A few days before the August break European stock markets are holding up reasonably well, while Wall Street appears weaker, where uncertainty still reigns over semiconductors and artificial intelligence. The most timid index of the day is the Nasdaq, which however is hovering around parity by 17 p.m. Italian time. The most traded stocks in New York are always the same: Micron -1%, Nvidia +1%, Sandisk +2%, SpaceX, with a -3% decline, is among the worst performers overall.Lumentum, which yesterday was the worst performer in the Nasdaq-100, is down another half a percentage point today, ahead of its earnings call after the markets close.
Tesla rises despite recall of over 20 vehicles
Among the traditional big tech companies, Tesla is worth mentioning, +1,5%., after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a recall of 20.349 vehicles in the United States due to potentially overly bright low-beam headlights, which could reduce visibility for oncoming drivers and increase the risk of crashes. Meta +2,5% also under observationToday, among other things, news broke that Facebook's parent company and the Chinese social network TikTok have agreed to verify the accuracy of information published on their respective platforms regarding the number of migrants reportedly entering Spain.
Trump Media & Tech, the social media and cryptocurrency group, are in the red.
Also on the Nasdaq, space company Rocket Lab fell 1% after forecasting a GAAP gross margin of 29% to 31% for the third quarter, below the average analyst estimate of 37,6%. Trump Media & Technology Group also in the red, the American president's company which among other things controls the social Truth: Its second-quarter loss widened to $238 million today, primarily due to unrealized charges related to its cryptocurrency business. The best stock on the Nasdaq-100 is Axon, an American technology company that develops tools and software for law enforcement, public safety and rescue, with +5,3%.
Oil prices rise cautiously, while European natural gas prices fall below 60 euros.
The rise of oil continues, although with an intensity that is negligible today: Brent is approaching $90 a barrel After initially falling to $87 on news that Pakistan had signaled that the United States and Iran might be close to an agreement aimed at easing tensions and potentially reopening the Strait of Hormuz, WTI Crude Oil is trading at $82 a barrel today. European natural gas, on the other hand, falls below 60 euros per megawatt hour, today in the 58 euro zone. Watch out for gold, which is back in fashion in this climate of uncertainty and is very close to $4.400 an ounce. Silver is stuck at $65 an ounce.
Piazza Affari closes in positive territory: Eni and Azimut lead the way
In a not very significant session, the Ftse Mib still gained a little, +0,08%, getting closer to 54.000 pointsThe best performing stock is Eni, up 2%, naturally benefiting from the rise in crude oil prices. Also among the top performers today are Azimut, up 1,6%, and Brunello Cucinelli and Amplifon, tied at 1,57%. Conversely, the stock that bucked the trend the most in the main basket is Stellantis, down 2,6%. The banking sector is among the least affectedUnicredit +0,3% after starting negotiations for a change of guard at Commerzbank. Today the bank fully subscribed a €1 million minibond issued by NeMeA Sistemi, an innovative SME specializing in the development of advanced digital technologies for understanding, monitoring, and managing land and the environment.
Other European stock exchanges, the BTP-Bund spread and currencies
Paris -0,1%, Frankfurt +0,26%, London -0,17%, Euro Stoxx 50 +0,2%, Amsterdam +0,4%. Outside Europe, previously noteworthy were the Nikkei index in Tokyo with +2% and the Kospi in Seoul gaining 0,7%: this time It is not so much Sk Hynix that stands out, but Samsung, which closes at +4%The euro remains weak against the US dollar, but the exchange rate has not moved much, remaining above 1,15. Bitcoin loses nearly 2 percentage points but holds steady at $64.000The BTP-Bund spread remained unchanged at 78 basis points, with the yield on the 10-year BTP standing at 3,94%.
