Market Briefing — July 30, 2026

Iran's surprise attack and the U.S.-China tech cold war are driving the session. Middle East strikes rattled Asian markets overnight, with Australia snapping a three-session winning streak and Indonesia extending its six-session losing skid — down more than 4% across that stretch. Separately, the FCC's restrictions on Chinese humanoid robot imports drew a sharp response from Beijing, which called the move a severe damage to relations and threatened countermeasures, adding another friction point to an already strained trade relationship.

The European earnings wave offered cleaner reads. Shell surged on higher realized prices and announced an additional $3 billion buyback. BAE Systems upgraded full-year guidance, a direct beneficiary of elevated defense spending. Schneider Electric's net income rose 30% in the first half, and BBVA posted an 11% profit gain with a new buyback program. BMW was the outlier — profit and deliveries both fell, with job-cut talks underway. JPMorgan flagged Eli Lilly, AbbVie, and Danaher as overlooked healthcare names worth watching.