Track the evolution of major financial and economic events
Bausch + Lomb has discontinued the development of its BL1107 glaucoma eye drop after a Phase 2 trial failed to meet the primary endpoint of improving visual function. Following the study's results, the company decided to end the program and redirect its focus toward a sustained-release implant for geographic atrophy. Clinical trials for this new redirected program are expected to commence in 2028.
Seeking Alpha published an analytical report on July 10 previewing Philip Morris International's earnings ahead of the official release. Options data from July 15 suggests a potential 4.9% share price movement around the July 22 earnings report. The company is expected to see Q2 sales and earnings growth driven by smoke-free product momentum and strong pricing power.
Jefferies maintained a 'Buy' rating and a $110 price target for Netflix, despite anticipating limited near-term upside catalysts ahead of the company's Q2 earnings report. Markets are currently awaiting the release of major bank earnings and Netflix's results in the coming week. Meanwhile, Netflix's stock valuation has dropped to its lowest level in over four years as traders anticipate the upcoming financial results.
MicroStrategy announced it will present its Q2 2026 financial results on July 30. The company has paused its Bitcoin acquisition spree to accumulate a significant $3 billion cash reserve. It now holds enough liquidity to cover preferred-stock dividends and debt interest for over 20 months.
Emily Roland of Manulife stated that tech stock fundamentals are currently the strongest she has seen in her career. Analyst expectations point to a robust 23.3% earnings growth for the S&P 500 in the second quarter. Additionally, Piper Sandler analysts believe that corporate America is well-positioned to clear the high bar set for Q2 earnings results.
Jabil is expanding its healthcare footprint by leveraging engineering expertise in diagnostic systems and robotic-assisted surgery. The company was identified as a top stock for accelerating EPS growth trends heading into the second half of 2026, driven by strong revenue in cloud infrastructure and networking. While recent earnings growth and cash generation remain solid, the stock performance currently reflects a balance between these gains and a cautious fiscal 2026 outlook.
Bitcoin miners are pivoting toward AI infrastructure, with analysts noting that AI contracts have replaced bitcoin as the primary driver of market valuations. Despite a 16% decline in the sector's index due to liquidity concerns and SEC filings, companies like Cipher and TeraWulf are seen as undervalued relative to their data center pipelines. While Core Scientific achieved an outlier return of 75% on AI deals, stabilized returns on assets for other major miners are estimated between 4% and 5%.
BNP Paribas maintained an Outperform rating on Amazon with a $345 price target on July 10. Positive Q2 earnings expectations are building for the company based on its current strong business narrative. While Amazon's stock has risen approximately 8% year-to-date as of July 17, it continues to lag behind many of its large-cap peers.
Eric Trump's crypto stake lost approximately $600 million in value as Bitcoin hit record lows. Shares of his backed Bitcoin mining company collapsed 95% from their peak, leading the firm to execute a 1-for-15 reverse stock split. Additionally, the period saw a significant on-chain duel between two traders holding $107 million in opposing leveraged Ether positions.
The Nasdaq rose 0.46% driven by a surge in technology and semiconductor shares after US initial jobless claims fell to 215,000, coming in lower than expected. While the consumer staples sector and the Dow Jones saw declines, investor sentiment improved, shifting the CNN Fear and Greed Index into the Neutral zone. US stocks continued their gains in the final hour of trading following a soft inflation reading.
Robinhood Markets has launched the public mainnet of Robinhood Chain, a Layer 2 network and dedicated crypto wallet designed for real-world asset tokenization. The company also announced that its AI agent feature, which has seen over 70,000 accounts created since May, will soon expand from equities and options to support crypto traders. Additionally, the Arbitrum network is expected to benefit from Robinhood's strategic expansion into the blockchain sector.
Market expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in July 2026 have vanished, with sentiment shifting toward a potential 25-basis-point hike, now at a 46.5% probability. This pivot follows a private sector surplus of over $112B in June, which bolstered risk asset markets. While the S&P 500 is expected to maintain momentum into mid-August, financial models are signaling a deceleration in overall gains.
Coinbase expanded its trading suite by adding margin trading support for Filecoin (FIL). In related financial developments, Circle paid Coinbase $908 million for USDC distribution services, with the agreement set for renewal in August 2026. Additionally, Coinbase announced it will terminate support for the USDC stablecoin on the Noble network effective August 17, 2026, a move expected to impact liquidity within the Cosmos ecosystem.
Apple has secured a $30 billion component supply deal with Broadcom, coinciding with Federal Reserve minutes showing a policy split among officials. South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix raised $26.51 billion in a stock offering, marking the largest-ever U.S. market entry by a foreign firm. Market indicators show the VIX at low levels and S&P 500 stock correlations near 20-year lows, suggesting a decoupling of individual stock movements.
Alphabet has become one of Berkshire Hathaway's largest holdings under Greg Abel's management, surpassing the value of its iconic Coca-Cola stake. Warren Buffett revealed he personally initiated the $31 billion investment in Google, noting that tech giants are compelled to compete in the AI race. Buffett's remarks helped push Google co-founder Larry Page's net worth above $300 billion, while Abel is backing Alphabet's AI infrastructure expansion with a $10 billion private placement.
Public Storage priced a $900 million senior notes offering at a 4.855% interest rate to fund its acquisition of National Storage Affiliates Trust, which received 99.9% shareholder approval. Concurrently, Strategic Storage Trust VI and Strategic Storage Growth Trust III announced an all-stock merger agreement. Both REITs involved in the merger are sponsored by an affiliate of the NYSE-listed SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc.
Bitwise reports that Bitcoin's price floor is rising as institutional investors actively buy during market dips. Despite the current boom in AI investments, larger investors remain cautious while awaiting further regulatory clarity. This institutional activity is providing a stronger support level for the cryptocurrency despite ongoing headwinds.
Circle is facing a contempt of court complaint in Wisconsin for failing to recover 381,235 stolen USDC tokens, despite freezing them following a warrant. The company stated it is technically unable to invalidate or reissue tokens held in third-party wallets. Additionally, Circle suspended Tether-backed Heka Funds following allegations of market manipulation involving the USDC stablecoin.
Bassett Furniture reported modestly lower revenue for Q2 fiscal 2026 but demonstrated improved adjusted operating performance. Management highlighted stronger retail order trends and higher wholesale margins during the period. Additionally, the company is maintaining its focus on growth through continued investment in e-commerce initiatives.
Bitcoin faced pressure to maintain the $62,000 support level ahead of a $1.4 billion options expiry on the Deribit exchange, coinciding with rising US 10-year Treasury yields. By July 17, Bitcoin and Ethereum options contracts totaling $1.43 billion expired. At the time of expiry, Bitcoin's price held near $63,000, while Ethereum experienced an increase in demand for put options.
JPMorgan analysts argue that institutional adoption of private blockchains poses a greater long-term structural threat to Bitcoin than corporate strategy sales. The bank noted that Wall Street's shift toward closed systems, which do not rely on public networks or tokens, could significantly reduce capital flows into the crypto market. Furthermore, the report warns that moving tokenization and settlements to private networks may drain liquidity and activity from the public cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Byrna Technologies reported a Q2 loss of $0.44 per share, significantly missing estimates as revenues fell 42.5% and gross margins collapsed due to inventory write-downs. The company faces challenges with website conversion and audience saturation but maintains a debt-free cash position with expectations for improvement during holiday sales. Additionally, MetLife, BlackRock, and Murphy USA have scheduled their quarterly earnings releases for early August.
Hyperscale Data announced that its corporate treasury has surpassed the 1,000 Bitcoin milestone, reaching 1,087.45 BTC as of July 19, 2026. The aggregate value of these holdings is approximately $70.3 million, following strategic acquisitions including 130 BTC during the second week of July. The company believes this treasury strategy enhances financial flexibility and supports its ongoing investments in AI data centers and robotics.
XRP spot exchange-traded funds recorded a significant $7.29 million net outflow on July 9, ending a nine-week streak of positive inflows. As of July 10, U.S. spot XRP ETFs held combined net assets totaling $996.65 million. Additionally, XRP reserves on the Binance exchange dropped to their lowest level in five months by July 17.
