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DAX Index Climbs; German Consumer Sentiment Set to Fall

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Germany's blue-chip DAX index ended Friday's trading 1.36% in the green, balancing local consumer sentiment and business survey data against headwinds from new Chinese export controls, fresh US tariffs, and the sustained escalation of the Middle East conflict.

German consumer sentiment is anticipated to slightly worsen in August, with the GfK consumer climate indicator ticking down to -29.6 points from the revised -29.3 points in July. Below the consensus estimate of -28.7 points, the reading reflects declining consumer income expectations alongside a persistent rise in willingness to save amid ongoing macroeconomic volatility.

Meanwhile, business survey data compiled by S&P Global showed Germany's private sector returning to expansion territory in July, amid a "marked upturn" in manufacturing output and increased demand for goods and services. The S&P Global Flash Germany Composite PMI Output Index came in at a four-month high of 51.2, compared with the previous 49.5 and the expected 49.8.

"The German economy made a positive start to the third quarter, with the Composite PMI returning to growth territory after having [signaled] a three-month spell of contraction following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. However, given the escalating hostilities in the region in the past week or so, which have put renewed upward pressure on global energy prices, the path to a sustainable recovery still seems very much uncertain," S&P Global Market Intelligence Economics Associate Director Phil Smith said.

In trade-related news, the European Union is among 60 countries hit by new US tariffs after a Section 301 investigation into allegations of failure to prohibit or ban imported goods made with "forced labor." The total duties for the bloc's goods will be capped at 10%, net of standard "most-favored" nation rates.

Concurrently, trade headwinds emerged from the east, with China's Commerce Ministry adding Rheinmetall (RHM.F) and 13 other EU-based entities to its export control list over national security concerns. Effective immediately, the move blocks exporters and international third parties from supplying Chinese dual-use items to the blacklisted firms. The German arms maker was up 2.03% at closing.

In other corporate updates, SAP (SAP.F) surged to the top spot on the blue-chip DAX, gaining 9.26%, after the German software company reported stronger half-year results, with total revenue rising to 19.43 billion euros from 18.04 billion euros a year earlier.

"Sentiment says apocalypse; the numbers say otherwise. SAP again delivers above-expectation cloud growth, proof its shift to the 'Autonomous Enterprise' and Business AI is landing. The share price trend stays negative, but the group is pivoting hard into AI via major M&A across Reltio, Dremio and Prior Labs, a bold bet that will weigh directly on margins," AlphaValue/Baader Europe wrote.

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Asia Markets

Update: US Equity Indexes Slump, Crude Oil Soars as Trump Warns of Big Iran Attack

(Updates with index/price moves and company/geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes dropped as government bond yields jumped to the highest in a year and crude oil surged after President Donald Trump warned of a major operation in Iran.The Nasdaq Composite slumped 2.2% to 25,137.69, the S&P 500 dropped 1.2% to 7,408.30, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1% to 51,711.65 on Thursday. Consumer discretionary and communication services were the standout decliners, down more than 5% each, while technology also lagged. Industrials and health care topped the gainers.President Donald Trump is considering restarting major combat operations in Iran, including strikes bigger than the ones seen in Operation Epic Fury, according to an Axios report. "I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," the president said.Yemen's Houthi rebels said they attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday to disrupt Middle East exports, according to a report from the Associated Press. If Houthis attack again, "the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis themselves," Trump said in a Truth Social post.The CBOE Volatility Index VIX, also known as the fear gauge for equities, shot up 12% to 18.70.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate soared 6.1% to $92.13 a barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent spiked 6.5% to $100.19 a barrel.In precious metal markets, gold futures dropped 2.4% to $4,052.20, and silver futures slumped 4% to $57.91, reflecting concerns that an extended disruption to crude oil supplies may make it more challenging for the Federal Reserve to bring inflation down to its 2% target.US Treasury yields jumped, extending gains. The 10-year marched 3.8 basis points higher to 4.70% after touching its highest intraday level in a year. The two-year surged 4.7 basis points to 4.35% after yields hit a fresh 52-week high this week.In economic news, initial jobless claims fell 22,000 to 187,000 in the week ended July 18, the lowest since 1969 and trimming the four-week moving average by 7,250 to 207,500, a fourth straight decrease.In company news, Tesla (TSLA) shares fell 14.5%, the worst performer in the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, after the firm reported a steeper-than-expected drop in Q2 adjusted earnings.The European Commission fined Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Google 890 million euros ($1.04 billion) for violating the Digital Markets Act by self-preferencing in Google Search and anti-steering practices on Google Play. Shares slumped 7.1%, among the steepest decliners on the S&P 500, the Nasdaq, and the Dow.After the bell, Intel (INTC) reported fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings of $0.42 per share, swinging from a loss of $0.10 a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet expected earnings of $0.22. Revenue for the three months ended June 27 jumped to $16.13 billion from $12.86 billion a year earlier. Analysts expected $14.44 billion.

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Asia Markets

Exchange-Traded Funds Lower as US Equities Decline After Midday

Broad Market IndicatorsBroad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV fell. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) eased 0.2%.US equity indexes dropped as government bond yields jumped with crude oil after Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi Arabian tankers in the Red Sea and shares of mega-caps Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA) sank.EnergyIShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each added about 0.9%.TechnologyThe State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) fell 1%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) shed 1.9%, and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 1.6%.The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) slipped 1.5%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) fell 1.2%.FinancialThe State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) shed 0.5%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) declined 2%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), advanced 1.9%.CommoditiesCrude oil rose 6.4%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) added 6.9%. Natural gas gained 0.01%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was up 0.3%.Gold on Comex fell 2.4%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) lost 2%. Silver was down 3.8%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) eased 3.1%.ConsumerThe State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) fell 1.6%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) dropped 1.7%, and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) was down 1.3%.The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) slipped 4.4%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) lost 1.8%, and the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) was down 3%.HealthcareThe State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) rose 0.9% and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) added 0.9%, and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) gained 0.8%. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 1.1%.IndustrialThe State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) added 1.7%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were higher as well.CryptocurrencyIn midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) dipped 1.9%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) fell 2%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) was down 2.1%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was 1.3% lower.

Dow Jones^EEM^EXI^FAS^FAZ^GLD^IBB^IGM^IGV^IPK^IVV^IWMNasdaq Composite^IYE^IYH^IYJ^IYK^IYW^PMR^QQQ^RTH^SOXXS&P 500^SPY^UNG^USO^VDC^VHT^VIS^XLE^XLF^XLI^XLK^XLP^XLV^XRT^XSD$BETH$BITO$EETH
Asia Markets

Update: US Equity Indexes Sink as Houthis Target Saudi Tankers in Red Sea, Mag-7 Stalwarts Disappoint

(Updates with index/price moves and company/geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes dropped as government bond yields jumped with crude oil after Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi Arabian tankers in the Red Sea and shares of mega-caps Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA) sank.The Nasdaq Composite slumped 2.1% to 25,141.3, the S&P 500 dropped 1.2% to 7,410.6, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1% to 51,709.3 after midday Thursday. Consumer discretionary and communication services were the standout decliners, down almost 5% each, while technology also lagged. Industrials and energy topped the gainers.Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, military advisers, and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen this month, according to four sources, in a move that suggests Tehran is seeking to strengthen the ability of its Houthi allies to threaten Red Sea shipping, Reuters reported.Houthi rebels said they attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday, according to a report from the Associated Press, widening the disruption to crude oil supplies from the Middle East. President Donald Trump warned Tehran would be held accountable for any further Houthi attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran "suckered" the group into attacking shipping lanes, the news report added.The CBOE Volatility Index VIX, also known as the fear gauge for equities, catapulted 14.5% to 19.05.Meanwhile, Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait have reported retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Iran after a 12th consecutive day of US strikes on the Islamic Republic, Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster, reported.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate soared 6.3% to $92.33 a barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent spiked 6.9% to $100.60 a barrel.US Treasury yields jumped, extending gains. The 10-year marched 3.6 basis points higher to 4.69% after touching its highest intraday level in a year. The two-year surged 4.7 basis points to 4.35% after yields hit a fresh 52-week high this week.In precious metal markets, gold futures dropped 2.4% to $4,053.70, and silver futures slumped 3.9% to $57.96.In company news, Tesla shares fell 13%, the worst performer in the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, after the firm reported a steeper-than-expected drop in Q2 adjusted earnings. Gross and operating margins missed consensus "considerably," and "more important aspects are an increase in capital investments and operating expenses related to the AI transition," Truist Securities said in a note. Free cash flow turned negative in Q2, with an outflow of $1.1 billion.The European Commission fined Alphabet's Google 890 million euros ($1.04 billion) after the company violated the Digital Markets Act through self-preferencing in Google Search and anti-steering practices on Google Play. Shares slumped 6.6%, among the steepest decliners on the S&P 500, the Nasdaq, and the Dow.United Rentals (URI) reported Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue above market expectations and raised its full-year fiscal 2026 sales guidance. Shares soared 12%, one of the top gainers on the S&P 500.Honeywell Technologies (HON) reported Q2 adjusted earnings and sales that beat consensus, and lifted its full-year 2026 earnings guidance range. Shares advanced 5.2%, the Dow's leader.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$GOOG$GOOGL$HON$TSLA$URI