Futures Rise After Blowout ASML Earnings Boost Tech Sentiment

Summary

Futures Rise After Blowout ASML Earnings Boost Tech Sentiment Futures are higher led by technology stocks, after solid earnings from ASML offered fresh evidence of the relentless demand for chips enabling the global AI buildout and boosted sentiment across the AI Infra trade. As of 8:00am ET, S&P futures are up 0.1% and Nasdaq futures rise 0.4%, both off session highs. In Tech, focus is on ASML +4%  on guidance raise (US Semicap Equipment peers +2-4% in sympathy),  PYPL +20% on reports of a Stripe/Advent takeover offer;  AAPL +0.50% and BABA +4% on China approval of Alibaba “Qwen AI” integration into the iPhone experience; and NVDA flat on Jensen commentary that Vera Rubin chips were on track for deliver to customers (countering delay talk).  On the US/Iran front, the US carried out another round of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz overnight and President Trump said the US may hit power plants and bridges next week unless Iran returns to negotiations and makes a deal (also have report from Axios that Trump held a meeting in the situation room yesterday to discuss a new offensive). According to JPM, the tech complex is also getting a boost thanks to stabilization in Korea, with KOSPI adding 6% overnight (JPM APAC says that foreign & institutional demand is stepping into Korea as domestic retail investors are selling). Asia finished mixed (Shanghai -29bps / Hang Seng +1.4% / Nikkei +1.49% / Kospi +6.3%) as the day to day volatility continued in Korea (Hynix +4%, which appeared to be a “catch up” to SKHY post its +27% move in the US session). Bond yields edged higher in the US and Europe, with the yield on 10-year Treasuries up one basis point to 4.60%. The dollar wavered. While money markets have mostly priced out the possibility of a Federal Reserve hike later this month, expectations for a move in September remained high. Commodities are seeing a bid with gold the notable laggard. Brent crude futures rise 0.5% to just above $85 a barrel while European natural gas futures rise 3% to the highest since March. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index is near flat. Today’s macro data focus in on PPI and then macro read-through from names in Fins and Transports.   In premarket trading, Mag 7stocks are mostly higher (Apple +0.6%, Amazon +0.3%, Microsoft +0.3%, Tesla +0.2%, Meta Platforms +0.2%, Alphabet -0.5%, Nvidia -0.2%) ASML Holding NV ADRs (ASML) gain 3% after the company lifted its annual sales forecast for the second time this year and laid out plans to increase production as a surge in artificial intelligence spending drives demand for the Dutch company’s chip-making machines. BlackRock (BLK) gains 4% after pulling in $192 billion of net client cash in the second quarter, with investors pouring money into exchange-traded funds and pushing total assets above $15 trillion for the first time. Elevance Health (ELV) falls 7% after boosting its profit guidance by less than Wall Street had hoped, as the company grapples with recent federal policy changes that have made healthcare more expensive. Peer health insurers are also lower, with Humana (HUM) down 1.6% and Centene (CNC) falling 4%. Lionsgate Studios (LION) climbs 7% after Reuters reported that the company is exploring a sale and has attracted takeover interest from Bollore Group. Reuters cited three unidentified people familiar with the matter. PayPal (PYPL) jumps 20% after Reuters reported Stripe and private equity company Advent ​International have made a joint offer to ‌buy PayPal for $60.50 per share, valuing the payments firm at more than $53 billion. Pentair (PNR) tumbles 22% after the water treatment company cut its adjusted earnings per share guidance for the full year. The company also said it appointed Robert Fishman as interim CFO after Nicholas Brazis resigned on July 10 to pursue another opportunity at a private company. Phoenix Education (PXED) drops 10% after the online education company trimmed its net revenue guidance for the full year. SK Hynix ADRs (SKHY) fall 6%. SpaceX (SPCX) is up 0.7% after closing on Tuesday just $1 above the IPO price. In other corporate news Nokia says it developed the first commercial AI-driven radio access network (RAN) platform together with Nvidia to radically increase the amount of data operators can transmit using existing infrastructure. Apollo landed the biggest private credit deal on record, offering Broadcom $35 billion of debt, in the latest sign that the buyout shop-turned-blue chip lender is muscling in on the turf of Wall Street. OpenAI’s much-anticipated push into consumer devices is slated to begin with a mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the AI era. Lionsgate Studios is exploring a sale and has attracted takeover interest from Bollore Group, Reuters reports. Tech sentiment was boosted by blowout results from European chip giant ASML and a rebound in Korean stocks. Coming into ASML’s results, analysts set the bar high, expecting an upgrade to full-year net sales guidance. Europe’s most valuable company delivered, but clarity is needed on its conference call as to whether the chip equipment leader can meet the required capacity in the face of soaring AI-fueled demand.  And speaking of lack of capacity, overnight we reported that the biggest US power grid failed for a third straight time to secure enough future supply commitments to ensure reliability in coming years amid a boom in data center demand. Power-hungry data centers have increased supply costs for the largest US electric grid by more than 60%, the system watchdog said.  Oil prices rose for a third straight day after the US military launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran, with Brent advancing 1.1% to around $85.60 a barrel. Overnight President Trump said the US may hit power plants and bridges next week unless Iran returns to negotiations and makes a deal (also have report from Axios that Trump held a meeting in the situation room yesterday to discuss a new offensive).  Despite the uncertainty created by the standoff, investors say crude prices remain well off their highs above $100 a barrel from earlier in the conflict. Instead, traders are looking at whether earnings can justify high valuations, with early results this season looking promising. “Investors are aware that the road toward peace could never have been expected to be a straight line,” said Stephan Kemper, chief investment strategist at BNP Paribas Wealth Management. “As such, company fundamentals matter more than ever.”  Bullish AI momentum is not without risks. Repeating what we said over the weekend, Bloomberg writes that signs of Hyperscaler credit stress has reached the highest since Goldman Sachs launched the basket in February. Hyperscaler bond basket: another day, another record wide https://t.co/Ge41UpsaL9 pic.twitter.com/nssT8MoTeH — zerohedge (@zerohedge) July 15, 2026 The data-center building boom has sparked an explosion of debt funding, with investors not paying enough attention to the terms of their lending, Bloomberg also noted.  The threat posed by oil prices will remain in focus with the release of June’s producer price print. Inflation data on Tuesday delivered a strong downside surprise, prompting traders to dial down their expectations for near-term interest-rate hikes. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh will testify in the Senate on Wednesday, with New York Fed President John Williams and Governor Lisa Cook scheduled to speak at separate engagements.  “Any hint toward the CPI print being an outlier could revive rate hike concerns,” Kempner said. “This would be even more true if other Fed officials start to echo yesterday’s comments from the Fed Chair about the mission being ‘not yet’ accomplished.” In politics, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is set to appear Wednesday before the US Senate in support of his nomination to lead the Justice Department — just days after a federal judge in Miami issued harsh criticism of his actions in the job. Over in Europe, Marine Le Pen’s revived bid for the French presidency is giving investors like Vanguard and Natixis another reason to avoid the country’s government bonds. In Europe, the Stoxx 600 is little changed thanks to ASML whose shares rise ~5% after the firm lifted its annual sales forecast for the second time this year and laid out plans to increase production. Gains in luxury names are also helping to offset losses elsewhere after Richemont sales expanded nearly twice as much as expected. Here are the biggest movers: European fintech stocks gain after Reuters reported that Stripe and private equity company Advent are offering to buy PayPal at a valuation of more than $53 billion Richemont surges as much as 7.4% to an all-time high after the Swiss jeweler reported first-quarter sales growth that was nearly twice as strong as expected ASML shares rise as much as 7.9% after the chip equipment firm raised FY guidance for this year and set capacity expansion goals for the next two years ICG shares rise as much as 3.4%, trimming year-to-date declines, after the alternative asset manager reported first-quarter assets under management slightly ahead of estimates Barratt Redrow shares rise as much as 6% after the UK homebuilder said it will return £400 million to shareholders this year. Sector peers are also finding support from Barratt’s FY update Camurus shares jump as much as 16%, the most since November, after the Swedish biopharmaceutical firm reported better-than-expected revenue and profit for the second quarter Rio Tinto falls as much as 2.3% in London, the most in a week, after the miner reported 2Q copper production that declined from the previous comparable period Elis shares slide as much as 4% to €24.64 after holder Canada Pension Plan Investment Board sold about 19.3 million shares for €24.60 apiece AFRY shares fall as much as 12%, hitting a 2014 low, after the Swedish engineer’s earnings fell short of expectations in the second quarter, according to analysts at Jefferies Handelsbanken shares decline as much as 6.2% after the lender reported net interest income for the second quarter that missed estimates while analysts also note weak lending growth in Sweden Premier Group falls as much as 7.3% in Johannesburg, the most since April 2025, after stockholder CapitalWorks sold shares in the packaged foods company at a discount Asian stocks climbed the most in almost two weeks after a softer US inflation print relieved concerns over imminent rate hikes, while South Korea led advances in technology shares. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 1.9%, the most since July 3. Leading contributor SK Hynix soared 9% in Seoul, tracking a surge in its American depositary receipts Tuesday, while chipmakers Samsung and TSMC also climbed after gains in US tech shares. South Korea’s benchmark Kospi jumped 6.2%, while Taiwan’s Taiex climbed the most in two weeks. Mainland China stocks edged lower after data showed the economy slowed more than expected last quarter, to the weakest in more than three years.  With earnings seasons starting, Asian software and IT services stocks followed global peers lower after IBM missed earnings expectations. Meanwhile, the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose the most in a week, as internet firms such as Tencent and Alibaba gained.  “Softer-than-expected US inflation data has reduced the risk of a more aggressive Fed tightening cycle, which had become a more prominent concern over the past week as renewed US-Iran tensions pushed oil prices higher,” said Rajeev De Mello, global macro portfolio manager at GAMA Asset Management. “Investors have also absorbed last week’s SK Hynix equity issuance, allowing the Korean semiconductor sector to rebound, while the US earnings season has opened on a constructive note.” In FX, the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index is near flat. The Norwegian krone slipped to the bottom of the G-10 FX pile, falling 0.4% against the greenback after Norway’s core inflation surprised to the downside. In rates, treasuries are cheaper by 1bp to 2bp across the curve, unwinding a portion of gains seen Tuesday following a soft CPI print. Treasury curve slightly flatter on the day with front-end leading losses, where 2-year yields trade around 4.215% and cheaper by 2bp on the day. US 10-year yields trade around 4.605% with bunds and gilts both trading slightly cheaper in the sector. IG dollar issuance slate includes a couple of deals. Goldman Sachs was one of three issuers Tuesday, selling a combined $13.9 billion of bonds. They paid an average of about 2.3 basis points in new issue concessions on deals that were 2.2 times covered. US session focus includes a handful of Federal Reserve speakers and June PPI data.   In commodities, WTI futures advance almost 1% rising for a third day, and adding some upside pressure on yields, as Trump threatened further strikes on Iran after the US resumed its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, and the US carried out more strikes against Iran, hitting dozens of military sites near the strait and along the nation’s coast. Brent crude futures rise 0.5% to just above $85 a barrel while European natural gas futures rise 3% to the highest since March. Precious metals decline. US economic data calendar includes July Empire manufacturing and June PPI (8:30am). Fed calendar includes Williams (8:45am), Warsh testifies before Senate Banking Committee (10am), Cook (1pm) and Musalem (6:30pm). Fed releases latest Beige book at 2pm Market Snapshot Top Overnight News The US launched more airstrikes on Iran, with Donald Trump pledging to intensify his bombardment until Tehran stops attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and agrees to open the waterway. BBG As the U.S. war with Iran resumes, there is little sign that diplomacy can stop it. Efforts by Arab, Pakistani and other mediators to revive negotiations or restore a ceasefire have shown no public signs of progress, and the overall feeling in the Middle East and beyond is that the fighting will simply continue for now, according to two analysts and a person familiar with the situation. Politico The cost of the war with Iran could be more than triple the most recent estimate of roughly $30 billion, according to three U.S. officials and three people familiar with the internal cost estimates. NBC Nasdaq futures advanced as ASML raised its annual sales forecast for the second time this year, offering fresh evidence of AI-driven demand. SK Hynix continued its volatile run though, with the stock jumping in Seoul but ADRs falling premarket. BBG Stripe and Advent offered to buy PayPal at a valuation of more than $53 billion, Reuters reported. Their $60.50-a-share bid is around 28% more than PayPal’s closing price yesterday. RTRS BABA (Alibaba)’s Qwen AI will be integrated into Apple Intelligence in China. RTRS China’s economy slowed more than expected last quarter to the weakest in more than three years, raising pressure on policymakers to speed up public spending to ensure their annual growth goal is met. China’s Q2 GDP came in a bit below expectations (+4.3% vs. the Street +4.5% and down from +5% in Q1), but retail sales were ahead of plan for June (+1% vs. the Street -0.1%), as was industrial production (+5.3% vs. the Street +4.6%)  BBG Trump administration may pursue further executive action addressing China-related concerns over open-source AI models, according to Semafor citing an unnamed senior White House official. Beijing plans to fight attempts to monopolize advances in AI technology, state newspaper People’s Daily reported, following US attempts to curtail overseas access to cutting-edge models. BBG The rush for cash by some of the world’s largest companies is putting the long bull market at risk. Investors have been cheering the raging bull market for years—three years and nine months, to be precise—with the S&P 500 having more than doubled during that period. Now companies are racing to take advantage, raising concern that the party could be coming to an end. WS Fundamental L/S Gross leverage has declined in 5 of the last 6 weeks to 207.2% (28th percentile 1-year, 75th percentile 3-year). After reaching a 4-year high in early June, Fundamental L/S Net leverage has fallen -6.7 pts to 54.5% (22nd percentile 1-year, 39th percentile 3-year). Goldman PB A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newqsuawk APAC stocks traded with a positive bias as most major indices took impetus from the gains on Wall St, where sentiment was underpinned, and Fed rate hike bets were trimmed following softer-than-expected CPI data, while US President Trump also abandoned plans for a 20% Hormuz fee. ASX 200 eked out marginal gains with outperformance in miners following Rio Tinto's quarterly update, although the upside in the index was capped as defensives lag. Nikkei 225 rallied amid tech strength, but with further upside limited following weak Machinery Orders. KOSPI was boosted by the tech-related momentum and with SK Hynix shares up by a double-digit percentage as it played catch-up to the 27% surge in its ADRs. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp diverged with the mainland lagging after a slew of mixed data releases, including Chinese GDP and activity data. Top Asian News China announced a five-year plan to boost consumption and targets CNY 60tln yuan in retail sales by 2030, according to Nikkei. China's stats bureau deputy head said China's CPI and PPI are in reasonable ranges and hard won given most countries face big price increases, while the official added that China's energy supplies are sufficient, production is stable, and imports are under control. Furthermore, it was stated that the Q2 GDP growth slowdown is due mainly to short-term factors and external factors, while H1 GDP growth lays a good foundation for achieving the full-year growth target. Japan added a footnote on BoJ autonomy to its revised fiscal policy draft, Bloomberg reported. Japanese PM Takaichi said FX rates should be determined by the market; boosting international competitiveness will boost the credibility of JPY. India announced INR 1.28tln new semiconductor manufacturing plan, according to reports. European bourses (STOXX 600 U/C) are broadly lower, with the outperformance in the AEX (+0.8%) following ASML earnings. Despite the lack of clear drivers for the underperformance, geopolitics persist, with US President Trump announcing that the US will conduct strikes again on Wednesday and threatening to hit power plants and bridges unless Iran starts to negotiate. Sectors are broadly negative. Consumer Products & Services (+1.2%) tops the sector pile, as positive Richemont earnings lift other luxury names, while Tech (+1.0%) also gains. To the downside lie Optimised Personal Care (-1.1%), Chemicals (-1.1%) and Telecoms (-0.8%). The highly anticipated ASML earnings did not disappoint. Top and bottom line figures beat estimates while raising its FY revenue guidance to EUR 43-45bln (exp. 39.4bln, prev. guided 36-40bln). Looking ahead to Q3, ASML projects sales of between EUR 11-12bln, above Jefferies' estimates of EUR 10.34bln. ASML stated that they are considering a 30% boost to EUV output for 2027 and again in 2028. Both Citi and JPMorgan highlighted this as a positive, with JPMorgan projecting it to add over EUR 65 in EPS in 2028. However, Citi points out that the 2027 production figure would amount to around 85 machines, which is below its forecast of between 90-100. Gains were seen as much as 7.4% at the start of trade, but has since pulled back to around 3.7%. US equity futures are firmer across the board. NQ (+0.5%) is the clear outperformer, helped by the ASML earnings and gains in SK Hynix overnight; however have come off in recent trade (in line with ASML). Banking earnings continue in the US, with Morgan Stanley on the docket. Top European News Ed Miliband's opponents in the Labour Party believe he has failed his bid to become Chancellor, with current Home Secretary Mahmoud seen by some MPs as favourite to take the Chancellor role in Andy Burnham's new government, according to FT. OECD said the UK economy to grow 0.9% in 2026 and 1.1% in 2027, with risks tilted to the downside. Added that fiscal discipline is essential to the UK. German government is planning a EUR 13.3bln energy relief package for 2027, which will be used to assist businesses and consumers. FX G10s mixed against the Buck, which is flat on the day despite being off recent lows. AUD and GBP lead; NOK underperforms. DXY looks to breach 101.00 after lifting from recent lows in the wake of cool US CPI on Tuesday. As Fed Chair Warsh said during the House testimony on Tuesday, one series does not make a trend, so while bets are trimmed for an immediate hike (prev. markets saw a 50% probability of tightening in July), eyes remain on incoming data. In addition to the post-CPI bounce, the Buck is being helped by energy benchmarks, which remain elevated amid a lack of positive Gulf newsflow. NOK is the worst G10 performer after the Norges Bank’s preferred inflation gauge, CPI-ATE, came in cooler than analyst/Norges Bank forecasts. NOK saw immediate pressure on the release (which was originally scheduled for 10th July). AUD and GBP are the best-performing G10 currencies, helped by the above factor as the cooler-than-expected US CPI trimmed bets for near-term Fed tightening, increasing appetite for these high-yielders. For GBP specifically, the UK press suggested Energy Secretary Miliband was less-favoured in the race for Chancellor, now Foreign Secretary Cooper and Home Secretary Mahmood are favourites for the job. Markets think that Mahmood would be fiscally conservative given her view on immigration; however, she lacks experience in economic roles, whereas Cooper previously worked as Chief Secretary to the Treasury under Gordon Brown. GBP/USD +0.1% and either side of the 1.34 mark. Fixed Income USTs remain contained, caught between CPI and Warsh. Bunds lower on energy, but off worst levels despite a sharp but ultimately short-lived decline in the early morning. Gilts opened on the backfoot, given energy. USTs flat in a narrow 108-24+ to 108-31+ band, fresh catalysts light. Commentary remains focused on June’s dovish CPI report and the subsequent hawkish Fed testimony from Chair Warsh. Today, we get more insight on both points via Warsh’s Senate testimony and US PPI for June. Additionally, Fed’s Williams (voter) is on the docket. Bunds lower by around 20 ticks, but are a similar amount clear of the 124.79 trough. A base that printed in a bout of somewhat short-lived bout of pressure this morning. No obvious catalyst behind that, though it did occur in tandem with modest DAX and EUR downside. Ongoing focus on pension reform may have contributed, given reporting earlier in Politico that suggested pension points could be reduced in some scenarios, saving multiple billions; though, the debate continues and won’t be resolved this week. Alternatively, or additionally, the German Finance Ministry outlined that some EUR 13bln or energy-related relief is planned for 2027, funding for that to be sourced from the climate relief package. Gilts opened lower by 16 ticks and have since moved lower to an 86.89 base, holding above the 86.87 and 86.42 lows from the last two sessions. Pressure the typical underperformance seen in Gilts when energy leads. No real relief from reports, such as the FT, suggesting that Miliband has lost the race to be Chancellor; though, outlets make clear that no decision has been made yet, ahead of Burnham becoming PM this weekend. Germany sells EUR 0.753bln vs exp. EUR 1.0bln 2.50% 2054, EUR 0.768bln vs exp. EUR 1.0bln 2.90% 2056 & EUR 0.759 vs exp. EUR 1.0bln 0.00% 2052 Bund. Australia sells AUD 700mln 4.50% Apr 2033 bonds b/c 4.29, avg yield 4.6620%. Commodities Geopolitics remains in focus, with US and Iran still conducting strikes. Markets appear to be accustomed to the ongoing attacks, with focus now on how transits through the Strait are being impacted. On that note, 11 vessels went through the passage, 9 of those used the Iranian-designated route. Yen Ling Song of S&P Global Energy wrote that “we are seeing significantly greater caution among shipowners and operators”, given the threat of Iranian strikes. On this front, traders have continued to price in another supply glut this month – and recent rhetoric from President Trump/Iran, does not point to a near term resolution. To recap, Trump warned that they would be striking Iran on Wednesday night, and threatened to hit power plants/bridges next week, unless Iran negotiates. Iran stated that it is a mistake to think military action will force them to talk. Crude benchmarks are modestly firmer this morning. Price action overnight was fairly rangebound, but then dipped in early European trade – benchmarks have remained near recent lows since. Brent Sept’26 traded within a USD 85.02-86.55/bbl range. Spot gold is a little lower this morning, but ultimately within the prior day’s ranges. Price action which appears to be a bit of pull-back from the extremes seen on Wednesday, following the cooler-than-expected CPI print. The yellow-metal currently holds above the USD 4k/oz mark, in a USD 4,017-4,062/oz range. Base metals hold a negative bias, as markets digested mixed Chinese data. 3M LME Copper traded within a USD 13,550-13,677/t range. US Private Inventory Data (bbls): Crude -0.6mln (exp. -2.7mln), Distillates +2.3mln (exp. +1.0mln), Gasoline -1.7mln (exp. +0.6mln), Cushing +0.2mln. Trade/Tariffs EU Trade Commissioner Sefcovic said they are aiming to have the EU-India FTA implemented in 2027. Central Banks ECB's Nagel said from a monetary policy perspective, it remains advisable to react with caution but to act decisively if needed. Monetary policy will maintain its vigilant stance. ECB's Panetta said EZ inflation is currently around 3% and expected to remain above that level until early 2027. Risks linked to higher energy prices, tighter financial conditions and persistent geopolitical uncertainty appear to be only partially incorporated into market evaluations. Several indicators suggest the rise in equity markets seen after the Iran conflict is due to an underestimation of risks. ECB's goal is to keep inflation expectations firmly anchored, limiting indirect and second-round effects of shocks. ECB's Kocher said they are ready to take monetary policy actions at any time if needed, adding that the ECB will do what is needed to bring inflation to 2% in medium-term and no second round effects seen currently. ECB's Cipollone said that he is not currently seeing second round inflation effects, but monitors inflation expectations "very closely". Geopolitics US President Trump said in a pre-recorded Fox News interview that they are beating up Iran badly and Hormuz has to stay open, while he added that strikes will continue until he says it is enough, as well as stated they will save energy targets for last and will ultimately hit energy targets. Trump also said they will hit Iran hard on Wednesday night, and that next week will get really bad for Iran, in which they will hit Iran's power plants and bridges next week unless Iran comes to the negotiating table. Furthermore, he said US officials spoke to Iran on Tuesday and told Iran that it better make a deal. US Central Command forces began launching an additional round of strikes against Iran at 15:00EDT/20:00BST on Tuesday, to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while CENTCOM later announced the completion of strikes against Iran. US struck Qeshm Island in southern Iran, and explosions were heard in the maritime area of eastern Hormozgan and Sirik, while explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas and Hengam Island. Explosions were also heard in Bampur and Chabahar in Iran, although Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim noted officials denied reports of explosions in Chabahar, while explosions were reported in Iran's port city of Bandar Imam Khomeini, and a mineral water plant in Deloran was hit by three projectiles. Furthermore, reports noted that air defences around the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran became active. IRGC said it targeted enemy weapons and parts storage in Bahrain and Kuwait, while it targeted a drone ramp in Kuwait's Ali Al Salem air base and targeted US positions at Jordan's Azraq base, as well as the US Fifth Fleet Command HQ, fuel facilities and equipment in Bahrain. IRGC said as long as the US evil stays in the region, not a drop of oil and gas will be exported from the region, and that US aggression will have no result other than delaying the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran will respond to the US attacks, Tasnim reported. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi said the US is making a mistake if it thinks its military attacks and blockade will force them to request negotiations, but also commented that Iran's return to negotiations and tolerance regarding the Strait of Hormuz is possible. Furthermore, he said the MoU effectively no longer exists and that no country should expect Iran to continue implementing the terms of the memorandum. Israeli PM Netanyahu is reportedly to travel to Washington on Saturday evening, aiming to meet with US President Trump, Yedioth reported. US Event calendar 7:00 am: Jul 10 MBA Mortgage Applications, prior -2.2% 8:30 am: Jul Empire Manufacturing, est. 9.2, prior 5.7 8:30 am: Jun PPI Final Demand MoM, est. 0%, prior 1.1% 8:30 am: Jun PPI Ex Food and Energy MoM, est. 0.3%, prior 0.4% 8:30 am: Jun PPI Final Demand YoY, est. 6.2%, prior 6.5% 8:30 am: Jun PPI Ex Food and Energy YoY, est. 5.1%, prior 4.9% Central Bank speakers 8:45 am: Fed’s Williams Delivers Keynote Remarks 10:00 am: Fed Chair Warsh Testifies Before Senate Banking Committee 1:00 pm: Fed’s Cook Speaks on the Economic Outlook 2:00 pm: Fed Releases Beige Book 6:30 pm: Fed’s Musalem Delivers Welcoming Remarks DB's Jim Reid concludes the overnight wrap A quick reminder the WOW! pack can be found here but life moves onto to the 2026 "Mapping the World's Prices" document which saw a whole host of press coverage from all round the world yesterday from Athens to Zurich and Berlin to Wellington. The stand-out theme from this year's edition is just how cheap Japan is. For example, a meal for two in Tokyo is a third of a cost of that in Zurich or New York. When we started the document in 2012 the US was very cheap and now its very expensive. Unless a country is in terminal difficulty, relative prices are a good future mean reversion indicator. For Japan we will likely look back on these relative prices as an indicator of how cheap it is. If nothing else it’s a very cheap destination for next year's holidays. There's plenty of other info on 69 globally important cities. See the report here at the Deutsche Bank Research Institute.  I wonder how cheap or expensive England 2026 World Cup Winning T-shirts will be in London tomorrow!   As we await the second semi-final, it’s been another eventful 24 hours for markets, with investors taking heart from a huge downside surprise in the US CPI print, even as oil prices kept ratcheting higher. So markets rapidly priced out the chance of a Fed rate hike in a couple of weeks’ time, with US Treasuries posting strong gains as a result. Indeed, the 2yr yield (-9.0bps) was down to 4.19%, its biggest decline since May, whilst the S&P 500 (+0.38%) moved back within 1% of its record high from last month. In Asia US futures continue to rise and the KOSPI is back with a 7% plus day. More on that later but first the US inflation data.   That CPI print was the main catalyst for the cross market rally, after consumer prices fell by -0.4% in June (vs. -0.1% expected). In fact, it was the biggest monthly price drop since the pandemic lockdowns of April 2020, and it pushed the year-on-year reading all the way down to +3.5%, having been at +4.2% in May. Admittedly, that was driven by a big slump in gasoline prices, which plummeted by -9.7% on the month. But even core CPI was surprising on the downside too, with a -0.02% monthly price drop (vs. +0.2% expected) amid a decline in core goods prices and subdued rent inflation. So that marked the first decline for core CPI since May 2020, and it pushed the year-on-year reading for core CPI down to +2.6%. For markets, the main consequence was that the chance of a July rate hike was immediately priced out, with the probability down from 43% on Monday to just 17% by last night’s close. And that effect was clear further out the curve, as the chance of a hike by September also fell back to 66%, signaling a growing chance that the Fed might remain on hold for some months to come. Moreover, that led to a big decline for Treasury yields too, with the 10yr yield (-3.4bps) down to 4.59% by the close. The 10yr Treasury yield traded low as 4.521% post-CPI but it then recovered somewhat, in part as Fed Chair Kevin Warsh continued to strike a tough note on inflation as he delivered his first testimony as Chair before the House Financial Services Committee. Warsh refrained from any direct policy guidance, while noting that yesterday’s softer CPI print did not mean “mission accomplished”. He also said that “members of our Committee have no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation” and argued that if the Fed “get policy right—and we will—the inflation surge of the last five years will be a thing of the past.” In all, the new Chair looked to cement inflation-fighting credibility. But he was fortunate to be making these tough remarks in a day of soft CPI, with the inflation data easing the pressure for any immediate policy tightening.    Yet even as CPI surprised on the downside, oil prices continued to move higher, with Brent crude up another +1.72% yesterday to $84.73/bbl, taking its 2-day gain since the weekend to +11.47%. Nevertheless, that was actually well beneath the intraday peak above $87/bbl, with a big pullback after President Trump said that the proposal for a 20% fee in the Strait of Hormuz would be replaced by “Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States.” Meanwhile, the US military announced that it had resumed its naval blockade of Iran overnight, with Iranian media reporting an exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz. Overnight, Brent is +1.19% higher, trading at 85.74/bbl as we go to print.   But for the most part, there were signs that investors were still looking through the latest oil price spike. Brent is well below its peak from earlier in the year, having spent around two months above $100/bbl. And as Henry pointed out yesterday (link here), earlier in the year it took Brent at $110/bbl before we saw meaningful vulnerabilities for equities and credit. And if we look back at the 2022 shock as well, it was a similar real-terms threshold for Brent (above $110/bbl in today’s prices) that started to cause meaningful stress, which we’re still some way from right now. For equities, yesterday was another eventful session as earnings season started to get going. At the headline level, the S&P 500 (+0.38%) did well thanks to the downside CPI print and the dovish rates repricing. But this included some big moves under the surface, with IBM (-25.21%) posting its biggest daily decline in available Bloomberg data back to 1968, after they missed analyst estimates. It's another example of the huge ongoing tech disruption. Other software stocks also underperformed, including ServiceNow (-5.76%) and Adobe (-4.30%). Despite this, the information technology sector (+1.25%) was the best performer in the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ was up +0.90% amid gains for chipmakers that pushed the Philly semiconductor index +2.54% higher. So differentiation within the tech sector continues to be an ongoing theme, and one that supported the headline indices yesterday even as the equal-weighted S&P 500 slipped (-0.38%). There were also some big earnings advances as well, with Goldman Sachs (+9.00%) posting its best day since Trump announced the 90-day tariff extension last year, which came after their own earnings beat expectations. There were also sizeable gains for JPMorgan (+2.50%) and Bank of America (+1.88%) after their results, which helped the KBW Bank index to a +1.05% gain. This morning S&P (+0.20%) and Nasdaq (+0.74%) futures continue to rally.   Asian equity markets are also higher with the KOSPI (+7.70%) back leading the gains. Elsewhere, the Nikkei (+1.14%) and the Hang Seng (+1.46%) are also posting solid advances, while mainland Chinese equities remain subdued, with the CSI 300 (+0.04%) and Shanghai Composite (-0.08%) after Q2 GDP "only" expanded by 4.3% year-on-year, falling short of 4.5% expectations and slowing notably from the previous quarter (5%). As a result, first-half growth came in at 4.7%. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP rose 0.9%, marking the slowest pace of expansion in more than two years. Additional June data presented a mixed picture of momentum. Industrial production increased 5.3% year-on-year, surpassing expectations of 4.6% and accelerating from 4.5% in May, highlighting continued strength in the industrial sector. In contrast, fixed-asset investment fell -5.7% in the first half of the year from a year earlier, a steeper decline than expected and a deterioration from the -4.1% drop recorded over the January–May period. Retail sales rose 1.0% year-on-year in June, outperforming expectations for a slight contraction, although consumer spending remained relatively subdued. Meanwhile, China’s property market continued to weaken, with new home prices declining -0.15% month-on-month in June. While this represented a modest improvement from May’s -0.20% decline, persistent softness in housing demand across most regions continued to outweigh isolated signs of stabilization in major cities. Earlier in Europe, markets generally put in a decent performance yesterday, with the STOXX 600 (+0.17%) reaching a one-week high, alongside modest gains for the FTSE 100 (+0.30%), the DAX (+0.13%) and the CAC 40 (+0.03%). For sovereign bonds there was a weaker performance however, with yields on 10yr bunds (+0.6bps), OATs (+0.8bps) and BTPs (+1.1bps) all moving higher. But as with the oil price, that was actually a decent pullback from earlier in the session, when the 10yr bund yield had been up over +3bps on the day.   Looking at the day ahead, we’ll hear from Fed Chair Warsh again, who’s appearing before the Senate Banking Committee. Otherwise, central bank speakers include the Fed’s Williams, Cook and Musalem, the ECB’s Panetta and Nagel, and the BoE’s Pill. Meanwhile, the Bank of Canada will announce their latest policy decision, and the Fed will release their Beige Book. Data releases include US PPI inflation for June, and the Empire State manufacturing survey for July. Finally, today’s earnings releases include Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, United Airlines, and Johnson & Johnson. Tyler Durden Wed, 07/15/2026 - 08:28