Markets Weigh Iran Tensions, Earnings Rush, and Sharp Short Moves

Macro: Iran Rhetoric Rattles Oil

Geopolitics grabbed the spotlight today. President Trump posted on Truth Social demanding compensation from Iran. Tehran simultaneously hardened its stance, saying new conditions must be met before reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Oil-linked assets moved on the news. The tit-for-tat escalation follows five months of military conflict. Markets are watching the strait situation closely. Any closure would hit global oil supply hard.

Earnings: AI Names in the Spotlight

A dense earnings week is underway. Cisco Systems reports after Wednesday's close. Investors want signals on enterprise AI spending. Super Micro Computer also reports Tuesday after the bell. SMCI has been volatile all year. Margins and order backlogs are the key questions. Lumentum Holdings and Cardinal Health hit the tape Tuesday morning. Coherent Corp and Applied Materials round out the week.

Short Interest: Bears Double Down

Short sellers are piling in. Wolfspeed short interest hit 81.1% of free float — up 3.9 points in a week. Availability is zero. Federated Hermes saw short interest surge 49.9% in one week to 7.8% of float. Availability dropped 65%. Bitdeer Technologies slid today after Q2 losses widened despite revenue growth.

Europe: Equities Bounce, Gold Miners Surge

European stocks rallied. Companies in the Stoxx 600 are on track for 22% profit growth in Q2. Strong earnings are lifting Iran war gloom. Alamos Gold jumped 18.7% on the week. Short interest in the miner surged 22.6% — bears are fading the rally.

Analyst Moves

monday.com flagged short-term disruption from a 20% workforce cut. AbbVie received a target raise to $260 from Evercore ISI. ConocoPhillips was upgraded with a new consensus target of $143.33.