Global Weekly Equities Report - July 17, 2026

Global Equities: The U.S. Market

U.S. Equities Retreat as Investors Navigate Inflation and Geopolitical Risks

U.S. equities ended the week lower as investors navigated volatile trading amid renewed geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over the inflation outlook. The Nasdaq declined 2.90% to close at 25,520.24, underperforming the S&P 500, which fell 1.55% to 7,457.69. The MSCI World Index declined 1.23% to 4,807.71, while the Dow Jones fell 0.93% to 52,146.42. Broader market sentiment remained cautious as investors weighed domestic inflation data against the escalating geopolitical environment and its potential impact on global growth.

Cooling Inflation Provides Relief as Geopolitical Risks Escalate

Investors welcomed the June Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on July 14, which came in below expectations and provided further evidence that domestic inflationary pressures were moderating. However, the positive inflation surprise was offset by renewed geopolitical tensions and the ongoing war, which heightened concerns over energy markets and the broader global economic

outlook. Markets remained volatile as investors assessed the potential economic impact of the conflict and continued to monitor developments across the technology sector.

Energy Outperforms as Technology Leads Sector Declines

Energy was the strongest-performing S&P 500 sector, gaining 4.97% as renewed geopolitical tensions supported the sector. Real Estate (+2.26%), Consumer Staples (+1.40%), and Financials (+0.97%) also outperformed the broader market. Technology (-3.78%) and Communication Services (-2.38%) led sector declines as investors reassessed elevated valuations, while Industrials (-1.36%) and Materials (-1.35%) also weakened. Despite the broader technology sell-off, demand for data infrastructure supporting agentic AI systems continued to provide support for select companies within the sector.