Today's stories that matter
Global markets held a steady tone as tariff jitters and slightly higher US Treasury yields contrasted with resilient equity gains, while China’s surge in credit growth and tight oil markets underscored diverging macro trends ahead of key US inflation data.
📊 US stocks brace for CPI test
Equities, which have climbed roughly 26% since April, now hinge on June’s Consumer Price Index release due Tuesday—a key guide for Federal Reserve rate-cut expectations. Markets anticipate a 0.3% month-over-month increase in core CPI, and a hotter reading could push Treasury yields higher and pressure stock valuations.
A hotter-than-expected CPI print may delay Fed rate cuts, rattling both bond and equity markets by increasing borrowing costs and reducing the appeal of risk assets.
🏠 Home sellers yank homes off market after price-cut fatigue
In May, US home delistings jumped 47% year-over-year in metros like Miami, Phoenix, and Houston, as frustrated sellers increasingly prefer pulling listings to further markdowns. Meanwhile, Realtor.com data show price reductions hit 21% of listings in June—the highest rate for that month since 2016.
Rising delistings signal deepening buyer’s-market conditions and may create potential entry points for long-term real-estate investors as supply outpaces demand and sellers hold out for better prices.
₿ Bitcoin hits fresh all-time high, crypto stocks jump
Bitcoin surged about 4% to $118,101.45, lifting crypto stocks like MicroStrategy, Riot Platforms, and Coinbase ahead of “Crypto Week” in Washington (July 14–18). The run reflects growing corporate treasury allocations and optimism around three pending pro-crypto bills—the Genius Act, Clarity Act, and Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act.
A fresh BTC high underscores increased institutional adoption but also reminds investors to brace for swings in this volatile diversifier as regulatory and legislative developments remain in flux.
🌏 China’s growth slips to 5.1% in Q2
A Reuters poll projects China’s GDP rose 5.1% year-over-year in Q2, down from 5.4% in Q1, as US tariffs, a housing downturn, and weak consumer demand weighed on activity. Beijing has cut policy rates, boosted infrastructure spending, and offered consumer subsidies, yet deeper issues like deflation and high household debt persist.
Slowing Chinese growth dampens global commodity demand and emerging-market asset performance, potentially prompting further stimulus that could influence global liquidity and risk-asset flows.
⚙️ IEA says oil market tighter than it looks
Despite a forecasted 2.1 mb/d supply rise versus 0.7 mb/d demand growth in 2025, the IEA warns that strong summer refinery runs, backwardated futures, and robust travel-fuel burn are keeping physical markets tight—and Brent near $70. OPEC+’s accelerated unwinding of cuts has done little to ease the squeeze.
Persistent market tightness signals that commodity-exposed portfolios may need active hedges—such as options or diversified energy exposures—to guard against further price shocks.