Market Snapshot, 23 July 2026

Global markets are mixed today (23 July 2026): U.S. equities slipped again on tech concerns and rising oil prices, while European stocks gained modestly and Asian markets showed divergence with South Korea rallying strongly. Brent crude surged past $95 per barrel amid escalating Middle East tensions, pushing bond yields higher and inflation expectations up.

📊 Equity Markets

• United States
  • Dow Jones: 52,218.58 (-0.01%)
  • S&P 500: 7,498.96 (-0.14%)
  • Nasdaq: 25,690.90 (-0.57%)
  • Alphabet fell over 5% despite strong earnings due to higher capex guidance; Tesla dropped nearly 3% on weaker profits; IBM lost 3.3% after downgrading sales outlook.
• Europe
  • Stoxx 600: 646.93 (+0.58%)
  • FTSE 100: 10,716.97 (+1.24%)
  • Gains supported by energy and financials; ECB expected to hold rates at 2.25% later today.
• Asia
  • Nikkei 225: 66,115.60 (-0.18%)
  • CSI 300: 4,717.24 (-0.46%)
  • Hang Seng: 24,892.66 (-0.95%)
  • Kospi: +3% (led by SK Hynix & Samsung after Alphabet’s AI spending boost).
  • Sensex: 76,515.10 (-0.31%), Nifty 50: 23,904.80 (-0.38%).

🛢 Commodities

• Brent crude: $95.50 (+4.2%, six-week high)
• WTI crude: $86.48 (+1.8%)
• Gold: $4,135/oz (+1.3%)
• Copper: $13,806/MT (-0.7%) Escalating U.S.–Iran strikes and Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea are driving oil higher, raising inflation risks globally.

💱 Foreign Exchange

• Dollar Index: 101.14 (-0.05%)
• EUR/USD: 1.1412 (+0.1%)
• GBP/USD: 1.3375 (-0.01%)
• USD/JPY: 163.15 (+0.01%)
• USD/ZAR: 16.45 (stable, reflecting rand resilience despite global risk-off mood).

📈 Bonds & Rates

• U.S. 10-year yield: 4.65% (+3bps)
• U.S. 2-year yield: 4.30% (+4bps, 17-week high)
• European sovereign yields also edged higher by 1–2bps.

🌍 Macro Outlook

• IMF projects global growth at 3.0% in 2026, down from 3.5% in 2024–25, citing Middle East war disruptions offset by AI-driven tech momentum.
• Global inflation expected to rise to 4.7% in 2026 before easing in 2027.