#USMarketUpdate
Stocks rise as Apple notches record high, semiconductors sell-off
Live updates

https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/live/stock-market-today-wednesday-july-15-dow-sp-nasdaq-091813320.html

In this episode of My Trading Game Plan, market strategist Gareth Soloway provides a comprehensive technical analysis of current market conditions following the release of PPI inflation data. Here is a summary of the key highlights:

Macroeconomic Updates:
PPI Inflation Data: The latest PPI data came in better than expected, following yesterday's positive CPI report. While this triggered a modest rally in S&P 500 futures, Soloway notes that the market's reaction has been relatively muted (0:42-1:44).
Yields and Dollar: Despite favorable inflation news, the 10-year yield and the US dollar have seen only minimal pullbacks, suggesting the market remains skeptical that inflation will return to the 2% target quickly (10:38-12:18).

Market Analysis & Stocks:
IBM: Following a record 25% drop on earnings, Soloway identifies a potential "reflex bounce" opportunity for IBM based on technical support levels between 215 and 218 (2:05-3:36).
Chip/Memory Sector: SK Hynix saw a significant move, but peer stocks like Micron, SanDisk, and STX did not follow suit, which Soloway views as a potential warning sign of rotation or underlying issues (7:21-8:16).
Earnings Reports: ASML posted strong earnings but showed signs of profit-taking (12:20-13:08). BlackRock is trading higher with a bullish inverse head and shoulders pattern, while Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are approaching major resistance levels (13:09-15:33).

Commodities and Crypto:
Oil: Continues to be monitored closely due to geopolitical tensions, with Soloway noting the accuracy of previous technical calls on the commodity (15:34-16:34).
Gold & Silver: Both remain cautious; Soloway highlights that gold is "limping" despite the good economic data (17:32-18:22).
Bitcoin: The cryptocurrency is showing bullish signs, currently confirming a breakout from an inverse head and shoulders formation (18:23-18:49).

https://www.youtube.com/live/U9nUAzWHwl0?is=mvbLOR92pd3rzZCF

SpaceX stock hits all-time low, dips below IPO price

https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/article/spacex-stock-on-watch-after-hitting-all-time-low-dips-below-ipo-price-150542970.html

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#USMarketUpdate
S&P 500 is little changed as chip stocks fall; traders weigh inflation data

Live updates

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/14/stock-market-today-live-updates.html?__source=androidappshare

#USMarketUpdate
Wall St ends higher on cool inflation data, strong earnings | Reuters

SUMMARY
Indexes up: Dow 0.29%, S&P 500 0.38%, Nasdaq 0.62%June Producer Prices post unexpected monthly dropBlackRock gains after Q2 profit beatPayPal soars after report of buyout offer

NEW YORK, July 15 (Reuters) - Wall Street stocks gained ground on Wednesday as softening inflation data and ​a robust beginning of second-quarter earnings season put investors in a buying mood.

All three major stock indexes closed modestly higher ‌despite weakness in semiconductors, with consumer-focused retail (.SPXRT), opens new tab and travel/leisure (.SPCOMHOTL), opens new tab clear outperformers.


PayPal (PYPL.O), opens new tab surged 17.2% after sources told Reuters that Stripe and private equity firm Advent International have jointly offered to acquire it for $60.50 per share — representing around a 28% premium to its Tuesday close.

A second day of solid bank earnings added momentum to an auspicious beginning to second-quarter ​reporting season.

BlackRock (BLK.N), opens new tab and Morgan Stanley (MS.N), opens new tab both beat quarterly profit expectations. BlackRock shares advanced 6.6%, while Morgan Stanley ended the session up 0.4%...

Among the 11 major sectors in the S&P 500, communication services (.SPLRCL), opens new tab advanced the most, while utility stocks (.SPLRCU), opens new tab suffered the largest percentage drop...




https://www.reuters.com/business/wall-st-futures-edge-up-with-earnings-focus-paypal-jumps-2026-07-15/


Wall St ends higher on cool inflation data, strong earnings
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/wall-st-ends-higher-on-cool-inflation-data-strong-earnings

Job market improves in parts of the country as labor shortages emerge: Beige Book
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/article/job-market-improves-in-parts-of-the-country-as-labor-shortages-emerge-beige-book-202139211.html

Apple, Goldman Sachs, and Chevron are powering the Dow — for wildly different reasons: AlphaCheck
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/apple-goldman-sachs-and-chevron-are-powering-the-dow--for-wildly-different-reasons-alphacheck-181535203.html

Strait of Hormuz oil shipments fall toward pre-peace deal levels as war reignites
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/strait-of-hormuz-oil-shipments-fall-toward-pre-peace-deal-levels-as-war-reignites-172923974.html

BlackRock crosses $15 trillion in assets under management as Larry Fink hails 'strong' market fundamentals
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/article/blackrock-crosses-15-trillion-in-assets-under-management-as-larry-fink-hails-strong-market-fundamentals-142829372.html

PayPal co-founder and Affirm CEO details his 'very high bar' for M&A
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/paypal-co-founder-and-affirm-ceo-details-his-very-high-bar-for-ma-135724022.html

One chart reveals why investors are concerned about earnings from Microsoft, Amazon, and other hyperscalers
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/one-chart-reveals-why-investors-are-concerned-about-earnings-from-microsoft-amazon-and-other-hyperscalers-133720503.html

China Is Preparing For $38,000 Gold
#AndreiJikh.

This video explores the global shift toward gold as a reserve asset, driven by significant buying behavior from China and shifting US economic policies.

Key Takeaways
China's Pivot to Gold: China has been aggressively accumulating gold, with the People's Bank of China buying for 20 consecutive months (1:12).
Additionally, retail investors have moved massive amounts of capital into gold ETFs, making them the largest component of retail holdings in the country (0:33).

Hamiltonian Economics: The video discusses a return to Alexander Hamilton’s economic philosophy—emphasizing national industrial capacity, tariffs, and subsidies—as suggested by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (2:56, 14:03).

The Global Balancing Act: The central argument is that the world economy needs a neutral reserve asset to balance trade imbalances, similar to what John Maynard Keynes proposed in 1944. Andrei Jikh presents the theory that for the global trade system to recalibrate, gold may need to reach a price of approximately $38,000 per ounce (3:15, 25:46).

De-financialization: The US is described as moving away from a financialized, debt-based system toward one focused on re-industrialization, a transition that requires the dollar to potentially weaken or adjust against gold as the ultimate

https://youtu.be/dFjvcY9Tth0?is=EvZMlXlXflfH1zSa

Apple gets approval for iPhone AI in China with Alibaba, Baidu
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/telcos-media-tech/apple-gets-approval-iphone-ai-china-alibaba-baidu

#MarketMind
TRADING DAY
Price pressures keep coolin'    | Reuters

July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. bond yields fell on Wednesday after another snapshot of U.S. inflation in June came in softer than expected, easing pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, while strong profits and potential M&A activity also supported stocks.

In my column today, I look ​at why Fed Chair Kevin Warsh can't afford to get complacent on inflation, despite the downside surprises in June's CPI ‌data...

Today's Talking Points
* China crisis?

The latest ​official economic data from China shows why Beijing is putting such reliance on exports. Domestic investment and lending in June fell well short of expectations, suggesting the country's deleveraging is far from over. Q2 GDP was a big miss — growth slowed to 4.3% from 5.0%, the slowest pace in more than three years.

Were it not ​for strong exports, especially chips and autos, the broader growth outlook would be even bleaker. Should Beijing be doing more to fire up domestic ​demand, like slashing interest rates or launching large-scale fiscal stimulus? If the economic malaise continues, it may have to.

* U.S. banks in fine fettle
Most of the big ‌U.S. ⁠banks have reported Q2 earnings, and it's safe to say Wall Street is in rude health. Combined net income from five banks — JPMorgan, Goldman, Citi, BofA and Morgan Stanley — topped $50 billion in the April-June period, driven by strong trading, IPO underwriting and dealmaking.

The big asset managers are in good shape too, with BlackRock's AUM surging to a record $15 trillion. Little wonder U.S. financials are ripping higher, now up 20% from the March low to a fresh record high on ​Wednesday.

* TICking the box
Foreigners can't stay away from U.S. stocks and bonds. ⁠The latest U.S. Treasury International Capital (TIC) flows data show net foreign purchases of U.S. assets in May totaled $232.7 billion, more than double April's figure and the third-highest month on record.

About half of that flowed into ​equities, and once again, private sector investors accounted for almost all overseas demand for U.S. assets. Tech ​sector tremors wobbled Wall ⁠Street in June, so it will be interesting to see if that affected foreign demand. On the whole, though, nobody wants to be missing out on the U.S. AI-driven rally.

What could move markets tomorrow?

TSMC earnings (Q2)
South Korea interest rate decision
U.S. Philly Fed business index (July)
U.S. Federal Reserve officials scheduled to speak include Dallas ⁠Fed President ​Lorie Logan, Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid, and Vice Chair Philip Jefferson
U.S. earnings

https://www.reuters.com/commentary/reuters-open-interest/global-markets-trading-day-graphic-2026-07-15/

US Mint will produce $1 coin with Trump’s image, Treasury Secretary says
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/us-mint-will-produce-1-coin-with-trumps-image-treasury-secretary-says

China tops US in global favourability for first time: Pew survey
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/china-tops-us-in-global-favourability-for-first-time-pew-survey

#HKMarketUpdate
<Full-day Takeaway>HSI Up 327 pts; HSTI Up 93 pts; XIAOMI Up over 6%; MEITUAN Up over 4%; BABA Up over 3%; HSBC HOLDINGS, ABLE DIGITAL Hit New Highs; Market Turnover Rises
2026/07/16 16:12 GMT+08

At close, HSI rose 327 pts or 1.3% to 25,008. HSTI rose 93 pts or 2.0% to 4,834. HSCEI gained 133 pts or 1.6% to 8,318. Market turnover reached $322.89 billion.

https://www.aastocks.com/en/stocks/news/aafn-con/NOW.1533664/top-news/AAFN

#HKMarketUpdate
<H Shrs>HSI Finishes Up 327 pts, Reclaims 25,000 Mark; XIAOMI-W Rebounds 6%+; XL2CSOPSMSN, XL2CSOPHYNIX Slide ~20%
2026/07/16 16:44 GMT+08

The HSI closed at 25,008, up 327 pts or 1.33%, with market turnover reaching HKD322.892 billion. The HSTECH closed at 4,834, up 93 pts or 1.98%. The HSCEI closed at 8,318, up 133 pts or 1.63%.

https://www.aastocks.com/en/stocks/news/aafn-con/NOW.1533678/top-news/AAFN