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North America
Yahoo Finance

S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq End Second Week Lower Over Elevated Oil Prices, Chipmaker Rout — PSKY, UBER, QCOM, VZ, INTC In Focus

U.S. stock indices ended mixed on Friday, ending their second consecutive week lower as investors assess big-tech earnings with heightened attention on geopolitical developments. The S&P 500 ended 0.1% higher, while the Nasdaq 100 slipped 1.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.5% higher. The Russell 2000, which tracks stocks with small market capitalizations, fell 0.1%. SpaceX dropped about 7% this week, its third consecutive weekly decline as investors turned jittery over bloated capex plans. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits for SPY dropped to the ‘extremely bearish’ zone, while sentiment for QQQ was ‘bearish’ and ‘neutral’ for the DIA with ‘high’ message volumes. Oil prices rebounded from their session lows following a Reuters report that Pakistan is considering a path toward establishing new peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, under an initiative pushed by China. Earlier this week, Brent crude futures surged past the $100-per-barrel mark for the first time since late May, though they subsequently gave up those gains, sliding nearly 4% to settle at $96.78. Concurrently, U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures experienced a 3% decline, ultimately closing at $89.31 per barrel. However, war risks continue to affect investor mindset. Oil prices, although they eased on Friday, still remain at elevated levels ahead of the Fed policy meeting due next week. “As we have seen multiple times in the past few years, equity markets tend to overreact to war developments, partly because war events tend to create uncertainty,” Thomas Lee at Fundstrat Global Advisors told Bloomberg. “But these periods of risk-off have been buying opportunities in the past, and we expect this to be the case again.” Going ahead, market participants will brace for the upcoming financial results from tech giants like Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Meta Platforms Inc. (META), and Apple Inc (AAPL). scheduled for next week. Wall Street is seeking more definitive proof that the massive capital investments directed into artificial intelligence are successfully driving fresh growth rather than eroding profit margins. Paramount Skydance (PSKY): Paramount agreed to freeze its proposed $110-billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), putting the media consolidation on hold until June 1, 2027, or until a federal court rules on an antitrust lawsuit seeking to block the deal. Uber Technologies (UBER): Alphabet Inc.’s (GOOGL) Waymo is exploring options to end its robotaxi partnership with the ride-hailing company. Verizon Communications (VZ): The telecom operator signed a fiber infrastructure agreement with Alphabet Inc.'s (GOOG, GOOGL) Google worth more than $1 billion, as the telecom giant looks to capitalize on surging demand for data center connectivity driven by artificial intelligence.

S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq End Second Week Lower Over Elevated Oil Prices, Chipmaker Rout — PSKY, UBER, QCOM, VZ, INTC In Focus
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

Sensex today | Stock Market Live: Sensex soars 500 pts at open, Nifty reaches 24,500 as crude oil slumps to $81 on Iran deal optimism

Sensex opened 788.7 pts higher at 78,883.34 on Monday against the previous close of 78,094.64 and at 9.16 am, it traded 543.52 pts or 0.70% higher at 78,638.16. Nifty 50 traded 168.45 pts or 0.69% positive at 24,552.05 after opening at 24,572.70 compared to the previous close of 24,383.60. Brent for October fell as much as 7.3% to $81.55 a barrel after Trump said he’d agreed to call off a massive attack on Iran as allies in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, asked him to pursue a deal instead. Equity markets are expected to remain focused on the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, the ongoing Q1 FY27 earnings season and global developments in the coming week, with investors closely tracking management commentary, macroeconomic data and geopolitical events for market direction. Meanwhile, experts said though RBI may hold rate in its August 3-5 meeting, the focus will be more on its outlook comments. Top losers: Sun Pharma (-1.88%), Cipla (-0.54%), Apollo Hospitals (-0.47%), Bajaj Auto (-0.36%) Sensex opened 788.7 pts higher at 78,883.34 on Monday against the previous close of 78,094.64 and at 9.16 am, it traded 543.52 pts or 0.70% higher at 78,638.16. Nifty 50 traded 168.45 pts or 0.69% positive at 24,552.05 after opening at 24,572.70 compared to the previous close of 24,383.60. * GAIL is increasingly leveraged to LNG imports into China and Europe, with potential upside from a U.S. natural gas glut expected in 2027 * European gas inventories are near three-year lows, while U.S. LNG export capacity is ramping up more slowly than expected “Nifty is expected to open sharply higher around 24,550, up nearly 170 points, supported by easing geopolitical tensions and a decline in crude oil prices, both of which have improved global risk sentiment. The reduction in war-related concerns and softer crude prices are positive for India, as they ease inflationary pressure and improve the outlook for corporate earnings. Technically, the index remains in a strong uptrend. 24,400–24,300 will act as the immediate support zone, while 24,700–24,800 is the next key resistance area. A decisive move above 24,800 could trigger fresh momentum and extend the rally towards higher levels. The overall market structure remains bullish, and traders may consider a buy-on-dips strategy as long as Nifty continues to hold above the 24,300–24,400 support zone. Momentum remains with the bulls, and sustained buying could lead to a breakout above the immediate resistance.”

Sensex today | Stock Market Live: Sensex soars 500 pts at open, Nifty reaches 24,500 as crude oil slumps to $81 on Iran deal optimism
Europe
BBC Business

Shein swings to $99m loss as Trump tariffs hit sales

Image source, In Pictures via Getty ImagesByPeter HoskinsBusiness reporterPublished1 hour agoShein says it swung to a quarterly loss as its sales slowed after US President Donald Trump removed an import duty exemption on small packages. It also comes as uncertainty remains over the tit-for-tat US-China tariffs wars, which is currently paused. The fast-fashion giant, which has its headquarters in Singapore but was founded in China, said it lost $99m (£74.1m) in the first three months of the year, compared with a net income of $395m a year earlier. The announcement is part of the firm's preparations ahead of its stock market debut in Hong Kong, although the filing did not give any details on the size, timetable or pricing of the planned initial public offering (IPO). "In response to the increased duties and taxes, we are pursuing a wide range of options, including increasing our prices in the US market to offset a portion of the increased costs," Shein said in the filing. The company also said the Iran war had hit demand, increased costs and caused delays of deliveries in some markets. The first-quarter figures also partly reflected a paper loss of $328m due to an accounting change for special investor shares. The shares can be turned into ordinary stock later, and their value can change before a listing. The filing showed that in the year to the end of March 2026 Shein had 281 million active customers - a rise of more than 16% on a year earlier - who placed a total of more than one billion orders. On 10 July, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) gave Shein approval for a Hong Kong share sale after failed attempts to list in New York and London. The figures show the impact of a Trump-signed executive order to end a global tariff exemption that had been used by US shoppers of low-cost goods. That order, which came into effect on 29 August 2025, broadened an earlier presidential action which specifically targeted cheap products from China and Hong Kong to cover the rest of the world. The so-called de minimis exemption had allowed goods valued at $800 or less to enter the US without paying any tariffs. US consumers relied on the exemption to buy cheap goods from online commerce sites like Shein and Temu.

Shein swings to $99m loss as Trump tariffs hit sales
North America
Yahoo Finance

Capital Economics Warns Foreign Buying Boom Could Signal Risks for the S&P 500

Capital Economics believes the recent surge in foreign investment into U.S. equities could be another indication that the current stock market rally is becoming overstretched, pointing to previous periods when similar buying patterns preceded major market downturns. Chief Economic Adviser John Higgins said strong overseas demand for U.S. stocks has historically coincided with powerful advances in the S&P 500 that were later followed by significant corrections. Capital Economics noted that the United States’ long-running current account deficit naturally leads foreign investors to accumulate U.S. financial assets, with the country’s net external liabilities exceeding $21 trillion at the end of the first quarter. However, the firm highlighted a significant change in the composition of those holdings. Around two decades ago, foreign portfolio investment was concentrated primarily in U.S. debt securities. Today, equities account for the majority of those investments. According to Higgins, foreign investors now own more than 21% of the U.S. equity market, compared with just over 6% in 1997. Capital Economics said historical trends suggest that periods of heavy foreign buying have often coincided with stock market rallies that later reversed. The firm stated that “substantial increases in foreigners’ net purchases of US equities have coincided with sizeable rallies in the S&P 500 that have subsequently reversed,” citing the dotcom bubble, the Global Financial Crisis and the 2022 market decline as notable examples. It also observed that the latest increase in overseas purchases alongside the current rally “has been much larger than the increases in foreigners’ net purchases of US equities during the rallies of those earlier episodes.” According to Capital Economics, the current wave of foreign buying has been fuelled largely by enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence. The firm warned that this AI-driven investment trend “is likely to reverse if and when the bubble in AI bursts,” a scenario that could leave U.S. equities underperforming international markets. The firm believes that the currency’s performance in the event of a reversal in AI-related investment “would probably depend heavily on how much, if at all, the Fed eased monetary policy compared to other central banks.”

Capital Economics Warns Foreign Buying Boom Could Signal Risks for the S&P 500
Europe
BBC Business

The Chinese robot army transforming the UK's retail industry

Every time you click "buy" on an online order, the chances are that your purchase starts getting processed within minutes. Increasingly, the journey starts with a squat silver floor robot gliding beneath a storage rack, lifting a shelf and carrying it across a warehouse to a waiting worker. At Geek+'s factory in the eastern Chinese city of Hefei, which the BBC visited, fleets of the robots are built and tested before being shipped to warehouses around the world. Some of Britain's biggest retailers - including Tesco, Asda and Next - now use the company's technology. By automating these repetitive journeys, Geek+ says retailers can increase picking speeds, store more goods in spaces that are hard to reach for humans, and reduce errors. Unlike traditional warehouse automation, which relies on fixed conveyor systems and permanent infrastructure, autonomous mobile robots can be deployed simply using QR code floor markers and safety fencing. Geek+, which listed in Hong Kong last year in one of the biggest robotics share sales of 2025, has become the world's largest supplier of autonomous mobile robots. The UK has struggled with weak productivity growth for more than a decade, and economists say wider adoption of robotics will be essential if businesses are to become more efficient. In its 2026 report SME Technology Adoption in the United Kingdom, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said technologies like robotics would be key to improving productivity. According to the OECD, Britain's low adoption of robotics is "surprising" given its manufacturing heritage, noting that while UK firms have embraced mature digital technologies, they lag behind in robotics and automation. That presents an opportunity for companies such as Geek+. The UK has one of Europe's largest e-commerce and logistics sectors, but many warehouses are still in the early stages of automation. Britain has already become Geek+'s biggest European market, with UK partner MotionTech deploying more than 2,000 robots across 10 warehouse sites.

The Chinese robot army transforming the UK's retail industry
Europe
The Guardian

South Korean stock market at three-month low as AI sell-off intensifies

Analysts attributed the sell-off to renewed worries over AI investment spending. Photograph: Ying Tang/NurPhoto/ShutterstockView image in fullscreenAnalysts attributed the sell-off to renewed worries over AI investment spending. Photograph: Ying Tang/NurPhoto/ShutterstockStock marketsSouth Korean stock market at three-month low as AI sell-off intensifiesSamsung and SK Hynix fall by more than 10% amid renewed fears over AI spending and Chinese competition The sell-off in AI stocks has intensified, driving South Korea’s stock market down to its lowest level in three months. Investors continued to ditch chip stocks on Tuesday, amid rising concerns about the huge amount of borrowing among AI companies to fund their datacentre expansion plans. The South Korean semiconductor companies SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics fell by more than 10%, dragging the country’s Kospi share index down by 11.5% to its lowest point since mid-April. US chip stocks extended their recent losses when Wall Street opened on Tuesday, with Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Sandisk, Western Digital Corp and Seagate Technology all down by more than 4%. The Nasdaq 100 index of leading tech stocks fell by as much as 1.8% at one point, briefly taken into market correction territory with stocks more than 10% below their early June record high. They later rebounded to settle roughly flat on the day. Apple bucked the trend, rising to briefly become the second ever company to pass the $5tn (£3.76tn) valuation mark as investors losing confidence in AI stocks sought a safe haven. Analysts attributed the tech sell-off to renewed worries over AI investment spending, and competition from cheaper Chinese companies, after a report by The Information that China had begun mass production of homegrown deep ultraviolet (DUV) chip-making tools. “We believe the market was likely spooked by the progress of China’s chip-making equipment capabilities, and was worried that this progress would threaten the competitive position of global chip making and chip equipment leaders,” said Jing Jie Yu, an equity analyst at Morningstar, adding that the sell-off was “largely a kneejerk reaction and overdone”. On Monday, shares in the Chinese memory chip maker CXMT rose by 466% when it floated on the Shanghai stock exchange, underlining China’s drive to create its own AI supply chain. Investors may also be growing jittery about the “circular funding” at the heart of the AI industry, through which artificial intelligence firms finance one another. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia was in discussions with OpenAI about providing $250bn (£188bn) for a massive datacentre project in Ohio. Backing from Nvidia, which has an investment grade credit rating, could make it less expensive to raise funding for the project.

South Korean stock market at three-month low as AI sell-off intensifies
Europe
BBC Business

Virtual interviews don't show bosses your personality, says Burnham

Image source, Getty ImagesByJennifer MeierhansBusiness reporterPublished30 July 2026, 09:47 BSTUpdated 2 hours agoBosses should not rely so heavily on virtual job interviews when hiring as they don't capture candidates' personality and passion, Andy Burnham has said. "One thing I really don't like is this culture now of interviewing via Zoom or Teams," the prime minister told a careers podcast, adding: "How does a young person shine in that situation?" With more than one million 16 to 25-year-olds not in work or education, and vacancies at a five-year low, firms are increasingly turning to AI to sift through applications and choosing online interviews over in-person. But some young people have told the BBC the experience of applying for hundreds of jobs and never hearing back is "robotic and brutal". It comes as some 89% of UK recruiters say they are planning to use more AI in the hiring process this year, according to data from Linked In. Speaking to former political adviser Jimmy McLoughlin on his podcast Jimmy's Jobs of the Future, Burnham said he was concerned that the use of technology was not making recruitment processes "fairer". "How do you get over some of your personality, your passion?" he asked, referring to virtual interviews. "It seems to me to then work against people who have that side to their character and work for those who are just giving the more formulaic answer. "I do worry about that and I've seen that in relation to my kids and their situation." More than one million 16-25-year-olds are not in education, employment or training - the highest level in more than 12 years, official figures show. A major review by former minister Alan Milburn found job and career opportunities for young people are "not growing, they're shrinking" with one in six set to be out of work, education or training in five years unless action is taken. "We are at risk of a lost generation" with young adults facing a "perfect storm" of challenges, Milburn warned in May. Burnham also told the podcast that companies who provide six-week work placements for teenagers could be prioritised for government contracts.

Virtual interviews don't show bosses your personality, says Burnham
North America
Yahoo Finance

Here Are Monday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Alphabet, Clean Harbors, Ford, Huntington Bancshares, Rivian, Rocket Lab, Terawulf, Vale, Warner Bros. Discovery, and More

Pre-Market Stock Futures: Futures are trading higher as we head into the busiest week of the second quarter earnings season. More than 30% (over 150 companies) of the S&P 500 are scheduled to report earnings this week. Key highlights include reports from four of the Magnificent 7 companies. The major indices closed split on Friday, ... Here Are Monday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Alphabet, Clean Harbors, Ford, Huntington Bancshares, Rivian, Rocket Lab, Terawulf, Vale, Warner Bros. D

Here Are Monday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Alphabet, Clean Harbors, Ford, Huntington Bancshares, Rivian, Rocket Lab, Terawulf, Vale, Warner Bros. Discovery, and More
Asia-Pacific
The Straits Times

Japan to announce Tokyo, Washington took joint action on yen, sources say

Market sources earlier reported rounds of yen-buying in the market by both nations, the first such joint intervention since 2011. TOKYO – Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama will announce on Aug 3 that Tokyo and Washington took joint action in the currency market to arrest the yen’s slide to 40-year lows, two Japanese government officials told Reuters. Katayama is likely to stress the two countries’ determination to combat what they consider excessive yen declines, said the sources familiar with the matter, on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. One source, asked if Katayama would announce “joint action”, said yes, adding, “the operation is still ongoing.” The Ministry of Finance (MOF) could not immediately be reached for comment on Aug 2. US Treasury officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The expected announcement follows what market sources say were rounds of yen-buying in the market by the Japanese and US authorities, the first such joint intervention since 2011, seeking to boost the Japanese currency from its lowest levels against the dollar since 1986. The Japanese government bought yen for dollars in New York trading hours on July 30, a market source told Reuters, with Bank of Japan (BOJ) data suggesting it sold as much as US$58.97 billion (S$75.6 billion) to support the yen. Tokyo’s initial intervention came hours before the BOJ decided on July 31 to keep monetary policy steady while signalling a strong chance it would raise interest rates soon. A widening rate differential with the US, where the Federal Reserve has dramatically shifted to a more hawkish stance, has been a key factor in the dollar’s rise against the yen. Shortly after BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda held a press conference on the central bank’s decision, the yen spiked in what markets suspect may have been another bout of yen-buying intervention by Tokyo. “Going forward, as the official responsible for currency policy, I would like to respond in close coordination with monetary policy,” Katayama’s top currency diplomat, Atsushi Mimura, told reporters after the yen’s spike on July 31, suggesting the MOF and BOJ were working hand in hand to combat the weak yen. Also on July 31, the US Treasury informed a number of banks that it might intervene in the yen market and that they should “stand ready for future action”, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Japan to announce Tokyo, Washington took joint action on yen, sources say