It's Friday, the week that is ending has seen almost everywhere rally supported, some have closed trade agreements important, even Trump and Powell they seem to have buried the hatchet and above all we must prepare for a key week: it's the right day for investors to adjust positions and take some profitThe price lists Asian stocks are mostly down after the week's gains and the European stock exchanges They are seen opening slowly. In Milan, keep an eye on Eni and Leonardo.
One of the most critical weeks of the year is approaching
In sight are Trump's August 1st trade deal deadline, the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting, the key monthly U.S. labor market data, and quarterly earnings reports from companies like Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft. And that's just in the U.S.: In Japan, the central bank will release its economic policy report on Thursday, and Prime Minister Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party will hold a meeting the same day. While it will be important to watch developments in the trade agreements between the US and Europe.
In the week ending today, the flurry of quarterly data has so far revealed that AI-focused companies are raking in profits, while consumer-facing companies are doing a bit less so. The impact of tariffs on the US economy is still unclear. US economic activity regained momentum in July, but companies have increased the prices of goods and services, fueling economists' forecasts of faster inflation in the coming months, largely due to increased import tariffs. Yesterday's employment data was positive. It will therefore be important for investors to listen. Powell after next week's meeting to understand the rate trajectory. CME's FedWatch tool predicts the Fed will keep rates unchanged at next week's meeting, while it sees a 60% chance of a rate cut in September.
For the first time in almost twenty years Yesterday the US president went to the headquarters of the Fed which is undergoing restructuring and precisely project costs have been a topic of heated discussion between Trump and Powell in recent weeks. Yesterday, however, Trump downplayed his clash with the Fed chairman on the excess costs, clarifying that the issue of lower interest rates a more pressing concern. Trump even claimed that there was “no tension” with the Fed chief and indicated that problems with the project were probably not sufficient reason to dismiss the head of the central bank.
Wall Street closes mixed. Alphabet shines, Tesla tumbles.
Yesterday on Wall Street the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq they closed at new record levels, thanks to the solid results of A, the parent company of Google, which have also fueled optimism about other major stocks in the artificial intelligence sector, while Tesla tumbled after the electric vehicle maker's results disappointed investors. A rose 1% as the search giant's results boosted confidence that its massive investments in the race to dominate artificial intelligence technology are paying off. Shares of Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon also rose 1% or more.
However, other sectors have seen significant losses. Starting with Tesla, which lost 8,2% after CEO Elon Musk announced "some tough quarters" due to the US government's cut in support for electric vehicle manufacturers. The stock has fallen about 25% since the start of 2025. United health fell 4,8% after the insurer revealed it was cooperating with a Justice Department investigation into its Medicare practices, following reports of criminal and civil investigations. IBM fell nearly 8% after its second-quarter results were not well received by investors, due to disappointing sales from its main software division. Honeywell fell 6,2% despite beating Wall Street expectations and raising its annual outlook. American Airlines fell nearly 10% after the airline forecast a large third-quarter loss, hurt by weak domestic travel demand.
As a signal, phenomenon of the small Healthcare TriangleIts shares stood out as the most traded name on the stock market yesterday. The little-known healthcare information technology company saw its share price more than double, reaching just over five cents, with over 3 billion shares traded. This equates to about 15% of the total shares traded on U.S. exchanges during the day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. After a'138% surge At the opening, Healthcare Triangle shares closed up 115%, with no apparent news triggering this dramatic move. The total value of shares traded yesterday amounted to approximately $150 million, nearly seven times the company's market capitalization.
The final results on Wall Street saw the S&P 500 close with a gain of 0,07% at 6.363,35 points. The Nasdaq gained 0,18% to 21.057,96 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0,70% to 44.693,91 points. This morning, US stock market futures are forecasting a slightly positive start.
Asia declines. Japan and Hong Kong lead the week's gains.
Most asian bags recorded a decline in the final session of a week of broad gains, justified by growing optimism about US trade tariffs and the evolution of artificial intelligence. Japan and Hong Kong lead the week's gains. Japanese stocks were by far the best performers this week, rising near record highs following the announcement of a trade deal between Tokyo and Washington. However, mixed inflation data dampened optimism in today's session. Nikkei 225 is down 0,7% today, but has risen by over 4% this week. The data onTokyo inflation For July, prices fell slightly more than expected. However, core inflation, excluding the most volatile components, remained above the Bank of Japan's annual target of 2%, and uncertainty about a rate hike next week remains high.
The Hang Seng index of Hong Kong It fell 0,7%, but rose 3,3% this week. The stock market was supported mainly by the rally in technology stocks, as investors welcomed Nvidia's overtures to export AI chips to China.
The CSI 300 index of Shanghai Shenzhen It lost 0,5%, but this week it rose by almost 2 points. This is the fourth consecutive positive session. Attention is focused on the Chinese Politburo meeting, a gathering of key political leaders, which is expected to be held at the end of July.
Il South Korean Kospi The ASX 0,3 rose 0,3% following some positive quarterly results. However, this week the index only rose 2021% because its rally began well before other stock markets, bringing its value to its highest level since 200. The ASX XNUMX Australian fell 0,5% and is down nearly 1% this week, amid significant profit-taking from recent record highs. The ASX was also hit by mixed signals from the Reserve Bank of Australia on the date of its next interest rate cut. The Straits Times Index Singapore It fell 0,4% after hitting a series of all-time highs. The index also rose 1,4% this week, its fifth consecutive week of gains.
European stock markets opened flat. In Milan, keep an eye on Eni and Leonardo.
European stock market futures are moving little: the EuroStoxx 50 index is at -0,2%.
Volkswagen reported operating profit of €3,8 billion, down 29% year-over-year. The decline was driven by tariffs and restructuring costs. The company also lowered its guidance. It now expects operating profitability to be between 4% and 5% of sales, compared to the previously expected 5,5% to 6,5%. Annual sales are expected to be in line with last year, compared to the previous estimate of 5% growth.
Eni – The Board of Directors approved the first tranche of the 2025 dividend, equal to €0,26 per share, out of a total annual dividend of €1,05. In the second quarter, adjusted operating profit fell 35% to €2,681 billion. Adjusted net profit for shareholders fell 25%. Eni raised its 2025 guidance. For the full year, it expects adjusted operating cash flow to increase to approximately €11,5 billion, up €0,5 billion from initial estimates.
Italgas – Mediobanca raised its target price to €7,60 from €7,20.
Leonardo Govsat has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo. The contract will provide a new geostationary orbit satellite for defense telecommunications.
Moncler – Berenberg lowered its target price from 58 to 55 euros.
stm – The stock fell 17% on Thursday following the release of its quarterly results. Berenberg raised its target price to 28 euros, from 25 euros previously.
Telecom Italy The European antitrust authority has launched an investigation to determine whether, during its review of KKR's purchase of Telecom Italia's access network, the US fund provided misleading information to the Commission.
Webuild – US subsidiary Lane has signed a €238 million contract to modernize one of North Florida's key road corridors.
UniCredit: approval has been granted for the buyback to be implemented in the 2024 financial year for a residual amount of over €3,574 billion. The transaction will be executed in two tranches over the course of 2025. The first, with a maximum amount of €1,8 billion, will begin today and is expected to be completed approximately by October.
BperAs part of the takeover bid for Popolare di Sondrio, BPER has surpassed the key threshold of 66,67% of the Valtellina bank's capital, based on the subscriptions received to date. The two-thirds threshold that will allow it to control the extraordinary meeting and the resulting merger has therefore been surpassed. Today is the final day for subscriptions.
Campari – Barclays lowered its target price to 6,40 euros, from 7,50 euros previously.
Juventus – An agreement has been reached with Porto for the permanent acquisition of the player Joao Mario Neto Lopes, for a fee of €11,4 million plus ancillary costs of €1,2 million. The club has signed a contract with the player until June 30, 2030.
