Singapore and New Zealand Sign World's First Bilateral Treaty to Protect Essential Trade

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 62 points in early trading, continuing a positive trend as Wall Street opened higher. • This movement follows a strong previous session where the index closed at 52,224.64, marking a gain of 385.38 points or 0.74%.

• Major U.S. stock indexes showed mixed results on a key tech earnings day, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 gaining while the Nasdaq Composite declined. • Market volatility coincided with a surge in oil prices and 10-year Treasury yields, which reached their highest levels in two months.

• U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued a temporary restraining order on Monday to pause the acquisition of Warner Bros. by Paramount's owners. • The ruling disrupts the owners' timeline, as they had intended to finalize the deal to buy their Hollywood rival within the current week.

• US stock markets climbed, led by the Nasdaq, as optimism surrounding artificial intelligence fueled a rally in technology and semiconductor shares. • Chipmakers like Micron, AMD, and Intel surged following strong export data from Taiwan and South Korea, signaling continued high demand for AI chips.

• Wall Street is expected to open positively on July 21, 2026, driven by a rebound in semiconductor stocks and a decline in oil prices. • Market momentum remains fragile due to elevated geopolitical risks, the implementation of new tariffs, and a dense schedule of corporate earnings reports.

• Dow Jones futures fell 0.30% to approximately 52,290 on Wednesday, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.38% and 0.85% respectively. • The market decline is attributed to traders adopting a cautious stance due to escalating tensions between the US and Iran.

• Bank of America and the Bank of America Institute released the 2026 Workplace Benefits Report on July 21, 2026, showing that the financial wellbeing of U.S. employees has reached a four-year high. • Retirement confidence has increased, with 73% of workers reporting they feel on track for retirement, marking a 6-point rise from 2025.

• Stock futures declined as oil prices rose, while investors prepared for a heavy schedule of corporate earnings from major technology and industrial firms. • Airbus released mid-term guidance targeting adjusted earnings before interest and tax of €12 billion to €13 billion ($13.6 billion to $14.8 billion) by 2029.

• On July 22, 2026, the Indian stock market experienced its sharpest single-day drop in two weeks, with the Sensex falling 715 points and the Nifty slipping below 24,000. • The decline was driven by escalating Middle East tensions, which pushed Brent crude prices above $95 a barrel and sparked fears regarding inflation and economic growth.

• Samsung Group is expected to announce a massive 1,000 trillion won (US$647.53 billion) investment in South Korea over the next 10 years. • A significant portion of this funding, approximately 300 trillion won, is earmarked for the construction of semiconductor chip factories in the country's southwest.

• In the first quarter of 2026, EU general governments held €1,266 billion in currency and deposit assets. • These assets represent 6.7% of the EU's GDP and account for 16.5% of the total stock of general government financial assets.

• European markets experienced slight fluctuations as investors monitored the Stoxx 600, bond yields, and the EUR/USD exchange rate. • Economic data showed the UK GDP rose by 0.1%, accompanied by a narrowing of the country's trade deficit.