Australia Consumer Sentiment Rises in July as Fuel Price Relief Lifts Confidence 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
Asian Stocks Rally as Cooling U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Soft Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
Singapore GDP Grows 5.7% in Q2 2026 as AI-Driven Manufacturing Boosts Economy 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment 
Port of Los Angeles Posts Record June Cargo Volume as Importers Rush Ahead of U.S. Tariffs 
Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data 
European Stocks Slip as Middle East Tensions and Hormuz Threat Rattle Markets 
Gold Price Holds Near $4,000 as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow 
China Q2 2026 GDP Misses Forecast as Weak Domestic Demand Offsets Export Strength 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
Australian Business Conditions Hold Steady as Easing Cost Pressures Face New Oil Price Risks 
U.S. stock futures were mostly flat to slightly lower on Tuesday evening after major Wall Street indexes ended the regular session in negative territory, pressured by broad weakness across technology and artificial intelligence-related stocks. Investor caution intensified ahead of several high-profile earnings reports that could shape near-term market sentiment.
S&P 500 futures dipped 0.1% to 6,936.0 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.2% to 25,393.75 points. In contrast, Dow Jones futures managed a modest 0.1% gain, trading at 49,373.0 points by late evening Eastern Time. The muted futures movement followed a sharp sell-off during regular trading hours, led by losses in mega-cap technology names.
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 closed down 0.8%, the Nasdaq Composite slid about 1.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%. The pullback reflected a rotation out of high-valuation tech stocks as investors reassessed growth expectations amid increasing competition and disruption driven by artificial intelligence. Concerns that AI advancements could pressure margins and weaken pricing power for established software and analytics firms weighed heavily on sentiment.
Major AI-linked stocks were among the biggest drags. Nvidia and Microsoft both dropped nearly 3%, while other technology names such as Oracle, Adobe, and Datadog also posted notable declines. The sell-off highlighted growing investor unease about whether current valuations fully account for rising competitive risks in the AI space.
Healthcare stocks added to the market’s downside after Novo Nordisk warned of a sharp drop in annual sales, triggering a nearly 15% plunge in its U.S.-listed shares and spilling over into the broader pharmaceutical sector.
In extended trading, Advanced Micro Devices sank more than 7% after issuing a first-quarter forecast that disappointed some analysts, despite reporting record fourth-quarter revenue of $10.3 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill also fell nearly 6% after reporting a fourth straight quarter of declining customer traffic and signaling flat same-store sales growth for fiscal 2026.
Investors are now turning their focus to upcoming earnings from major companies such as Alphabet and Amazon, which are expected to provide further clarity on consumer demand, advertising trends, and the broader outlook for technology and AI-driven growth.
