Stock Market Update
Traders were active on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on July 21, 2026.
In overnight trading on Tuesday, stock futures were mostly unchanged as investors prepared for a busy day ahead, with earnings reports from significant technology and industrial firms due to be released.
Futures related to the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a minor fluctuation, only 16 points different. On the other hand, both S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures remained flat.
In Asia, the Kospi index led gains, climbing over 5%, while the Kosdaq rose by 2%. The Nikkei Stock Average in Japan gained 0.34%, but the TOPIX remained nearly steady. The Australian benchmark S&P/ASX 200 increased by 0.12%.
After a three-day losing streak, major U.S. stock averages rebounded on Tuesday, aided by stronger-than-expected earnings from well-known companies like 3M and General Motors. This news helped ease worries about the overall health of U.S. businesses. Chipmakers also played a significant role in boosting stock prices, with the VanEck Semiconductor ETF increasing by 4% as investors revisited artificial intelligence stocks.
As the earnings season progresses, investors are keen to see if the demand for AI infrastructure and software can sustain the high valuations within the tech sector.
Julia Herman, a market strategist at New York Life Investment Management, mentioned that while the second-quarter earnings reports are rolling in, many major firms still have yet to release their figures. Thus, there’s a sense of anticipation in the market for insights on how AI investments will impact future spending.
Looking ahead to Wednesday, several important earnings reports are expected from companies including ServiceNow, IBM, Tesla, Texas Instruments, Alphabet, and AT&T. Investors will be particularly focused on updates regarding AI investments, cloud demand, enterprise technology budgets, and the outlook for the latter half of the year.
In the meantime, oil prices have continued their recent upward trend, fueled by rising tensions in the Middle East that are creating supply disruption concerns. Brent crude rose by 2% to settle at $91.01 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate also increased by 2%, reaching $84.91.
