Strong corporate results underpin S&P 500

Despite renewed US–Iran hostilities, oil at highs, and Houthi threats to block the Red Sea, markets have for now "turned off" geopolitics and refocused on strong corporate results and the incoming tech-earnings slate. Technically, the S&P 500 remains constructive, though indicators are mixed.

On the daily chart, the RSI(14) sits in a neutral 49–51 range, OsMA is negative, and Stochastic is in oversold territory. After bouncing from the support level of 7,420 and the 50-day EMA, the index is trading above the 200-day EMA (7,020), confirming the medium-term uptrend. Key near-term barriers are 7,500 (H4 50-EMA, H1 200-EMA, and round level) and 7,530. A decisive break above 7,530 with indicator confirmation would open the path to 7,600 and 7,700. Follow the link for more details.

Gold slips below $4,100 amid higher oil prices and rising Fed-tightening odds

On Thursday, gold (XAU/USD) pulled back below the important $4,100 level from its recent two-week high. The driver was higher oil prices following the US–Iran escalation and a new Houthi blockade threat in the Red Sea (coupled with reduced traffic in the Strait of Hormuz), which has revived inflation concerns and supply disruption risks.

That dynamic is pressuring yields and currencies: 10-year Treasuries are near two-month highs, the dollar has strengthened, and FedWatch probability of a Fed hike before year-end now exceeds 90% — all of which diverts capital away from a non-yielding asset like gold. Follow the link for more details.

Amazon loses 2% on Senate probe and AI-unit layoffs

Turning point for Tesla: revenue rises but profit misses

Tesla shares plunged by 5.5% in pre-market trade to $353.37 after the company reported Q2 results. Revenue of $28.24bn beat the roughly $25.55bn consensus by more than 10%, but adjusted EPS came in at $0.33, roughly 33% below expectations, triggering a heavy sell-off.

Margins and cash flows painted an even darker picture. Automotive gross margin (ex-regulatory credits) fell to about 16.3% versus the ~19.4% consensus, while consolidated gross margin declined to 16.8% year-on-year. Operating expenses rose by 47% y/y as Tesla accelerated investments in AI, Robotaxi infrastructure, Cybercab production, and Optimus humanoid robots. Free cash flow turned negative at about -$1.1bn, and capex more than doubled to $5.8bn. Follow the link for more details.