Volatility on Wall Street amid tensions in the Middle East and a surge in oil

8:30 p.m

Trading on Wall Street is volatile, with the leading indices hovering around base levels in a mixed trend. The tensions in the Middle East and new threats from President Trump against Iran are driving a jump of over 4% in oil prices, while the increase in bond yields is oppressing the real estate sector.

The S&P 500 index is trading around the base levels, the Dow Jones index is down about 0.2%, while the Nasdaq index is shedding about 0.3%.

President Donald Trump increased the economic and verbal pressure on Tehran, and posted on the Truth Social network a demand for compensation from Iran for victims of sabotage and previous conflicts. The harsh statements reduced expectations for an imminent peace agreement and led to a spike in energy prices. A barrel of WTI oil jumps by about 4.25% to a level of about $81.50. A barrel of Brent oil rises by about 4.23% to a level of about $87.08.

Real estate shares have the weakest performance among the 11 sectors of the S&P 500 index. XLRE (Real Estate Select Sector SPDR) down 1.5% and posting its worst trading day in about a month. The pressure on the sector comes following an increase in government bond yields: the US 30-year bond yield rises by 4 basis points to a level of 5.246% – close to a 19-year high recorded at the end of July.

Medical media platform stock Doximiti Losing ground after Friday’s short-term surge (then jumped over 32% following reports and statements about AI search engine revenue). Wells Fargo bank analyst, Stan Bernstein, lowered his recommendation for the stock from “Equal Weight” to “Underweight” and set a target price of $18 (the direction that embodies the dissonance of about 34%). The bank states that the surge in the stock relies excessively on the narrative of artificial intelligence (AI) which is difficult to translate at this stage into actual profit forecasts, and that the chance/risk ratio is becoming unattractive. Despite the jump on Friday, the stock still shows a cumulative decline of about 41% in 2026.

19:45

Trading on Wall Street is in a mixed trend, with the S&P 500 index climbing 0.15%, while the Dow Jones index is down 0.2% and the Nasdaq index is shedding 0.4%. In Europe a mixed sign was recorded with slight declines, while in the commodity market gold continues to rally towards a two-month high.

In the US spotlight, analysts at Bank of America left the “buy” recommendation for the stock Nvidia and defined it as the leading choice in the sector. The bank states that the stock is trading at a cheap price in relation to the company’s rapid growth rate, and defines the concerns about memory issues and circular accounting as “excessive”. According to BofA, the company is expected to beat revenue forecasts and raise its outlook ahead of fourth-quarter reports on August 26. Among the factors that investors should follow, the bank notes the launch of the Vera Rubin chip and the durability of gross profit in the shadow of memory price inflation.

Trading in Europe closed in a mixed trend with no uniform direction. The Potsi index in London led the declines with a decrease of 0.5% and the Cac index in Paris closed almost unchanged. On the other hand, the German DAX rose by 0.1%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index weakened by 0.05%.

Gold prices continue the positive momentum en route to a first lock above $4,400 an ounce since June 4, with futures rising 0.48% to $4,420.90. The rise in the precious metal follows last week’s 7.1% surge, the best weekly performance since January, amid fears of inflation and reports of massive purchases by China. The growing demand for gold manages to offset the increase in the dollar index (DXY), which adds 0.16% to the level of 99.70 points.

18:45

Trading on Wall Street follows a mixed trend with the S&P 500 index climbing 0.15% and leading the market, supported mainly by a jump in the energy sector. On the other hand, the Dow Jones index falls by 0.1% and the Nasdaq index sheds 0.3%.

The energy sector recorded its best trading day in four weeks, amid the surge in oil prices and investors waiting for developments in negotiations for an agreement between the US and Iran. The energy sector SPDR ETF (XLE ) jumps by 3.32%, with all the 21 companies that make it up trading up, and it stands at the top of the returns among the 11 sectors of the S&P 500. At the same time, WTI oil futures rise by 3% to $81.12 per barrel.

Among the prominent shares, a company share Siva , which provides connectivity, sensing and artificial intelligence technologies for end devices, falls in the background of reporting its financial results for the second quarter. The company concluded the second quarter of 2026 with sharp growth and improvement in operational and financial indicators. The company’s revenues in the quarter climbed by 13% to $29.0 million, driven by a 21% jump in licensing revenues that reached a three-year high of $18.2 million, mainly thanks to strong demand for AI solutions and wireless connectivity. During the quarter, the company signed 10 new licensing agreements, including a strategic deal with a global computing and AI giant that chose Siva’s NeuPro-M processor for customized silicon chips. At the same time, revenue from royalties amounted to $10.8 million (a 17% increase compared to the previous quarter). The increase in revenue alongside operational discipline was reflected in a jump in non-GAAP operating profit to $3.1 million (operating margin of 11% compared to 3% in the corresponding quarter), while the net loss on a GAAP basis was reduced to $2.9 million. Following the strong results and operational leverage, Siva’s management raised the revenue growth forecast for the entire year 2026 to a range of 13%-15%.

The analysis of the options market shows that the positive trend in the S&P 500 still has room to spread. Todd Salmona, vice president of research at Schaeffer’s, notes that trader positioning in the options market, which is often used as a contrarian indicator, is more reminiscent of a market in a reset or decline than a market breaking out to new highs, indicating the potential to fuel a continuation of the rally. On the other hand, Prof. Jeremy Siegel from the Wharton School warns that the slowdown in labor productivity in the last three quarters is hurting workers’ wages and making it difficult to catch up with inflation, after the rate of growth in productivity fell below the average of the last 15 years.

Across the Atlantic, European stock markets are trading in a mixed trend with no uniform direction. The FTSE index in London is down 0.3%. On the other hand, the German DAX index rises by 0.1%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index and the CAC index in Paris are trading almost completely stable with a tendency for slight decreases of 0.04% and 0.02% respectively.

17:40

Trading on Wall Street follows a mixed trend: the S&P 500 index rises by 0.1% to a level of 7,768.86 points and is on the way to breaking the all-time record for the 26th time this year. The Nasdaq index adds 0.1%. On the other hand, the Dow Jones index falls by 0.1%.

Despite the positive trend in the S&P 500, the internal data presents a complex picture of weak “market breadth”: 286 of the 503 index companies are trading in declines, as are six of the 11 key sectors. Furthermore, on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, the number of falling stocks significantly exceeds the rising stocks.

At the trading center, a share Berkshire Hathaway A Increases following a report of a 16% jump in operating profit in the second quarter. Investors are also responding positively to the acceleration in the use of the conglomerate’s cash register under CEO Greg Abel, after the company repurchased its shares to the extent of $4.5 billion and became a net buyer of shares (purchases exceeding $20 billion in sales) for the first time in 15 quarters.

In the global markets, a mixed trend is registered: in Europe, the FTSE index in London falls by 0.5%, while in the background there are slight increases in the German DAX (+0.1%). The French CAC and the pan-European index are trading steady around base levels.

In the commodity sector, a jump was recorded in energy prices, WTI oil rose by 2.80% to a price of $80.37 per barrel, and Brent oil added 2.73% to a level of $85.83 per barrel.

17:10

Trading on Wall Street follows a mixed trend, with the Dow Jones index falling by 0.2%, on the other hand, the S&P 500 index rising by 0.1% and the Nasdaq index trading around base levels. At the center of attention is a share Spice X which registers an increase of 0.2% and is approaching its IPO price, following stronger than expected quarterly results and analysts’ estimates that the company is on its way to achieving a revenue target of 100 billion dollars by the end of the year.

In the foreign exchange market, the dollar index adds 0.2% to its value as it is supported by bond yields and the weakening of the Japanese yen.

Sharp increases are recorded in the energy market. WTI and Brent crude oil jump 2.4% each, as US crude crosses $80 a barrel, amid growing doubts on Wall Street about reaching an agreement between the US and Iran that would allow the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

16:50

Gamestop shares are jumping following a report that the company is considering abandoning the attempted purchase of eBay for $56 billion. The pretentious purchase offer caused a lot of bewilderment on Wall Street from the beginning, since the market value of Gamestop is only less than 9 billion dollars. eBay had already rejected the offer in May, saying it was “not credible”, and now reports of a backtracking on the unrealistic move are encouraging GameStop investors, while shares Ebay Reacts with declines.

4:30 p.m

The trading day on Wall Street opened with a mixed trend with a slight downward trend, with the leading indices trading almost unchanged around the base levels. The Dow Jones and Nasdaq are down about 0.1%, the S&P 500 is trading around base levels.

A mixed trend is recorded in the global markets. In Europe, London’s FTSE led the decliners with a 0.4% drop, while Germany’s DAX rose 0.1%. The CAC index in Paris traded almost completely stable. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index also maintains stability with a slight increase of 0.05%.

In the goods sector, there is a noticeable upward trend in oil prices. A barrel of WTI oil rose by 1.41% to a price of $79.28, while Brent oil added 1.53% to its value and traded at a level of $84.83 per barrel.

15:01

Intel Plans to raise 15 billion dollars through the issuance of shares, taking advantage of the reawakening of investor confidence in the company’s prospects against the background of the boom in artificial intelligence and data centers. The company stated that the fundraising funds will be used for general business needs, and will allow it to finance growth opportunities while maintaining a strong balance sheet and investment rating.

Intel’s share has almost tripled its value since the beginning of the year, to $101.65, amid the company’s efforts to restore its operations. Although Intel is not a leader in the field of dedicated AI chips, the growing demand for data centers is increasing its processor sales: the data center division’s revenue jumped 59% in the last quarter, more than twice the company’s overall revenue growth rate.

However, Intel still faces the challenge of attracting significant external customers for its chip manufacturing plants.

14:55

Israeliness:

Nikes Sums up a strong second quarter, despite this, apparently the market expected more and the stock is falling.

Revenues jumped 28% to $122.6 million, and organic growth since the beginning of the year amounted to 24%. The adjusted operating profit (Adjusted EBITDA) rose to 14.1 million dollars, but the company recorded a net loss of 10.1 million dollars, mainly due to one-time expenses of stock-based compensation. The adjusted net profit amounted to 6 million dollars. The company confirms its forecasts for 2026.

The chip equipment testing company Camtech continues to benefit from the excess demand for chips. In the report for the results of the second quarter of this year, it overtakes the forecasts of analysts on Wall Street. The company under the management of Rafi Amit reported record revenues of $133.2 million in the top line, while analysts expected revenues of $130.2 million.

Camtech expects continued significant growth of 30% in the second half of the year compared to the first.

14:06

14:00

Trade in Europe moved to a mixed trend. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange rises by about 0.2%, the London Stock Exchange weakens by about 0.3% and the Paris Stock Exchange trades unchanged.

Futures trading indicates that Wall Street is expected to open the day in a mixed trend. For now, the Dow Jones contracts are down about 0.1%, the S&P 500 contracts are advancing about 0.1% and the Nasdaq contracts are climbing about 0.3%.

The increases in oil prices are slightly stronger compared to those recorded at the beginning of the trading day and stand at over 1%. Brent crude is trading around $84.7, while US crude (WTI) is trading around $79.

11:30

Trading in Europe moved to slight declines. The DAX index is trading stable, while the POTSI and KAC both weaken by about 0.2%.

Chip stocks on Wall Street continue their positive momentum and climb in early trading. The basket fund SOXX , which tracks the broad chip sector, advances by over 1%.

10:15

European stock exchanges open the trading day with minor changes. The stock exchanges in Frankfurt, London and Paris all three weakened by about 0.1%.

Trading in futures contracts on Wall Street is currently in a mixed trend. Dow Jones contracts are down about 0.1%, S&P 500 contracts are up about 0.1% and Nasdaq contracts are up about 0.3%.

6:55

The trade week around the world opened in the shadow of geopolitical uncertainty, especially around the Strait of Hormuz, which according to reports is still not open to free movement. Last night, Iran again denied the existence of direct talks with the US, and President Trump, for his part, said in an interview with Axios that Washington is “lowering its profile” in regards to contacts with Iran.

“We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with the huge inflation and the fact that they have no money at all. it will work out. It always works out. It’s like a chess game,” Trump said.

Asia

Asian stock markets are trading higher this morning. The Tokyo Stock Exchange rises by about 2%, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange climbs by about 0.6%, the Shanghai Stock Exchange advances by about 0.2% and the Seoul Stock Exchange advances by about 0.7%.

In the field of memory shares, Samsung shares are trading unchanged this morning in South Korea, with SK Hynix rising by a slight rate of about 1%.

The commodity and currency markets

After falling by more than 7% in the past week, against the background of traders’ hopes for a deal that will lead to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices are registering slight increases of up to 1% this morning. Brent crude is trading around $84 per barrel, while US crude (WTI) is trading around $78 per barrel.

The price of gold is down about 0.3% this morning and is trading around $4,385 per ounce. It continues to trade at a record high for about two months, against the backdrop of the drop in interest rate expectations in the US and the weakening trend of the dollar worldwide. We will remind you that as a non-interest-bearing asset, gold tends to weaken in environments of high interest rates, when a weak dollar also makes the metal more attractive to foreign buyers.

Wall Street

Trading in the futures contracts on Wall Street is conducted this morning with only minor changes. The Dow Jones contracts are down about 0.1%, the S&P 500 contracts are trading steady and the Nasdaq contracts are advancing about 0.2%.

Wall Street will return to trading today after a green week, in which it received a boost from the developments in the geopolitical arena, when the positive trend was also strengthened by the weaker-than-expected employment report in the US, which dramatically lowered expectations for an imminent interest rate hike. The S&P 500 jumped by about 3.6% to a new all-time high, crossing the 7,700-point mark for the first time; The Nasdaq rose by about 5.2% and is within touching distance of its last peak; And so did the Dow Jones, which strengthened by about 3%.

Chip stocks last week left bear market territory (down 20% from the peak), but are still in correction territory (down 10% from the peak). The basket fund SOXX , which follows the broad chip sector, concluded the past week with an increase of about 7.6%, thus exiting the territory of a bear market (down 20% from the record). Nvidia , Intel , Marvel andArm Finished the week with gains of over 10%. The basket fund IGV , which follows the software sector, continued its positive momentum and rose by 8.6%.

Tel Aviv

The dual shares will return from Wall Street with a positive arbitrage spread of about 0.45%. Tower is expected to climb by about 5%, while its peers Camtech andNova are expected to weaken by up to 2%. nice is expected to increase by over 4%, andnature andElbit Systems will strengthen up to 1.5%.

As part of the report season, notable reports are expected to be published today by the dual chip company Camtech , the software company Nikes , and the drone camera manufacturer Next Vision .

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange concluded the past trading week with a mixed trend, among other things, against the background of reports of progress in talks between the US and Iran for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. In a weekly summary, the Tel Aviv 35 index rose by about 0.5%, the Tel Aviv 90 index lost about 2.2% of its value and the Tel Aviv 125 index weakened by about 0.2%.

The increases were led by the banks index, which climbed by about 2.4% last week. The technology index also stood out positively with an increase of about 1%, at the same time as the recovery recorded in the chips sector on Wall Street. On the other hand, the construction index led the negative trend and weakened by about 4.8%, and continues to have the weakest performance since the beginning of the year, with a decrease of about 12%. The Tel Aviv oil and gas index also stood out to the negative with a decrease of about 4.6%, with the drop in world oil prices in the background.

Two stocks stood out positively in the past week:

Al Al was the star of the past week and took off by about 20%, after reporting that its net profit in the second quarter doubled compared to the corresponding period last year.

stock Palo Alto , which last Thursday evening officially entered the leading indexes on the stock exchange, jumped by about 9% in the past week and continues to trade around its all-time high. Recall that the stock enters the stock market indices in a graded process. In the first stage, with a reduced weight of a quarter of her expected full weight (5%), or 1.25%. In November, its weight will increase to 2.5% and only in the third update will it reach its full weight, 5%. The move comes as part of the company’s dual registration, and is expected to increase the exposure of Israeli investors to the cyber giant’s stock.

Another thing you should know

stock Palantir Recorded its best week since 2024 with a weekly jump of approximately 40%, following strong financial results for the second quarter that included a 149% increase in commercial activity in the US and the closing of contracts amounting to over 2 billion dollars. The jump allayed investors’ concerns, and shifted the narrative around the company from “AI loser” to “AI winner”.

Following the reports, Deutsche Bank analyst Brad Zelnick upgraded his recommendation for the stock from “hold” to “buy”, noting Palantir’s unique ability to provide artificial intelligence applications with tangible value: “We were particularly impressed by Palantir’s capabilities in the field of sovereign AI, which we believe is gaining increasing traction as customers realize that creating value from AI is not a matter of simply consuming tokens, but Turning them into measurable and monitored results.” At the same time, analyst Louis DiPalma from William Blair noted that “the excellent performance fuels concerns about increased competition from Anthropic and OpenAI for AI workflows in organizations.”