News

Europe opens higher after Japan; Ethereum leads crypto with +0.8%

Europe opens with moderate upside: Nikkei gained 1.9% (close) following Bank of Japan policy signals, and European bourses follow suit with advances up to 1.1% (German DAX). In crypto, Ethereum stands out at +0.8% and Bitcoin rises 0.5%, while Brent edges down slightly (-0.2%) and WTI falls 0.4%. Gold holds steady with a small gain (+0.2%). The dollar strengthens against the euro (-0.04%) in a quiet session ahead of key economic data.

Bank of Japan Summarizes Opinions from Monetary Policy Meeting

The Bank of Japan held its monetary policy meeting on July 30 and 31, 2026. The institution compiled a summary of opinions expressed by board members during the gathering. The document serves as an official record of the discussions and positions held by authorities regarding the direction of Japanese monetary policy during that period.

Wall Street closes with modest gains; Palantir jumps 10%

Wall Street closes with modest gains in a session marked by low volatility. The Nasdaq rises 1.0%, the S&P 500 advances 0.5%, and the Dow Jones climbs 0.2%. Among standout performers, Palantir jumps 10.1%, ServiceNow surges 6.5%, and Uber gains 6.3%, while Visa (-1.9%) and Mastercard (-2.1%) retreat. In commodities, gold shines with +2.3% and Brent climbs 1.0%, as Bitcoin and Ethereum advance 0.6% and 0.4% respectively. The VIX closes nearly flat, reflecting calm conditions across markets.

EU Banking Assets Rise 3.63% to March 2026

The European Central Bank published consolidated banking data for the EU banking sector as of end-March 2026. Total assets of EU-headquartered credit institutions rose 3.63% year-on-year to €34.33 trillion. The non-performing loans ratio stood at 1.98%, up 0.02 percentage points from a year earlier, while return on equity reached 2.44% and the Common Equity Tier 1 ratio was 16.27%.

U.S. Wholesale Sales Fall 3.0% in June 2026

U.S. merchant wholesalers' sales fell to $794.1 billion in June 2026, down 3.0 percent from the previous month, according to the Census Bureau. End-of-month inventories reached $944.7 billion, posting a 0.2 percent increase from May, while the monthly change in inventories for June stood at +0.2 percent.

Eli Lilly Reports Q2 2026 Results to SEC

Eli Lilly filed with the SEC reporting financial results for the second quarter of 2026, ended June 30. The 8-K filing, submitted on August 5, 2026, includes a press release disclosing the company's operational and financial performance.

Bank of Japan releases monetary policy meeting minutes

The Bank of Japan released the minutes from its Monetary Policy Meeting held on June 15 and 16, 2026. The document, published on August 4, contains details of the discussions held by the central bank's policy-making body during that session, though the substantive content of decisions and deliberations is not included in the available text.

Manufacturing Orders Decline for Second Consecutive Month in June

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, new orders for manufactured goods fell 0.3% in June, declining by $2.3 billion to $656.5 billion. This marks the second consecutive monthly decrease, following a 1.1% drop in May.

U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows to $73.3 Billion in June

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the nation's international trade deficit in goods and services fell to $73.3 billion in June from $77.6 billion in May, a decline of 5.6 percent. The improvement was driven by a steeper decrease in imports compared to exports, the official statistics agency reported.

U.S. Trade Deficit Falls to $73.3 Billion in June

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the goods and services deficit was $73.3 billion in June 2026, down $4.4 billion from a revised $77.6 billion in May. Total exports reached $314.7 billion (down $2.9 billion from May), while imports totaled $388.0 billion (down $7.3 billion). The goods deficit fell $3.9 billion to $102.1 billion, while the services surplus increased $500 million to $28.8 billion.

Year-to-date, the trade deficit has narrowed by $189.3 billion (33.8%) compared to the same period in 2025, driven by a $198.3 billion (11.7%) rise in exports and a modest $9.0 billion (0.4%) increase in imports. Services exports rose $1.1 billion to $107.8 billion, while goods imports fell $7.9 billion to $309.0 billion.

U.S. Construction Spending Edges Down in June 2026

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, total construction spending in June 2026 reached $2,166.5 billion, down 0.1 percent from the revised May 2026 estimate of $2,168.5 billion. Construction activity recorded a year-over-year change of -0.1 percent in June, while May showed a 0.0 percent change.

Bank of Japan releases July 2026 economic outlook

The Bank of Japan released its outlook for economic activity and prices in July 2026. The document, titled "Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices," contains the central bank's analysis of economic conditions and the expected evolution of inflation in the Japanese economy.

VIX Falls 17.3% in Today's Trading Session

The VIX, a measure of implied volatility from S&P 500 options, fell 17.3% in today's session, declining from 20.66 to 17.09 points, as detected by Atalor, Semavor's analysis engine. This index reflects the uncertainty that investors anticipate regarding future U.S. market movements. The decline signals a meaningful reduction in risk premiums across derivatives markets, indicating lower stress levels among traders.

Bank of Japan Issues Monetary Policy Statement

The Bank of Japan issued a statement on monetary policy, though the provided document is in encoded PDF format and the specific textual content of the declaration cannot be extracted. For detailed information about the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decisions, it is recommended to access the official statement directly from the Bank of Japan's website.

Bank of Japan releases July economic outlook

The Bank of Japan released its July 2026 outlook for economic activity and prices. The document, entitled "Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices," presents the institution's official stance on macroeconomic projections for the Japanese economy and expected inflation trends in the coming quarters.

Bank of Japan announces 2027 monetary policy meeting dates

The Bank of Japan released the scheduled dates for its monetary policy meetings in 2027. The official announcement from Japan's central bank lists the dates when the institution will convene to decide on interest rates and monetary policy measures throughout the year.

Apple Posts Record Quarterly Revenue and Earnings

Apple reported to the SEC that in its fiscal 2026 third quarter ended June 27 it posted revenue of $109.4 billion, up 16 percent year over year. Gross margin was 50.1 percent, including a favorable impact of approximately 2 percentage points from tariff refunds. Diluted earnings per share reached $2.02, up 29 percent year over year, with $0.11 of benefit from tariff refunds. iPhone, Mac, and Services set new June quarter records, with double-digit revenue growth across all geographic segments. The company also reported that its installed base of active devices reached an all-time high across all major product categories.

Amazon Reports 20% Sales Growth; AWS Surges 37% in Q2 2026

Amazon reported to the SEC that net sales in the second quarter of 2026 increased 20% year-over-year to $200.6 billion. Operating income rose 43% to $27.5 billion. AWS, its cloud computing division, achieved 37% year-over-year growth—its fastest pace in 18 quarters—reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $169 billion.

Net income reached $62.6 billion, including $53.4 billion from non-operating investments, primarily in Anthropic. AWS generated operating income of $16.6 billion, compared with $10.2 billion a year earlier. Amazon noted that its AWS AI business and chips division each exceeded $25 billion annualized revenue run rates, both growing at triple-digit percentages year-over-year.

Mastercard reports second quarter 2026 financial results

Mastercard filed with the SEC on July 30, 2026, disclosing its second quarter 2026 financial results through a current report on Form 8-K. The company issued an earnings release detailing its operational results and financial condition for the period.

Bank of England Holds Rate at 3.75% Amid Energy Price Volatility

The Bank of England maintained Bank Rate at 3.75% at its meeting on 29 July 2026, with a 6-3 vote in favour of holding rates. Three committee members voted to increase the rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4%. CPI inflation fell to 2.6% since the previous meeting, though it is expected to rise later this year due to higher energy prices stemming from Middle East volatility. The committee warns that the risk of second-round effects in price and wage-setting increases the longer elevated energy prices persist, though there is little evidence of such effects so far, with clear signs of underlying disinflation continuing.