A faltering AI trade is weighing on Wall Street despite a flurry of upbeat earnings
Chip stocks are once again weighing on broad-market sentiment, with futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) pointedly lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is bucking the trend, however, thanks to a post-earnings surge from UnitedHealth Group (UNH). Tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain an overhang, the latter threatening to 'crush' regional infrastructure if attacks continue.
Elsewhere, June retail sales came in weaker than anticipated, rising 0.2% in June, compared to estimates of 0.3%. Weekly jobless claims showed a fall of 8,000 to read at 208,000, also missing Wall Street's expectations.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- 11 stocks to eye for 2030 and beyond.
- Buy the dip on this fiber optics stock.
- Plus, more on UNH earnings; airliner flying low; and upgrade boosts AVAV.
5 Things You Need to Know Today
- The Cboe Option Exchange saw roughly 3.3 million call contracts and 2.3 million put contracts traded on Wednesday. The single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.69, while the 21-day moving average remained at 0.58.
- Insurance leader UnitedHeath Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) is surging 6% before the bell, after the company posted a blowout second-quarter earnings and revenue beat. The Dow name also hiked its full-year outlook. UNH is set to add to its 27% year-to-date lead and test its early July annual peak.
- United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL) stock is off 3.5% in electronic trading after the company's weaker-than-anticipated third-quarter outlook overshadowed a Q2 beat. The airliner also expected fuel to cost up to $6 billion. UAL has been testing $120 this week, with the shares extending a pullback from its late-June highs.
- Defense name AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) is up 1.9% premarket after an upgrade to "outperform" from "market perform" at Raymond James. The brokerage firm cited a recovery in bookings and growth opportunities. AVAV is down 41% in 2026, seeing overhead pressure at the descending 80-day moving average.
- The week continues with more earnings and data.
Asian Markets Finish Mixed Amid Regulatory Update
Asian bourses closed mostly lower. In an effort to reduce the recent market volatility, South Korea’s financial regulator released regulatory measures on leveraged ETFs tied to major tech firms. The South Korean Kospi shed 6.4%, while China’s Shanghai lost 1.9%, and Japan’s Nikkei dropped 2.8%. Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng finished in the black with a 1.3% gain.
European markets are lower amid the continued U.S.-Iran conflict, while tech weakness also weighs. At last glance, London’s FTSE, is down 0.3%, while Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC both drop 1%.