Markets Await the Fed, Oil Falls, Tech Faces Pressure
By Tom LoBianco | Quincy News Correspondent
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Washington (Quincy News) — Market Recap: The pause in strikes between the U.S. and Iran bolstered investor optimism and helped send oil prices 7% to 9% lower, a move that could ease inflation concerns if the pause continues. Chipmaker shares, including Nvidia, SanDisk and SK Hynix, fell amid concerns that heavy AI investment may take longer to generate returns.
U.S. stocks finished mixed Monday as losses in semiconductor stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The Dow rose 0.5%, the S&P 500 was little changed, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.2%. Treasury yields dipped slightly on 10-year (-3 basis points) and 30-year (-1 basis point) bonds. Oil prices fell sharply after last week’s surge, with WTI crude dropping about 7.5% to around $83 a barrel and Brent crude falling nearly 9% to around $88, easing concerns about potential supply disruptions.
Today’s Focus: The Fed starts its two-day meeting today, weighing inflation at the top of its concerns. Forecasters widely expect policymakers to keep interest rates steady. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh is scheduled to hold his post-meeting press conference Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Earnings reports from Boeing and Coca-Cola before the bell drive the morning with Visa reporting after the close, but anticipation is greater for Wednesday’s reports from Microsoft and Meta with big implications for the state of AI.
ON THE SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2026
-Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. ET – Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index (July)
-Tuesday, earnings – Boeing, Coca-Cola and Visa
-Wednesday, 2:00 p.m. ET – Federal Reserve interest-rate decision; 2:30 p.m. ET- Warsh press conference
-Wednesday, earnings – Microsoft and Meta
-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. ET – Q2 GDP (advance estimate), PCE inflation, and weekly jobless claims
-Thursday, earnings – Apple and Amazon
-Friday, 10:00 a.m. ET – University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment (Final, July)
-Friday, earnings – Exxon Mobil and Chevron
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