Track the evolution of major financial and economic events
On July 21, Halliburton, Charles Schwab, and Ally Financial released their financial results for the second quarter of 2026. Halliburton and Ally Financial hosted earnings calls to discuss their performance, while Charles Schwab published the full transcript of its Q2 earnings call. These events provide a comprehensive overview of the financial results for all three companies during this period.
SpaceX has scheduled its first public earnings report and conference call for August 4, 2026. This announcement triggers the first major lock-up expiration for millions of company shares. Following the news, SpaceX stock rose on Tuesday, attempting to end a seven-day losing streak.
Charles Schwab reported Q2 2026 financial results that exceeded analyst expectations, achieving record revenue levels. The company's earnings topped estimates, driven by a significant surge in trading activity. Notably, the firm recorded a record 11.9 million daily average revenue trades, marking a 57% increase compared to the previous year.
Galaxy Digital has committed up to $5 million to support initiatives aimed at protecting the Bitcoin network from quantum computing threats. This move follows warnings that 'Q-Day' could arrive as early as 2030, potentially compromising current encryption standards. The company launched the 'Bitcoin Quantum Readiness Initiative' and has opened grant applications for immediate submission to fortify the network's security.
Northrop Grumman raised its full-year 2026 sales guidance to a range of $43.75–$44.25 billion following strong Q2 performance. The company reported quarterly sales of $10.9 billion, representing a 5% year-over-year increase. Additionally, its backlog reached a record $104.7 billion after securing $20.0 billion in net awards.
Halliburton reported Q2 revenue of $5.71 billion, surpassing the expected $5.51 billion, with an adjusted EPS of $0.55 that beat consensus. Despite the earnings beat, the stock fell 6% as management warned of a softer market and noted that Middle East geopolitical risks have impacted business operations. Meanwhile, BMO Capital analysts set a price target of $37.00 for the stock, suggesting a potential 11.38% upside.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. returned to profitability in 2023 with growth projected for 2024, marking a transition from pandemic-era losses to positive net income. The company's stock is trading steadily as investors evaluate booking trends and earnings trajectories. Market expectations suggest a 7.3% stock movement upon the upcoming earnings release, while Rivian stock is projected to move 9.2% following its July 30 report.
General Motors exceeded analyst expectations for its second-quarter 2026 financial results, reporting adjusted earnings of $3.57 per share, a 41.3% year-over-year increase. The company's performance beat estimates by 14.06%, marking its 16th consecutive earnings surprise. Following these strong results, General Motors has raised its full-year financial guidance for expected earnings.
3M shares surged more than 6% after reporting second-quarter results that surpassed analyst expectations. Following this strong performance, the company raised its annual profit guidance. These updates highlight a robust financial trajectory for the company as it heads into the remainder of the year.
The Swiss National Bank increased its stakes in several major U.S. companies during the first quarter, raising its holdings in Sysco Corporation and Microchip Technology by 7.2% each. The bank also boosted its positions in Tractor Supply Company by 6.8% and General Mills by 7.1%, with the latter investment valued at over $58 million. These strategic moves strengthen the bank's presence in the tech and food sectors, occurring as institutional investors now collectively own over 83% of Sysco's stock.
Nvidia has disclosed a 9.3% stake in AI infrastructure firm Nebius, holding over 22.2 million shares. Additionally, the company plans to invest $1 billion in South Korea's Naver Corp to finance and expand an AI data center, ensuring access to critical chip components. Furthermore, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced a $500 billion 'AI initiative' with SK Group to bolster supply chains and solidify South Korea's role in global AI infrastructure.
Ethereum is currently trading near $1,865, successfully breaking past the $1,800 resistance level following a rebound from its June low of $1,505. This upward momentum is fueled by inflows into Ethereum ETFs, which have now surpassed the $100 million milestone. With a technical pattern of ascending peaks and troughs established, market focus has shifted toward the $2,000 threshold.
New Zealand's annual inflation rate for the second quarter reached 4.1%, exceeding market expectations and the central bank's targets. The jump in consumer prices was primarily driven by surging fuel costs. Consequently, fears have deepened that interest rates will need to rise significantly in the coming months to combat the accelerating inflation.
Morgan Stanley has filed for low-fee Solana and Ethereum ETFs to be listed on NYSE Arca, featuring direct staking rewards for investors. This follows the launch of a tokenized investment fund on the Solana network by Japan's SBI Group. By July 24, Morgan Stanley received approval to list and trade these ETFs, submitting the final necessary filings with the US SEC to facilitate the official launch.
Steel Dynamics reported strong Q2 2026 results with a net income of $534 million and record steel shipments of 3.7 million tons. The company also repurchased $200 million in common stock, while Swedish steelmaker SSAB saw earnings growth driven by higher prices. However, high-strength steel markets in the Middle East were negatively impacted by the war in Iran, leading to increased costs.
Qualcomm has secured several key strategic developments, starting with a partnership with Vietnam's Viettel as the first global partner in the 6G Early Access Program. Additionally, Wetour Robotics joined the Qualcomm Partner Network to evaluate Dragonwing technologies for industrial use. The company also announced a long-term agreement with BMW to supply chips for future vehicle platforms. These chips will power digital cockpits and advanced driver-assistance systems through the next decade.
Tesla's earnings report brought its treasury holdings of 11,509 Bitcoin back into focus. Despite this, Tesla shares fell as rising R&D costs squeezed profits, while Alphabet shares declined following an increased capital expenditures forecast. Meanwhile, markets are awaiting Intel's earnings results, which are due to be released after the closing bell today.
Yemen's Houthi group announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, escalating regional tensions. The group threatened millions of barrels of Saudi oil passing through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait. Prediction markets currently estimate a 57% chance that the Houthis will successfully block Saudi ports by August 31.
AMD launched its first rack-scale AI system, Helios, which will be deployed by Microsoft in its Azure data centers to compete with Nvidia. Following this, Cerebras shares rose due to a technical partnership with AMD. Additionally, Core Scientific secured a deal with AMD for 2.5 gigawatts of data-center capacity, expected to generate over $14 billion in revenue. This significant partnership helped offset Core Scientific's wider-than-expected quarterly loss.
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.
