Here's a summary of what happened in the stock market today — **Monday, July 27, 2026**: --- ## 📊 Index Performance (Mixed Day) | Index | Change | Level | |-------|--------|-------| | **Dow Jones Industrial Average** | **+0.51%** (+~260 pts) | **52,210.08** | | **S&P 500** | **+0.02%** (+1.20 pts) | **7,413.18** | | **Nasdaq Composite** | **-0.18%** | **~24,932** | The Dow finished higher, the S&P 500 was essentially flat, and the Nasdaq slipped into the red as tech weakness offset broader gains. --- ## 🏆 Key Drivers **1. U.S.-Iran War Pause → Oil Prices Plunge** - The U.S. and Iran paused fighting, raising hopes for peace negotiations after two weeks of attacks. - **Oil prices crashed 7–9%**: WTI crude fell to ~$83/barrel, Brent crude dipped below $88. - The oil drop boosted sentiment for the broader market (transportation, industrials) and eased inflation fears. **2. Tech/Nvidia Rout Weighed on Nasdaq** - **Nvidia (NVDA) plunged ~5%** amid reports that a Chinese state-backed company began mass-producing a key piece of chipmaking equipment, raising competition fears. - **ASML dropped over 5%** on the same China chip equipment news. - Chip stocks broadly sold off, dragging down the Nasdaq. **3. Fed Decision Looming (Wednesday)** - The Federal Reserve is expected to hold rates steady, but a rate hike is not off the table — described as one of the "least-telegraphed" Fed decisions in years. - Market odds of a rate hike by mid-September were at 82%. **4. Big Tech Earnings Week** - A massive week ahead: **Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Amazon** all report earnings. Investors are laser-focused on AI capex and monetization after Alphabet and Tesla's earnings triggered a tech sell-off. --- ## 🏅 Notable Movers | Stock | Move | Reason | |-------|------|--------| | **RTX Corp** | **+2.6%** | Strong Q2 earnings | | **SAP** | **+7.4%** | Beat earnings expectations | | **Reddit** | **+6.7%** | Optimism ahead of earnings | | **Nvidia** | **-5.0%** | China chip competition fears | | **ASML** | **-5%+** | China chip equipment news | | **Gold** | **+0.45%** → $4,074/oz | Safe haven demand | | **10-Year Treasury Yield** | **4.65%** | Down slightly | --- **Bottom line:** It was a mixed session — the Dow got a boost from falling oil prices on the U.S.-Iran war pause, but tech stocks (led by Nvidia) sold off on Chinese competition fears. All eyes are now on the Fed's rate decision Wednesday and the Big Tech earnings flood later this week.