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European Equities Mixed in Wednesday Trading; ASML Lifts 2026 Sales Outlook After Higher Q2 Earnings

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European stock markets closed mixed in Wednesday trading with the Stoxx 600 increasing 0.1%, Germany's DAX shedding 0.5%, the UK's FTSE 100 down 0.2%, France's CAC 40 adding 0.2%, and the Swiss Market Index advancing 0.5%.

Traders assessed continuing tensions in the Middle East. US Central Command said it completed another wave of attacks against Iran at 7:30 am ET to "further degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz." President Donald Trump reiterated in a post on Truth Social that the US was reinstating a "full" blockade, "but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo."

Brent crude was shedding 0.8% to $84.04.

In economic news, seasonally adjusted industrial production decreased by 0.2% in May from April in the Eurozone, and by 0.1% in the broader European Union, Eurostat reported. Year on year, industrial output declined by 1.2% in the euro area in May, and by 0.3% in the EU.

In corporate news, ASML raised its 2026 revenue guidance after reporting higher Q2 earnings and sales. The company reported Q2 earnings early Wednesday of 7.58 euros ($8.66) per diluted share, up from 5.90 euros a year earlier but below the 8.59 euros consensus estimate by FactSet analysts. Net sales for the quarter ended June 28 were 9.33 billion euros, up from 7.69 billion euros a year earlier but below expectations for 10.44 billion euros. The company now expects 2026 sales of 43 billion euros to 45 billion euros, up from its previous guidance of 36 billion euros to 40 billion euros. Analysts are projecting 39.90 billion euros. Separately, ASML plans to reduce the production and testing cycle for its extreme ultraviolet lithography systems to 15 to 16 weeks from about 22 weeks to meet strong AI-driven demand, Bloomberg reported, citing CFO Roger Dassen. ASML shares decreased 0.3% in Amsterdam.

Shell has kicked off a tendering process for drilling services at its Dragon offshore gas project in eastern Venezuela, pressing ahead with its plan to start drilling four wells from Q2 2027, Reuters reported. The contract is expected to be awarded by the end of September if a positive final investment decision is made for the 4.2 trillion-cubic-foot development, the report said. Shell was slightly higher in London.

Rio Tinto said late Tuesday its Q2 global iron ore production was 87.1 million metric tonnes, down 1% year over year. Iron ore sales for the quarter rose 5% from a year earlier to 88.8 million metric tonnes. Rio shares fell 1.7% in London.

Alphabet's Google is expected to face new EU enforcement actions, including fines and regulatory orders under the bloc's Digital Markets Act, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter and internal European Commission documents. The European Commission is expected to conclude that Google favored its own specialized services in search results and require the company to give app developers greater freedom to direct users to alternative mobile app systems, the report said.

JPMorgan Chase is expanding its corporate banking business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and plans to hire 30 senior bankers in the region before year-end, Reuters reported, citing James Roddy, the bank's head of global corporate banking. The EMEA business serves large-cap companies, mid-sized businesses and startups, and the bank aims to facilitate $1.5 trillion in financing for industries critical to national security in the region, including up to $10 billion of its own capital, Reuters cited Roddy as saying.

KKR has launched a security sale backed by PayPal's buy now, pay later loans in Germany, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The offering will refinance KKR's exposure to PayPal's German lending business, which the private equity firm funds through a forward-flow agreement supporting new BNPL loans, the report said.

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Update: US Equity Indexes Rise as Cooling Inflation Eases Interest-Rate Pressure on Tech While IBM Sell-Off Restrains Dow

(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data, and geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes closed higher on Tuesday after the steepest slide in inflation in more than six years helped lift the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500, while a sharp sell-off in IBM (IBM) anchored the Dow Jones Industrial Average.The tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 0.9% to 26,107.01, and the S&P 500 climbed 0.4% to 7,543.59. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by less than 0.1% to 52,508.27.Interest-rate-sensitive sectors, technology and communication services, led gainers in a broad-based rally. Healthcare was the worst performer. IBM sank 25%, the most on the Dow and the S&P 500, after Q2 guidance missed expectations.Looking at gains from the top 20 companies with market capitalizations exceeding $200 billion, half were from the semiconductor industry, according to data compiled by Finviz. The top gainer was SK Hynix, up 27%, following its Nasdaq debut last Friday.The consumer price index fell 0.4% month-over-month in June, the steepest drop since April 2020, compared with forecasts for a 0.1% drop in a Bloomberg-compiled survey and a 0.5% gain in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, held steady, compared with the 0.2% growth estimate, in line with May's growth.The year-over-year rates for overall and core CPI slowed to 3.5% and 2.6%, respectively, from 4.2% and 2.9%. Core services, excluding housing, also known as the super core, saw the biggest sequential slide since May 2020, a Jefferies note said.The probability of the Federal Reserve leaving its policy unchanged in July soared to 83% from 58% a day ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The likelihood of the pause continuing over September, October, and December surged.Meanwhile, President Donald Trump withdrew his proposal to charge a 20% toll on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to his social media post on Tuesday. "Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States."US Central Command will restart its naval blockade of Iranian ports at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.Front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent rose 2.2% to $85.09 a barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate was up 1.9% to $79.59 a barrel, albeit both crude types were off session highs."Resumption of tension in the Strait of Hormuz risks a reversal, but this month's [inflation] data is a step in the right direction for the Fed," Jefferies Chief US Economist said in a note.US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year down 3.7 basis points to 4.58% and the two-year lower 7.4 basis points to 4.19%.Taking into account the weighting differences between the CPI and personal consumption expenditures baskets, the headline PCE, which is due out in a couple of weeks, is tracking a 0.3% decline month-over-month, according to a Scotiabank note. Core PCE is tracking similarly to the flat core CPI reading.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$IBM
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Update: Nasdaq, S&P 500 Rise as Inflation Cools Most in Six Years, Trump Drops Strait of Hormuz Cargo Toll Plan

(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data and company/geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes traded mixed, with the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 gaining, as the June inflation rate fell the most in more than six years and President Donald Trump withdrew plans to impose a levy on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.The tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 1% to 26,125.4, with the S&P 500 climbing 0.4% to 7,545.1 after midday Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average bucked the trend, slipping 0.1% to 52,429.5.Technology led gainers, while healthcare was the steepest decliner. IBM's (IBM) shares sank 25%, the steepest decline on the Dow and the S&P 500, after the tech giant issued Q2 guidance below Wall Street expectations.The US seasonally adjusted consumer price index fell by 0.4% month-over-month in June, the steepest drop since April 2020, compared with expectations for a 0.1% decrease in a Bloomberg-compiled survey and following a 0.5% increase in May, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, held steady, compared with the 0.2% growth estimate, in line with May's growth.The year-over-year rates for overall and core CPI slowed to 3.5% and 2.6%, respectively, from 4.2% and 2.9% in the previous month. The "super core", which is defined as core services excluding housing, saw the biggest sequential decline since May 2020, according to a note from Jefferies.US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year down 2.9 basis points to 4.58% and the two-year lower by 5.7 basis points to 4.21%.Meanwhile, President Donald Trump withdrew his proposal to charge a 20% toll on cargo transiting the Strait, according to his social media post on Tuesday. "Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States."There will be a "FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo," Trump said on Truth Social.The front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent rose 1.7% to $84.69 a barrel, and the US West Texas Intermediate climbed 1.3% to $79.18 a barrel, off session highs."Resumption of tension in the Strait of Hormuz risks a reversal, but this month's [inflation] data is a step in the right direction for the Fed," Jefferies Chief US Economist said in a note.The probability of the Federal Reserve leaving its policy unchanged in July soared to 83% following the inflation data, from 58% a day ago, the CME FedWatch tool showed Tuesday. The likelihood of the policy pause continuing across September, October, and December also jumped.Further in company news, traders digested the latest round of earnings from mega-cap banks. Goldman Sachs' (GS) Q2 results topped analysts' estimates as a record performance in the global banking and markets business propelled revenue growth. Shares jumped 7.7%, the Dow's leader.JPMorgan Chase (JPM) reported Q2 results above market expectations, driven by higher investment banking fees and markets revenue. Its shares rose 1.9%, one of the Dow's top performers.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$GS$IBM$JPM
Asia Markets

Exchange-Traded Funds Higher, US Equities Mixed After Midday Tuesday

Broad Market IndicatorsBroad-market exchange-traded fund IWM and IVV were higher. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) added 1.2%.US equity indexes traded mixed, with the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 gaining, as the June inflation rate fell for the first time in more than six years and President Donald Trump withdrew plans to impose a levy on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.EnergyIShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each lost about 0.3%.TechnologyThe State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) gained 1.6%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) were each up 1.5%.The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) increased 1.8%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) climbed 3.2%.FinancialThe State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) rose 0.4%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) advanced 1.1%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), declined 1%.CommoditiesCrude oil climbed 1.1%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) moved up 1.2%. Natural gas was unchanged, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was up 0.6%.Gold on Comex increased 1.5%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 1.4%. Silver was up 2%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 1.7% higher.ConsumerThe State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) shed 1.1%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) declined 1%, and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) was down 1.2%.The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) fell 0.3%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) lost 0.8%, and the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) decreased 0.2%.HealthcareThe State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) fell 1.8%, iShares US Healthcare (IYH) lost 1.7%, and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) was down 1.5%. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was steady.IndustrialThe State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) decreased 0.2%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were 0.1% higher.CryptocurrencyIn midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) added 3.8%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) gained 3.9%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) rose 5.8%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was 4.8% higher.

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