Track the evolution of major financial and economic events
Domino's stock surged 7% following Q2 results where revenue reached $1.19 billion, slightly beating analyst estimates. While the CEO reaffirmed the company's strong growth trajectory, US same-store sales rose only 0.1%, marking the softest growth in five quarters. Additionally, earnings per share came in at $4.07, missing the projected analyst estimate of $4.18.
The London FTSE 100 edged lower to the 10,699 level, driven by escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and political uncertainty as Andy Burnham prepares to take office as the new Prime Minister. While Brent crude oil rose to $98 a barrel amid geopolitical concerns, gains in energy shares were offset by weakness in precious metal miners. Additionally, the UK government unveiled a 20% cut in business rates for pubs and clubs during this transition period.
BP has agreed to sell its Austrian mobility business, including petrol stations and EV charging infrastructure, to Volenergy as part of its strategic exit from the retail sector. The company is also in advanced negotiations to divest its solar business, Lightsource, to a consortium backed by Kuwait's sovereign wealth fund. Furthermore, BP has decided to market its UK North Sea assets for sale following discussions with Ithaca Energy. These actions highlight a broader trend of strategic divestments across the company's global portfolio.
AMC Entertainment reported record-breaking Q2 2026 results, achieving the highest quarterly revenue and Adjusted EBITDA in its 106-year history. The company's earnings easily surpassed Wall Street expectations, leading to a rise in AMC shares following the announcement. This historic performance highlights a period of significant financial growth that outperformed market projections.
IREN announced new multi-year cloud services contracts with leading AI developers totaling $2.8 billion in contract value. Following these agreements, the company raised its year-end 2026 AI Cloud annualized run-rate revenue (ARR) target to over $4 billion, up from the previous $3.7 billion forecast. These updates, confirmed between July 20 and 21, reflect a significant expansion in the company's customer base and future financial guidance.
CLINUVEL has upgraded its U.S. listing to the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker CUVL to enhance liquidity and visibility. Meanwhile, Rockwell Medical announced it has regained compliance with Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirements. Additionally, Scancell Holdings agreed to an all-share merger with Neuphoria Therapeutics to secure its own Nasdaq listing.
Blackstone has invested in Futronic to expand its footprint in the industrial robotics and high-precision actuator sectors. Concurrently, Fortissimo Capital is in advanced talks to acquire RGIS's international operations from Blackstone for approximately $400 million. Additionally, Blackstone is seeking a $3 billion loan to finance its acquisition of AirTrunk data centers.
Ryanair reported a 36% drop in first-quarter after-tax profit, missing analyst estimates as operating costs climbed 11% to €3.8bn. The decline was primarily driven by geopolitical tensions causing unhedged jet fuel prices to double to $150 per barrel. Additionally, the airline warned that average summer fares are expected to be lower than last year due to ongoing global uncertainty.
British Airways has selected RTX's Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to power up to 63 Airbus A320neo aircraft, consisting of 33 firm orders and 30 options. The deal features a 12-year EngineWise Comprehensive services agreement for maintenance and fleet efficiency. Additionally, BOC Aviation announced an order for up to 220 Pratt & Whitney GTF engines from RTX.
Anthropic's potential IPO valuation could reach $1.2 trillion, positioning major investor Amazon as a primary beneficiary. Meanwhile, Bloomsbury Publishing confirmed a $1.5 billion settlement with Anthropic over copyright claims. Additionally, Andreessen Horowitz is leading a $1.7 billion funding round for Atoms, a new robotics venture founded by Travis Kalanick.
Ford employees in Canada ratified a new three-year contract featuring 3% annual wage increases and a $500 million investment in the Essex Engine Plant to secure jobs. Meanwhile, Ford announced plans for a manufacturing joint venture with Geely Auto in Spain. However, the company is also recalling over 565,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a potential fire risk linked to engine compartment wiring defects.
KeyCorp's stock remained steady as the bank demonstrated a balanced approach to loan growth and credit quality, reporting robust net interest income and gains in investment banking during the second quarter. CEO Chris Gorman highlighted plans to expand the bank's US middle-market footprint and pursue M&A opportunities in Europe. Following these results, KBW reiterated a Buy rating on KeyCorp with a $26.00 price target, while analysts also maintained positive outlooks for other regional players like East West Bancorp and Ally Financial.
Walmart proactively recalled four Marketside salad products following a Cyclospora outbreak across 34 states linked to a farm in Mexico. The incident impacted foot traffic at Taco Bell and caused shares of salad chains like Chipotle and Sweetgreen to decline as consumers avoided lettuce. Although the U.S. FDA later determined that initial positive laboratory results from the supplier were false positives, the investigation into the outbreak continues.
ASML reported strong Q2 earnings with revenue rising 21% to €9.3B, boosting AI sector optimism despite planned price hikes for chipmaking equipment. The company raised its 2026 revenue guidance by €6B due to sustained AI-driven demand, positively impacting firms like Soitec. Conversely, shares of STMicroelectronics and BE Semiconductor Industries fell following weaker near-term performance and high growth expectations.
ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank reported profit growth for Q1 2026, signaling resilience in the Indian banking sector. ICICI's profit rose 16% year-over-year due to improved net interest income, fee income, and lower bad loan provisions, while HDFC saw a 5% increase driven by lending expansion. Additionally, financial results for Q2 2026 were released by Repsol and BE Semiconductor on July 23.
China's Moonshot AI launched its Kimi K3 model, ranking third on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index behind only OpenAI and Anthropic. The startup aims to bridge the tech gap with the U.S. while concluding a funding round that values the company at $30 billion. Additionally, Moonshot AI has informed investors of its plans for an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong within the next six months.
Cardinal Health stock maintained gains following reports of significant quarterly revenue growth and enhanced earnings per share, driven by a strategic focus on higher-margin medical products. The company continues its disciplined capital allocation through dividends and share repurchases. In July, the firm further expanded its portfolio by acquiring Strive Medical and AdaptHealth's diabetes business for a combined total of $360 million.
Exodus announced a reduction of approximately 25% in its global workforce as part of a strategic shift in its business model. The company aims to pivot its focus toward developing a full-stack stablecoin payments infrastructure through this restructuring. This workforce reduction is expected to generate between $10 million and $13 million in annualized cost savings.
The CSX Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share, payable on September 15, 2026, marking the company's 21st consecutive year of dividend increases. Revenue grew by 10% in the second quarter, fueled by higher shipment volumes and increased fuel surcharge revenue. Strong intermodal shipments and improved pricing strategies successfully offset a challenging overall freight environment.
Charter Communications and SLB are bracing for significant stock volatility ahead of their earnings reports, with Charter's shares expected to move up to 12%. Charter faces persistent broadband weakness and a projected 1.77% decline in Q2 revenue to $13.52 billion. While analysts revised estimates downward, earnings per share are still expected to grow by 10.78% to $10.17. To manage its high debt-to-equity ratio of 5.91, the company launched a debt exchange offer on July 23.
Investors are anticipating Meta Platforms' earnings report on July 29, 2026, with optimism surrounding the company's ability to monetize its AI infrastructure investments. Bank of America raised its Q2 estimates above consensus, forecasting $60.6 billion in revenue driven by advertising growth and AI improvements. However, Wedbush analysts highlighted a potential gap between Meta's massive AI capital expenditure and the actual ability to generate immediate financial receipts from those initiatives.
Equifax revenues are projected to rise 10.3% year-over-year in the second quarter, though earnings per share are expected to fall by 10.5%. Meanwhile, Rollins is anticipated to see growth in both revenue and EPS driven by acquisitions and market expansion. Markets are also monitoring Otis results regarding service growth versus margin pressures, alongside earnings previews for Freeport-McMoRan, Moody's, and CME Group to assess operational performance.
Kimco Realty (KIM) stock reached a new 52-week high of $26.43, supported by a 'Moderate Buy' consensus and steady financial data from its grocery-anchored shopping center portfolio. Concurrently, Sysco reported a 3% revenue increase to $19.4 billion with operating cash flow reaching $1.6 billion for the first half of fiscal 2025. Kimco Realty maintains stable performance driven by its strategic focus on necessity-based retail properties.
Salesforce has seen mixed activity from institutional investors, who currently hold 80.43% of its total shares. While firms like Goodman Financial and AIA Group reduced their stakes, others including Assetmark and First Citizens Bank increased their holdings. Amidst these rebalancings, Wall Street analysts maintain a 'Moderate Buy' rating on the stock with a consensus target price of $254.42.
