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European Equities Mixed in Friday Trading; ASML to Give Staff One-Time Bonus

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European stock markets closed mixed in Friday trading with the Stoxx 600 down 0.5%, Germany's DAX shedding 0.5%, the UK's FTSE 100 edging up 0.1%, France's CAC 40 declining 0.5%, and the Swiss Market Index adding 0.3%.

In economic news, the Eurozone consumer price index, or CPI, rose 2.8% on year June, cooling from a 3.2% gain logged in May, Eurostat said. In the broader EU, the CPI rose 2.9% on year in June, easing from 3.3% in May.

In geopolitical news, US Central Command said in a post on X that it completed the sixth consecutive wave of attacks against Iran, degrading the nation's military capabilities and holding it "accountable" for recent attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it had targeted US military forces in Syria and Bahrain in a broadening of the scope of its attacks in the Middle East.

Brent Crude was rising 2.4% to $86.28.

Separately, incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is preparing to announce support for new North Sea oil and gas drilling and plans to bring Thames Water under public control shortly after taking office, Bloomberg reported. Burnham, who is due to succeed Keir Starmer on Monday, has asked civil servants to prepare energy and water policy proposals that could be announced as early as next week, according to the report. Options under consideration include backing development of the Jackdaw gas and Rosebank oil fields and expanding drilling tied to existing North Sea projects.

In corporate news, ASML will give its workers globally a one-time 20,000 euro ($22,862) bonus, as AI demand boosts sales, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing an emailed statement. The company plans to give employees a share award on Jan. 1 that begins vesting at the start of 2030 for workers who stay with the company for the entire period, the report said, citing the statement. "Through this one-time award, eligible employees will have the opportunity to become shareholders in ASML and share in the company's future success," ASML said in an emailed statement to. ASML shares fell 4.3% in Amsterdam.

ConocoPhillips said Friday it has agreed to acquire a 42% stake in BP's BP Energy Co. of Kirkuk, which oversees the ongoing redevelopment of four large-scale, currently producing oil fields in northern Iraq's Kirkuk region. Financial terms were not provided. BP shares rose 1.4% in London.

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy received approval from India's drug regulator for use in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, Reuters reported. MASH is a serious fatty liver disease that can cause inflammation and liver damage, the report said. Novo shares shed 1.8% in Copenhagen.

Electronic Arts is expected to receive EU approval under the bloc's foreign subsidy rules for its proposed $55 billion acquisition by an investor group led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Reuters reported. The European Commission is expected to clear the deal after its preliminary review under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation on July 30, the report said. The deal is also expected to get unconditional EU merger approval when the bloc's initial antitrust review ends on July 22, according to the report.

AbbVie's Allergan Aesthetics said Friday it received European Commission approval for Boey botulinum neurotoxin serotype E to temporarily improve the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines in adults when they have an important psychological impact. The company said the approval covers all 30 countries in the European Economic Area.

XPeng unveiled its L03 SUV in Munich, marking its first global vehicle launch outside China as it expands in Europe and other overseas markets, The Wall Street Journal reported. The battery-electric L03 starts at 35,600 euros ($40,800) in Germany, the report said.

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Asia Markets

Update: US Equity Indexes Drop as Chipmakers Push Technology Lower, Iran Warns on Red Sea Chokepoint

(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data, and geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes slumped as a sell-off in chipmakers hit technology, and Iran warned its allies would close the Red Sea crude oil chokepoint if President Donald Trump orders an attack on Tehran's civilian infrastructure.The Nasdaq declined 1.5% to 25,881.95, the S&P 500 fell 0.5% to 7,533.77, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.2% to 52,552.97 on Thursday. Communication services and technology led decliners, while consumer staples, health care, and real estate topped the gainers.Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) slid 2.3% after the firm earmarked an additional $100 billion to increase its chipmaking capacity in the US, raising its total planned investment to $265 billion, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing a US official. Taiwan Semiconductor also reported Q2 results on Thursday, with year-over-year earnings and net revenue rising and Q3 sales guidance beating consensus.Among stocks with market capitalization exceeding $200 billion each, 13 out of the bottom 20 names were from the technology sector, according to data compiled by Finviz. Almost half of the decliners were semiconductor firms, the data showed. The worst performer was SanDisk (SNDK), down about 12.6%.In geopolitical news, the US military launched a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, with the country's media reporting explosions on Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, and Chabahar, according to Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster.The Iranian military has warned "all infrastructure in the region will be crushed under steel blows" if the US carries out its threat to attack Iran's civilian sites, the Al Jazeera report said. Iran has asked Yemen's Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the US strikes Iranian power infrastructure, Reuters reported, citing three sources.Total volumes of petroleum transiting Bab el-Mandeb amounted to 7.4 million barrels per day in June, or about 7% of global oil output, up from 4.2 million bpd a year ago, MarineLink reported, citing Kpler data.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate fell 0.7% to $79.08 a barrel, hovering around its highest in about a month amid a rally that began after the US renewed strikes on Iran a week ago. North Sea Brent futures retreated 0.7% to $84.34 a barrel, close to its month-high.Iraqi crude loadings more than doubled to average roughly 1.2 million barrels per day in the first half of July, Reuters reported, citing Kpler data and a source with direct knowledge of the flows, as exports accelerated following months of restricted shipments.Most US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year up 1.2 basis points to 4.56% and the two-year climbing 1.7 basis points to 4.15%.In precious metal markets, gold futures retreated 1.8% to $3,980.5, and silver futures dropped 2.8% to $55.84.In economic news, US retail sales rose by 0.2% in June, as expected in a Bloomberg-compiled poll and following the previous month's revised 1.0% increase.US initial jobless claims fell to a level of 208,000 in the week ended July 11 from an upwardly revised 216,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a level of 217,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$SNDK$TSM
Asia Markets

Update: Technology Slide Pushes Nasdaq, S&P 500 Lower

(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data, and geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes traded mixed as a sell-off in chipmakers pushed technology sharply lower, while UnitedHealth's (UNH) strong Q2 results helped lift the price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average.The Nasdaq declined 0.9% to 26,021.1, and the S&P 500 fell 0.3% to 7,548.3 after midday Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by less than 0.1% to 52,691.5.Consumer staples, healthcare, and real estate topped the gainers, while technology slumped, down 1.9% intraday.Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) slid 3.1% after the firm earmarked an additional $100 billion to increase its chipmaking capacity in the US, raising its total planned investment to $265 billion, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing a US official. Taiwan Semiconductor also reported Q2 results on Thursday, with year-over-year earnings and net revenue rising and Q3 sales guidance beating consensus.Among stocks with market capitalization exceeding $200 billion each, 15 out of the bottom 20 names were from the technology sector, according to data compiled by Finviz. Half of the decliners were semiconductor firms, the data showed. The worst performer was SanDisk (SNDK), down 11%.In company news, UnitedHealth's shares jumped 3.1%, making it one of the Dow's top gainers, after the company posted higher Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue and raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook.In geopolitical news, the Iranian military warns "all infrastructure in the region will be crushed under steel blows" if the US carries out its threat to attack Iran's civilian sites, Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster, reported. Iran has asked Yemen's Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the US strikes Iranian power infrastructure, Reuters reported, citing three sources.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate fell 0.3% to $79.35 a barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent slipped 0.1% to $84.83 a barrel.Most US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year up 2.8 basis points to 4.57% and the two-year climbing four basis points to 4.16%.In precious metal markets, gold futures retreated 1.4% to $3,995.1, and silver futures dropped 2% to $56.32.In economic news, US retail sales rose by 0.2% in June, as expected in a Bloomberg-compiled poll and following the previous month's revised 1.0% increase. Excluding a 1.9% increase in motor vehicle sales, retail sales were down 0.2% compared with an expected 0.1% decrease. That followed a 1.0% increase in May. Removing both motor vehicles and a 5.3% decline in gasoline station sales, retail sales were up 0.4% in June after a 0.8% increase in May.US initial jobless claims fell to a level of 208,000 in the week ended July 11 from an upwardly revised 216,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a level of 217,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg. The four-week moving average fell by 4,750 to 214,250.Pending home sales fell by 5.4% in June, well below the 0.5% decrease expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:30 am ET and following a 3.5% increase in May, according to the National Association of Realtors. The monthly sales index was down 0.3% from June 2025."The highest mortgage rates in nearly a year and the record-high national median home price together are contributing to a tepid housing market that is especially difficult for first-time homebuyers," NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said. "However, job gains can help support housing demand."

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$SNDK$TSM$UNH
Asia Markets

Exchange-Traded Funds, US Equities Mixed After Midday

Broad Market IndicatorsBroad-market exchange-traded fund IWM edged higher and IVV fell. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) dropped 1.4%.US equity indexes traded mixed as a sell-off in chipmakers pushed technology lower, while UnitedHealth's (UNH) strong Q2 results helped lift the Dow Jones Industrial Average.EnergyIShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each added 0.8%.TechnologyThe State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) fell 2.3%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) shed 1.8%, and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) declined 2.1%.The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) tumbled 5.7, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) fell 4.3%.FinancialThe State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) rose 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) advanced 0.5%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), declined 0.6%.CommoditiesCrude oil slipped 0.9%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) fell 1.7%. Natural gas dropped 2.8%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) lost 2.9%.Gold on Comex fell 1.3%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) declined 1.7%. Silver dropped 1.8%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) slumped 3% lower.ConsumerThe State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) added 2.4%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) rose 2.3%, and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) gained 2.4%.The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) rose 0.5%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) added 1.9%, and the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) advanced 1.8%.HealthcareThe State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) rose 2%, iShares US Healthcare (IYH) added 1.8%, and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) gained 1.6%. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) fell 0.5%.IndustrialThe State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) slipped 0.2%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) fell, and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) edged higher.CryptocurrencyIn midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) fell 0.8%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) shed 0.8%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) was down 2.6%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was 1.2% 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