U.S. stocks ended lower, with the Dow down 0.8%, the S&P 500 off 0.3% and the Nasdaq down 0.8%. The 30-year Treasury yield climbed back to around 5.25%, weighing on equities. On the earnings front, revenue rose nearly 6% to $187.9 billion and adjusted earnings were $0.81 per share, both ahead of expectations. Labor-market data was steady, with continuing claims falling to about 1.83 million.

U.S. stocks rose, but investors stayed cautious amid elevated oil prices, persistent inflation pressures and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Oil later steadied and eased slightly, with WTI near $81 a barrel and Brent around $87. Nvidia said it is working with six major asset managers to mobilize more than $500 billion of outside capital for AI infrastructure, and its shares rebounded more than 1% premarket. Separately, a survey showed small-business owners were upbeat about hiring plans, while Intel raised $15 billion through a share sale tied to AI and chip factory investment.

India’s retail sugar price has climbed to a record ₹50 per kg, nearly 9% higher than a year ago. To ensure adequate supply for the festive season, sugar mills plan to begin crushing 10–15 days earlier than usual. Traders estimate closing stocks at around 3.5 million tonnes, but if October consumption reaches 2.4 million tonnes, end-October inventories could drop to 1.1 million tonnes, underscoring tight supply.

McDonald’s reported second-quarter results showing U.S. comparable sales up just 0.8%, below the 1.06% increase analysts expected and slower than the 2.5% gain a year earlier. Adjusted earnings came in at $3.38 per share, slightly ahead of forecasts. Investors focused on the softer performance in its core U.S. market, sending the stock lower.

Apple shares fell 7.4% over two trading sessions, erasing $426 billion in market value. The selloff came despite fiscal Q3 2026 revenue rising 16.4% year over year and iPhone sales climbing 21.7%. iPhone revenue for the nine months ended June 27, 2026, increased 22.4%, and product sales growth outpaced services for the first time since fiscal 2021. Investors remain focused on valuation concerns and doubts about how sustainable the company’s growth can be.

Visa said it plans to cut about 2,600 jobs, or roughly 7% of its global workforce, with most reductions in technology and product teams. The company said the move is aimed at improving operational efficiency as it navigates challenges in the payments industry. It also pointed to AI as a tool to streamline processes, while saying it is not the primary driver of the layoffs. The announcement comes ahead of Visa’s second-quarter earnings release, sharpening investor focus on growth momentum and profit durability.

The Indian government has instructed that sales of 2025–26 buffer stocks of tur (pigeon pea) and chana (chickpea) be paused as El Nino-related risks raise the prospect of supply shortages. Total government pulse inventories are about 4.5 million tonnes, including 1.1 million tonnes of tur and 2.3 million tonnes of chana. Kharif pulse sowing is running 7.5% below last year, with tur acreage down nearly 12%. The policy is supporting domestic spot and futures markets, underpinning prices for tur dal and chana.

Investors have grown uneasy after Alphabet ramped up AI spending, with the stock falling 9% over the past five trading sessions and slipping below its 200-day moving average. Evercore ISI and Barclays warned that enthusiasm for AI capital spending is starting to cool and that heavy concentration in the S&P 500 is adding risk. Microsoft, Meta and Amazon are expected to post sharp increases in AI-related capital spending for the second quarter, keeping scrutiny on big-tech earnings durability and broader index stability.

Monolithisch India Limited (NSE: MONOLITH) reported Q1 FY27 revenue of ₹47.18 crore, up 64% year on year, with EBITDA of ₹13.11 crore and net profit of ₹10.07 crore. The company said its premium SGB series generated nearly half of quarterly revenue. It also confirmed the greenfield plant will begin dry runs and technical trials in mid-September 2026, and guided Q2 revenue at ₹55–60 crore.