Weekly: SPX Slips, Fed's Decisions, US Q2 GDP, Mega-Cap Tech Earnings & AI Spending in Focus

Last Week's Recap

1.Market Digest: Stocks Slip, Oil Spikes, Yields Surge, Earnings Upgraded

  • Modestly negative$S&P 500(.SPX)$ and $Dow Jones(.DJI)$ finished fractionally lower; $NASDAQ(.IXIC)$ dropped more than 2%. Stocks alternated gains and losses throughout the week, extending the pattern since early June.

  • Energy shocks — Middle East escalation and shipping disruptions in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea lifted oil. U.S. crude $WTI Crude Oil - main 2609(CLmain)$ traded around $90 on Friday, up from ~$82 the prior week and $69 in early July.

  • Yields spike — 10-year Treasury peaked at ~4.70% Thursday (highest in 18+ months) before closing at 4.68%. The 2-year hit 4.33% and 30-year reached 5.17% on Friday ahead of the Fed meeting.

  • Earnings upgrade — S&P 500 Q2 earnings growth forecast jumped to 37.9% (from 24.8% the prior week), per FactSet, after a mega-cap tech company beat expectations.

  • Elevated global yields — UK 10-year yields rose above 5.00%; German yields hit highest since 2011; Japanese yields approached 1990s levels.

  • Mortgage rates rise — Average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 6.58%, highest in nearly a year, after briefly dipping below 6.00% in February.

  • New tariffs — Trump administration imposed 10.0%-12.5% tariffs on major trading partners including the EU, following expiration of a prior 10.0% global tariff struck down by the Supreme Court in February 2026.

  • Busy week ahead — Fed policy meeting concludes Wednesday; Q2 GDP and June PCE inflation data due Thursday.

2.US Market – SPX dips 0.61% as big-tech selloff and $Tesla Motors(TSLA)$ collapse offset chip and energy rebound

The S&P 500 Index declined 0.61% and closed at 7,411.98, as a brutal rout in mega-cap tech and Tesla overwhelmed strength in memory chips, banks, and energy.

Industry leaders: Data Center REITs (+9.56%), Industrial Conglomerates (+7.61%), Drug Retail (+7.24%), Paper Packaging (+6.74%), and Copper (+6.59%).

10 Popular Stocks:

  • $Tesla Motors(TSLA)$ -17.81% — Collapsed on delivery-margin concerns, robotaxi timeline skepticism, and broader EV sector rotation.

  • $Alphabet(GOOGL)$ -7.79% — Tumbled on AI search monetization fears and ad-spending slowdown concerns.

  • $Amazon.com(AMZN)$ -6.12% — Slid on AWS growth deceleration worries and e-commerce margin pressure.

  • $Wal-Mart(WMT)$ -4.18% — Extended its post-earnings decline on consumer-spending caution.

  • $Microsoft(MSFT)$ -3.08% — Pulled back on Azure growth normalization and profit-taking after recent strength.

  • $Exxon Mobil(XOM)$ +6.5% — Surged alongside firm Brent crude and OPEC+ supply discipline.

  • $Micron Technology(MU)$ +8.48% — Bounced back on HBM supply-demand tightness and AI server memory pricing resilience.

  • $Advanced Micro Devices(AMD)$ +5.28% — Advanced on AI accelerator market-share optimism and data-center momentum.

  • $JPMorgan Chase(JPM)$ +3.55% — Gained on rising rate expectations and resilient investment-banking fee income.

  • $Broadcom(AVGO)$ +2.99% — Edged up on custom-AI-chip demand and VMware integration progress.

Performance is subjected to market volatility

3.Singapore Market – STI gains 1.43% as gold, shipbuilding, and energy SDRs lift the index

The $Straits Times Index(STI.SI)$ gained 1.43% and closed at 5,588.34, as strength in gold proxies, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, and Thai/Chinese energy SDRs offset weakness in Tencent and Indonesian financials.

Sectors: Gold (+16.02%) led on safe-haven demand and precious-metals momentum. Health Care Equipment (+14.39%) surged on med-tech innovation. Broadline Retail (+12.91%) advanced on consumer reopening, while Food Distributors (+11.41%) tracked resilient grocery demand.

10 Popular Stocks:

  • $YZJ Shipbldg SGD(BS6.SI)$ +10.19% — The Chinese shipbuilder extended its rally on strong order-book momentum and Southeast Asia defense-spending tailwinds.

  • $SMIC HK SDR 5to1(HSMD.SI)$ +6.31% — The Chinese foundry's SDR advanced on domestic AI chip demand and tech-decoupling proxy positioning.

  • $PetroCN HK SDR 1to2(HPCD.SI)$ +6.39% — The oil major's SDR gained on firm Brent crude and OPEC+ supply discipline.

  • $Bank of CN HK SDR 1to1(HBND.SI)$ +4.79% — The Chinese state-owned bank's SDR rose on defensive positioning and attractive dividend yield.

  • $Ping An Ins HK SDR2to1(HPAD.SI)$ +4.02% — The insurer's 2-to-1 SDR advanced on high-dividend-yield attraction; the stock pays a TTM dividend yield of 2.95%.

  • $PTTEP TH SDR 1to1(TPED.SI)$ +3.59% — The Thai oil & gas producer's SDR climbed on resilient petroleum output and a 6.54% TTM dividend yield.

  • $DBS(D05.SI)$ +2.75% — Singapore's largest bank continued its post-earnings ascent on record Q1 profit and 17.0% ROE.

  • $UOB(U11.SI)$ +2% — The third-largest local bank edged up on ASEAN commercial banking momentum.

  • $BBCA ID SDR 1to2(IBKD.SI)$ -4.26% — The Indonesian private bank's SDR pulled back on thin-liquidity volatility and regional financial-sector rotation.

  • $Tencent HK SDR 10to1(HTCD.SI)$ -5.39% — The internet giant's SDR slumped on gaming and fintech valuation compression, tracking Hong Kong weakness.

Performance is subjected to market volatility

4.Australian Market – XJO mixed as South32 surge offsets CSL and Wesfarmers weakness

The $S&P/ASX 200(XJO.AU)$ traded mixed over the week, as a sharp rally in South32 and energy names offset declines in healthcare, retail, and the exchange operator.

Industry leaders: Electronic Components (+29.59%), Communications Equipment (+9.03%), Coal & Consumable Fuels (+8.30%), Soft Drinks (+6.67%), and Leisure Facilities (+6.46%).

10 Popular Stocks:

  • $SOUTH32 LTD(S32.AU)$ +15.13% — The diversified miner surged on manganese and aluminum price strength, with Australian and African operations benefiting from supply-constraint narratives.

  • $WOODSIDE ENERGY GROUP LTD(WDS.AU)$ +6.27% — Advanced on firm Brent crude and LNG spot pricing resilience.

  • $SANTOS LIMITED(STO.AU)$ +3.78% — Gained on production momentum and PNG project progress.

  • $BHP GROUP LTD(BHP.AU)$ +2.28% — Rose modestly on copper and iron ore price stabilization.

  • $PLS Group Ltd(PLS.AU)$ -4.39% — Tracked the lithium complex lower on oversupply concerns.

  • $AMC Entertainment(AMC)$ -4.11% — Pulled back on consumer staples rotation and margin pressure.

  • $BRAMBLES LTD(BXB.AU)$ 3.76% — Declined on freight demand and pallet-pool utilization concerns.

  • $WESFARMERS LTD(WES.AU)$ -5.98% — Slumped on profit-taking after recent strength, with Bunnings and Kmart facing margin scrutiny.

  • $ASX LTD(ASX.AU)$ -5.51% — The exchange operator fell on trading-volume concerns and regulatory overhang.

  • $CSL LIMITED(CSL.AU)$ -7.38% — The biotech heavyweight was the week's worst large-cap performer, tumbling on profit-taking and plasma-collection margin concerns.

Performance is subjected to market volatility

5.Hong Kong Market – HSI gains 1.63% as banks and miners lift the index; tech lags

$HSI(HSI)$ : The Hang Seng Index gained 1.63% and closed at 24,963.23, as strength in Chinese banks, energy majors, and mining giants offset weakness in tech and consumer discretionary names.

The $HSTECH(HSTECH)$ eked out a 0.14% gain and closed at 4,609.7, with the narrow advance masking significant divergence beneath the surface.

Industry leaders: Reinsurance (+18.10%), Silver (+18.03%), Agricultural & Farm Machinery (+18.00%), Paper Packaging (+17.18%), and IT Consulting & Other Services (+17.09%).

9 Popular Stocks:

  • $ZIJIN MINING(02899)$ +11.84% — The gold and copper mining giant surged as gold prices stabilized and silver rallied, with the company's diversified metal exposure attracting safe-haven and industrial demand flows.

  • $PETROCHINA(00857)$ +6.47% — The upstream energy major advanced on firm Brent crude and OPEC+ supply discipline, with resilient China refinery runs underpinning near-term cash generation.

  • $CCB(00939)$ +5.91% — The state-owned lender led the banking sector higher on defensive dividend-yield positioning and improving net interest margin expectations.

  • $BANK OF CHINA(03988)$ +4.92% — The banking giant tracked CCB higher, benefiting from rotation into high-dividend-yield financials as a shelter from tech volatility.

  • $PING AN(02318)$ +4.21% — The mainland insurer advanced on investment-yield stabilization and its attractive dividend policy relative to global peers.

  • $ICBC(01398)$ +4.05% — The state-owned lender rose on income-investor demand and its deeply discounted valuation.

  • $CNOOC(00883)$ +3.7% — The offshore oil specialist tracked PetroChina higher on crude price resilience and production growth momentum.

  • $FAST RETAIL-DRS(06288)$ -7.87% — The UNIQLO operator's depositary receipt slumped on profit-taking after recent strength and concerns over China consumer-spending momentum.

  • $TENCENT(00700)$ -5.85% — The internet giant was the week's worst large-cap performer, tumbling on gaming and fintech valuation compression as investors rotated out of platform-economy names.

Performance is subjected to market volatility

The Week Ahead: July 27- 31

Macro Factors

🔑 3 Macro Themes to Watch

A. FOMC: Hold, But Hawkish Rhetoric Rising

  • Base case: Hold at 3.50%–3.75% (5th consecutive pause).

  • Market shift: Probability of a July hike jumped from 12% → 38% (CME FedWatch) as oil surged past $100.

  • Key nuance: New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh is deliberately minimizing forward guidance — don't expect clear hints.

  • Dot plot split (June): 9 of 18 FOMC members expected at least one hike before year-end; only 1 expected a cut.

B. PCE Inflation: The Fed's Report Card (July 30)

  • Why it matters: PCE is the Fed's official inflation target (2%). It runs slightly cooler than CPI and captures consumer substitution behavior.

  • Latest readings (May 2026):

    • Headline PCE: 4.1% YoY (highest since Apr 2023)

    • Core PCE: 3.4% YoY (well above 2% target)

  • What to watch:

    • Core PCE MoM ≥ +0.3% → Inflation accelerating → Bad for equities, yields rise, dollar strengthens.

    • Core PCE MoM ≤ +0.15% → Downside surprise → Reignites rate-cut hopes, supports risk assets.

  • Timing twist: PCE releases the day after the FOMC decision, so it shapes September expectations, not July's outcome.

C. Geopolitics: Oil as the Wild Card

  • The U.S.-Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz tensions have driven oil above $100/barrel.

  • This directly feeds into headline inflation and complicates the Fed's 2% target.

  • Energy earnings Friday ($XOM, $CVX ) will reflect this — but the macro risk is whether oil stays elevated into Q3.

Earnings Focus:MSFT META QCOM APPL AMZN

A. Mega-Cap Tech and AI Spending

B. Key Non-Tech Reports

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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