SmartTrader™ Market Insights

🟢 Trump Cancels Planned Attack On Iran The U.S. president has canceled a planned military strike on Iran. This decision follows an agreement on the perimeters of a deal. Iran and its regional neighbors requested that the U.S. hold off on attacks.

🟢 Trump Halts Iran Attack Pending Deal US President Donald Trump will hold off new strikes on Iran. The decision follows requests from the Islamic Republic and other Middle Eastern nations after perimeters of a deal were agreed.

🟢 Saudi Crown Prince Concerned Over Iran Strike Plans Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told President Donald Trump that he is concerned about US plans for new strikes against Iran. The discussion took place during a phone call between the two leaders.

🟢 Venezuela Starts US Backed Talks For Democratic Elections Venezuela's government and opposition members have formally launched a political dialogue. These talks are backed by the United States. The process aims to establish the terms for future democratic elections.

🟢 US Job Growth Expected To Increase US employers likely stepped up hiring in July. This suggests a steady appetite for workers. The growth persists despite elevated inflation and geopolitical concerns.

🟢 Bitcoin Cold Wallet Attack Hits 4,500 Addresses An attacker has targeted approximately 4,500 Bitcoin addresses using weak keys generated by Coldcard. Total losses are now approaching $89 million. This third wave of sweeps focuses on smaller balances. The attacker is also altering methods for collecting funds onchain.

🟢 SEC To Review Nasdaq Bitcoin Options Approval The SEC will review the approval of bitcoin options on Nasdaq following a challenge from the CME. The CME argues that bitcoin is a commodity, placing related options under the jurisdiction of the CFTC rather than the SEC.

🟢 US Treasury Intervenes To Support Yen The US Treasury intervened to support the yen following a similar move by Japan. This marks the first joint yen buying intervention in over a decade as the currency languishes near 40 year lows.

🟢 Berkshire Hathaway Shares Reach Eight Month High Berkshire Hathaway shares rallied to an eight month high this week. Further gains may occur if the conglomerate catches up with the S&P 500.

🟢 Ukraine Maintains Battlefield Momentum Ukraine continues to gain ground despite intensified Russian missile attacks. Mounting military losses and economic strain are increasing pressure on Russian leadership. Ukraine is calling for the US and its allies to accelerate the delivery of Patriot interceptors.

🟢 EU Rewrites Merger Rules The European Union is updating its merger regulations for the first time in twenty years. The changes aim to create business champions capable of competing with the United States.

🟢 Fuel Prices Expected To Remain High ExxonMobil and Chevron warn that fuel prices will likely persist even if oil prices decline. Global refining capacity remains critically short due to conflicts in Russia and the Middle East.

🟢 Israel Election Puts Netanyahu Under Pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enters the election campaign in a vulnerable position as challenger Gadi Eisenkot gains support. The Gaza war and Iran shape the campaign as Israelis weigh security and the country's future. Netanyahu remains a formidable political opponent.

🟢 Wall Street Recovers From Volatility Wall Street returned to positive gains following a period of market volatility. Price movements were driven by a Federal Reserve decision and earnings reports from big tech companies.

🟢 Israel Considers Hamas Disarmament Proposal Israel is weighing a disarmament proposal backed by Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to present a Trump backed Gaza road map to his cabinet. Key discussions focus on sequencing, Israeli withdrawal and Palestinian governance. Officials are also monitoring the risk of renewed military action against Iran.

🟢 Jason Furman On Inflation Fight Harvard professor Jason Furman identifies tariffs, geopolitics, and Federal Reserve credibility as key factors shaping the fight against inflation. He suggests that the most difficult economic decisions may still lie ahead.

🟢 Hungary Faces Nuclear Power Shutdown Hungary is moving toward a full shutdown of its only nuclear power plant. Record low water levels in the Danube River have triggered the crisis. The outage strains national energy supplies. This situation serves as a major economic test for Prime Minister Peter Magyar.

🟢 Rising Fuel Costs Pressure US Consumers US consumers are facing a new wave of higher gasoline prices. Previous spikes during the Iran war were offset by federal tax refunds. These buffers are no longer available.

🟢 OPEC+ May Raise Oil Production Quotas OPEC+ may decide to lift oil production quotas for a sixth consecutive month. This move comes as conflicts involving Iran broaden. Challenges in exporting the additional barrels could prevent the move from lowering oil prices.

🟢 US Misses Coordination With Europe On China Strategy The US is pursuing a unilateral approach toward China. This decision bypasses an opportunity to establish a unified strategy with Europe.