive risks increase. In addition, please check the Fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Artisan Small Cap Fund highlighted Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT). Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) operates as a financial services company that operates through Market Making and Execution Services segments. On July 23, 2026, Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) closed at $59.67 per share. One-month return of Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) was -1.89% and its shares gained 34.75% over the past 52 weeks. Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) has a market capitalization of $9.25 billion with a 52-week range between $31.55 - $68.02.
Artisan Small Cap Fund stated the following regarding Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) is a technology-enabled market maker and execution services provider. We believe it has a strong franchise built on market structure expertise, a low-risk trading model and a scalable platform spanning equities, ETFs, futures, foreign exchange, options and crypto. We initiated a Garden position and later elevated it to a Crop position as our conviction increased. We have owned Virtu previously and are encouraged by the new CEO's strategic changes, including expansion into new products and geographies while maintaining its disciplined risk profile. We believe these initiatives support a durable company-specific profit cycle driven by market share gains, growth in execution services and continued expansion in options, ETF block trading and crypto. A more supportive market environment should make the benefits of these strategic change

The amount of young talent in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization is filling up quickly. CapWages has 21 players on Pittsburgh’s reserve list for unsigned drafted players and the team has 22 others under contract that will be playing in the pro ranks next season. Once upon a time, finding 25 players to even rank was a tall task, now there are some decent enough names that won’t draw a mention at all for this year’s list considering that there are over 40 options between signed players and the reserve list. Today hopes to appease that with an honorable mention of five players on the cusp of making the list, all of whom show the potential to be ranked next year with favorable upcoming seasons.
Earlier in the week we kicked off Top 25 Under 25 season by looking at the players that won’t be a part of this year’s list due to aging out, being traded or otherwise leaving the organization. As a loose rule, we’re saying for now that 2019 draftees like Elmer Soderblom (who turned 25 earlier this summer) and Nick Robertson (who has his 25th birthday in September) are ineligible this year. 2020 draftees that are under the age of 25 currently, like Hendrix Lapierre and Joel Blomqvist meet the cut-off as fair game this year.
The top 25 under 25 series was a staple within the SBN Hockey blogs a decade ago, around here it’s morphed into what I like to think about as a snapshot in time for value and importance within the organization. It’s not meant to be purely predictive of which player may be the best pro in three, five or seven years but show how the young players currently stack up against one another.
In many ways it’s an impossible task, and a very subjective one. How does one weigh a 24-year old that figures to have a short leash at making an NHL impact (like a Phil Tomasino or Sam Poulin last year) against a fresh-faced 18 year old that was just drafted and doesn’t figure to turn pro for several years? Not to mention everything in between. It’s certainly a balancing act where guaranteed contributions to the NHL level count for something, even with the real possibility of a short shelf life and some projections also have to be taken into account for expected/hoped for futures.
Since this is a value-based snapshot in time, another handy tool may be to consider a hypothetical trade. If you **** ume a trade is going to happen and the other side wants either prospect X or young player Y to finalize the deal, which **** et would the organization be better off holding onto? The answer to that judgement can go a long way towards determining where the young players will slot in against each other for this list, though it isn’t a strict rule of thumb since some player profiles (puck moving defenseman) might have more trade value than organizational value than other spots (goalie, small winger). That consideration is at least some factor in aligning the rankings.

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