Asia stocks climb on Iran peace hopes; Nikkei tops 65,000 for first time By Investing.com

• Major US stock indexes, including the Dow Jones, NASDAQ, and S&P 500, fell sharply on July 23, 2026. • The decline was driven by a heavy selloff in Big Tech shares as investors questioned AI capital expenditures, coupled with a massive surge in global oil prices.

• U.S. equities declined on Thursday as oil prices surged due to escalating conflicts in the Middle East. • UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel told CNBC that a potential acquisition of Commerzbank could occur in the fourth quarter.

• European markets are experiencing declines, with Germany’s DAX slipping by 42 basis points and France’s CAC 40 dropping by 85 basis points. • The downturn is driven by investor anticipation of an upcoming policy decision from the European Central Bank (ECB) and varied reactions to corporate earnings reports.

• The European Central Bank (ECB) has unveiled a shortlist of new designs for euro banknotes, emphasizing themes of European culture and nature. • The public is invited to provide feedback on these proposed designs through a consultation period ending September 21.

• European blue-chip companies are seeing an improved earnings outlook, with LSEG I/B/E/S data from Wednesday indicating the potential for the best growth in several years. • The positive trend is largely driven by soaring profits within the energy sector, which are offsetting losses in other industries.

• Major stock indexes plummeted as investors sold off shares of Tesla and Alphabet due to growing concerns over artificial intelligence spending. • Brent crude oil futures surged past $100 a barrel for the first time in two months, adding further pressure to the markets.

• The FTSE 100 index rose by 1.24% (131.06 points) to close at 10,716.97 on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, outperforming other major Western European benchmarks. • Investors are currently evaluating the new UK government's fiscal and regulatory priorities, specifically focusing on the composition of the finance ministry.

• The Euro weakened to approximately 1.1385 against the US Dollar on Thursday after the European Central Bank (ECB) decided to keep its key interest rates unchanged. • In its policy statement, the ECB highlighted that energy prices remain highly volatile and warned that the full inflationary impact of recent energy shocks has not yet materialized.

• The European Central Bank maintained interest rates at 2.25% on Thursday, pausing after its first rate hike in three years occurred in June. • While easing inflation provided a temporary reprieve, renewed conflict in the Middle East has driven up energy prices, leaving a second hike possible for autumn.

• The FTSE 100, FTSE 250, FTSE 350, and FTSE All-Share indices declined today as investors reacted to escalating tensions in the Middle East and global market uncertainty. • Contributing factors to the downturn include rising oil prices, weak corporate updates, and a report from Heathrow Airport showing lower first-half core earnings due to higher tax expenses and travel instability.

• The European Central Bank (ECB) previously raised its deposit rate by a quarter point to 2.25% following a surge in eurozone consumer prices from 1.9% in February to 3.2% in May. • Recent data shows that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) slowed to 2.8% in June, indicating a cooling trend in inflation.

• The BSE Sensex plummeted over 500 points and the NSE Nifty50 closed below 23,900, reflecting a sharp downturn on Dalal Street. • The decline was primarily driven by crude oil prices hitting a six-week high, alongside escalating geopolitical tensions and currency weakness.