Market Summary

US stock exchanges were closed on Friday in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

Commodity Overview: Oil prices were flat as crude shipments from the Persian Gulf neared pre-war levels, while copper and gold prices advanced.

European stock markets reached a new all-time high, marking their fourth consecutive week of gains.

Macroeconomic Developments

Record-breaking power demand hit the largest US electrical grid on Thursday, driven by a heatwave and surging data center energy consumption.

Stock trading records for SpaceX, purchased by bipartisan US lawmakers, were revealed for the first time.

Iranian President Pezeshkian held talks with Russia on expanding cooperation.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office denied reports of a planned assassination attempt on an Iranian negotiator.

Houthi forces claimed Saudi fighter jets violated Yemeni airspace.

The UK, Oman, and France will collaborate to ensure maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.

UK politician Burnham stated he would not call an early general election if he were to succeed Starmer as Prime Minister.

A senior NATO commander stated that Europe has largely filled the gap left by the reduction of US military forces.

Slovakia declared it would not assume any obligations for aiding Ukraine as proposed at the recent NATO summit.

Argentina announced the dissolution of its Ministry of the Interior.

Corporate News

Chile's two largest mining companies have outlined a plan to increase production capacity for their lithium joint venture by 70%.

Elon Musk has imposed restrictions on AI-related expenditures for Tesla employees.

The largest US power grid, PJM, upgraded its emergency measures to prevent potential blackouts.

After a volatile first half of the year, small hedge funds are outperforming multi-strategy funds in terms of returns.

Analyst Commentary

JPMorgan Chase issued a warning, stating that the sustainability of excess returns for chip stocks is constrained by the capital expenditure intentions of cloud service providers.

JPMorgan analysts noted that gold faces short-term pressure but could potentially reach $4,500 per ounce in the second half of 2026.

UBS has raised its price forecasts for memory chips, expecting the current uptrend in DRAM and NAND flash prices to continue through 2027.

US Vice President Vance's income last year reached millions of dollars, with the vast majority coming from his memoir sales.

ECB President Christine Lagarde will personally attend next week's meeting of the EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Council.

European Central Bank Governing Council member Nagel emphasized the need for vigilance at the next interest rate decision meeting.

A former AI advisor to ex-President Trump stated that the US is unlikely to establish an AI regulatory body similar to the FDA.

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey remarked that UK inflation would likely have already met its target if a war involving Iran had not broken out.

European bond markets saw German government bond prices decline as traders increased their bets on further interest rate hikes by the European Central Bank.

A key industry indicator is flashing warning signs, as the economics of AI tokens challenge the prevailing narrative of the AI investment boom.

OPEC's oil production surged last month, though it remains significantly below pre-war levels involving the US and Iran.