Market news archive — page 38

Bitcoin fell in both Q1 and Q2 of 2026, only the third such start in its history, and enters Q3 with less leverage but thinner liquidity after a $8.35 billion long-liquidation reset, ETF outflows and weaker institutional buying.

Government-backed Trump Accounts for children launch July 4 with government seed money, but their design bars bonds and international stocks, concentrating the accounts entirely in US equities and drawing attention to the lack of diversification.

The North American auto industry faces renewed uncertainty as the US holds out for changes to the USMCA trade pact while Canada and Mexico push to preserve it, with the deal's rules of origin the key sticking point.

Europe's MiCA crypto framework reached the end of its transition period with a final wave of licensing approvals, even as the EU signaled it is reviewing whether to rewrite the rules for stablecoins, tokenization and derivatives.

Micron Technology and General Motors signed a long-term agreement for Micron to supply memory and storage chips used in vehicle production, as GM moves to secure supply and Micron deepens its automotive foothold.

At the ECB's Sintra forum, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh declined to signal a July rate decision, called inflation still too high and repeated his dislike of forward guidance, leaving markets to lean on incoming data.

Sony will discontinue the production of physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in 2028, ending a long-running format as the company shifts toward digital distribution

Crédit Agricole’s CACEIS launches EURXT, a euro-pegged stablecoin on Ethereum with 20 million tokens issued, backed 1:1 by euro reserves at Caceis Bank, targeting institutional use and tokenized fund access

Analysts note that a small group of behemoths powered the Nasdaq-100's first-half rally, with Micron leading the way and contributing a sizable share of index gains, while Nasdaq reported a record-half for listings activity.

At the ECB Forum in Sintra, Christine Lagarde indicated an outlook supportive of rate increases, while discussions at the gathering included views on rate paths and potential central banking reforms, with participation from global policymakers including a former Fed official.

Trump says meetings with Iran are going very well, with notes on denuclearization progress and praise for allied support, signaling a potential shift in regional tensions

Meta signals a cloud business to sell excess AI compute, triggering mixed reactions across AI and cloud equities.

Private payrolls in June rose modestly, according to ADP, undershooting expectations and showing a shift in hiring toward healthcare and other sectors, with broader sector detail underscoring a softer overall pace.

Eurozone consumer price growth slowed to 2.8% in June from 3.2% in May, with core inflation also easing, signaling less urgency for further monetary tightening, according to preliminary data

Kroger to acquire privately held Giant Eagle for $1.65 billion, broadening its grocery and pharmacy footprint in a move reported by multiple outlets.

NIO reported June deliveries of 40,597 vehicles and second-quarter deliveries of 107,658, with shares moving lower following the release.

June saw record outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, with $4.5 billion withdrawn and a year-to-date total near $5.5 billion, marking the fastest pace of withdrawals on record.

Gold extends declines as investors gauge interest-rate trajectories and geopolitical tensions, continuing a slide that followed its worst quarter in over a decade

The former head of Goliath Ventures admitted fraud and money laundering related to a crypto liquidity pool scheme that allegedly drew in hundreds of millions and funded lavish assets.

Eurozone final manufacturing PMI came in at 51.4 in June, with Germany at 50.3 and Italy at 52.2, while Swiss output also outpaced expectations as cost pressures ease gradually.

US officials lifted export controls on Anthropic's AI models Fable 5 and Mythos 5, allowing redeployment after a cybersecurity-related restriction paused access earlier this year.

Reports indicate Microsoft plans another round of job cuts, potentially affecting up to 2.5% of employees across multiple units, according to Business Insider sources cited by outlets.

The dollar ended the first half of 2026 near a 13-month high, a sharp reversal from January's expectations of Fed rate cuts and enthusiasm for precious metals, as the central bank's hawkish turn lifted the greenback and sent the yen and gold sharply lower.

Markets are bracing for the Fed chair's first major appearance since the hawkish June meeting and a US June jobs report expected to show slower hiring, two events that could either extend the dollar's run to multi-month highs or challenge it.

Softer inflation readings from Germany, France and Italy have cooled ECB rate-hike expectations, weighing on the euro, as markets await the euro-area flash CPI expected to ease to about 3.0% headline and 2.5% core.

US stocks closed the first half of 2026 strongly, with the Dow up 8.9% and the Nasdaq Composite surging about 21% in Q2 to its best quarter in roughly six years on an AI- and chip-led rally, though futures turned lower into the new quarter ahead of jobs data.

US authorities issued an emergency order to bolster the PJM power grid, the largest regional operator, as a dangerous heatwave threatens triple-digit temperatures and surging electricity demand, with forecasters urging residents to stay indoors.

Nike topped Wall Street's quarterly estimates, but the beat was flattered by a roughly $986 million tariff refund that lifted profit and margins, while sales in China fell 12%, leaving questions about the strength of its turnaround.

Gold closed its worst quarter since 2013, stuck below $4,000, as expectations of tighter Fed policy and a dollar at multi-month highs sapped demand, with traders now focused on a scheduled speech by the Fed chair and upcoming US jobs data.

Evidence is mounting that AI's near-term job impact was overstated: some employers that cut staff citing AI are rehiring, and a Ramp study found the heaviest AI spenders grew headcount about 10% and entry-level hiring about 12%.

Japan has spent about $74 billion propping up the yen since April, and its currency diplomat says the intervention has slowed the decline, but analysts say wide US-Japan rate differentials mean the yen's fate rests with a hawkish Fed rather than Tokyo.

Taiwan's legislature passed its first comprehensive crypto and stablecoin law, introducing licensing for service providers, reserve mandates for stablecoin issuers and tough penalties; the bill now goes to the president for final approval.

KKR will assume control of a South Korean renewables platform valued at about $1.3 billion, with SK Group support as demand for AI power tools and data infrastructure grows, coinciding with a government-pushed wave of major investment projects

KKR to acquire EDF’s North American renewable operations for about $4.2 billion, with reports noting a broader plan to develop a Korean energy platform in collaboration with SK Group.

Markets watchers report a surge of inflows into AI-related ETFs during the first half of 2026 as investor appetite shifts away from other late-2025 favorites.

Japan's manufacturing sector extended its growth streak to six months in June, while China's official and private PMIs showed divergent momentum and Australia reported a sharp drop in building permits, underscoring mixed regional activity.

British investors pursue a roughly $200 million claim against Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao over losses tied to derivatives before restrictions were imposed

Japan’s manufacturing PMI for June rose to 54.8, extending six months of expansion and marking the strongest quarterly run since early 2014, aided by demand linked to artificial intelligence applications

The U.S. Department of Commerce reportedly lifted export controls on Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models, a move reported by CNBC and Investing.com.

Oil prices rise modestly amid ongoing uncertainty over U.S.-Iran diplomacy, with investors awaiting potential developments that could affect geopolitical risk and energy demand

Australian manufacturing activity improved in June, with the final PMI edging higher to a five-month high, though the underlying pace of output softened despite the headline expansion.

Trump’s annual financial disclosure tallies crypto-related gains well into the billions, with a notable Bitcoin position highlighted among holdings

Annual financial disclosure reveals substantial crypto earnings and modest gifts, with a line noting net proceeds from token sales managed by a financial entity

Second-quarter surge in chip shares lifted combined market value of Micron, Intel and AMD by about $2 trillion as the AI boom broadened to more suppliers.

The SEC opened a comment period to gather feedback on regulation of novel ETF structures and strategies as issuers roll out specialized products, with crypto-sector ETFs among the considerations.

Anthropic rolls out Claude Sonnet 5, presenting improved capabilities at a fraction of the price of higher-end models, while export controls keep Fable and Mythos sidelined

Blue Origin plans a shift to a hybrid launch approach and redesigned pad configuration following a rocket incident, with aims to resume flights by late 2026.

Boeing begins formal contract talks on July 1 with SPEEA, which represents about 17,000 Puget Sound engineers and technical workers across two agreements expiring October 6; the union reported a positive early response as both sides agreed to bargain earlier than planned.

Starting July 1, Medicare will cover GLP-1 weight-loss drugs for the first time through a temporary pilot, the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, offering eligible Part D beneficiaries medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for a $50 monthly copay through the end of 2027, with about 3.8 million estimated eligible.

Blue Origin said it will rebuild its destroyed New Glenn launchpad at Cape Canaveral with a new "horizontal/vertical hybrid" design rather than restore the original, aiming to return the heavy-lift rocket to flight by year-end after a May explosion as it chases SpaceX and supports NASA's lunar plans.