1. US Equities: Cooling Inflation Lifts Tech; Apple Hits a Record High

US equities advanced on 15 July 2026 as traders continued to digest data showing inflation cooling further. The S&P 500 gained 0.38% to close at 7,572.40, the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.62% to 26,269.23, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 150.37 points (0.29%) to 52,658.64. Megacap technology names led the advance: Amazon and Alphabet each rose roughly 3%, Microsoft gained close to 3%, and Apple climbed 4% to a new all-time high.

Source: Yahoo Finance / TheStreet, 15 July 2026

2. Semiconductors & AI Infrastructure: ASML Raises Guidance Again as Orders Stay Strong

ASML raised its 2026 sales guidance for the second time this year, citing "extremely strong" order momentum as customers accelerate AI-driven capacity expansion, even as its shares slipped on the announcement. The update follows a similarly strong signal from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, which reported a 68% year-on-year jump in June sales. Global semiconductor sales reached a record $120.6 billion in May 2026 — up 9.2% sequentially and 104.1% year-on-year — and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index remains up more than 47% year-to-date, even after the sharp mid-July correction that briefly wiped out over a trillion dollars in sector market value on concerns about AI capex sustainability.

Source: CNBC, 15 July 2026; Intellectia / Forbes, July 2026

3. Private Credit: Capital Keeps Flowing In; Deployment and Redemptions Diverge

The bifurcation in US private credit that emerged in Q2 persists. North America-focused closed-end direct-lending funds raised $16.25 billion in the quarter — the highest in two years — even as direct-lending volume fell roughly 55% quarter-on-quarter to $33.59 billion, the lowest level since Q2 2023. Crescent Capital Group closed its fourth US direct-lending fund at $10.8 billion, more than $2.5 billion above target and the largest fundraise in the firm's history, underscoring continued institutional demand even as lenders turn more selective about deployment. Redemption pressure continues to build on the other side of the ledger: private credit managers have acknowledged that roughly $14 billion remains trapped as redemption requests in some semi-liquid vehicles outpace payouts, a dynamic unlikely to abate quickly across the $1.8 trillion market.

Source: Bloomberg, 2 & 7 July 2026; Alternative Credit Investor, 10 July 2026; Reuters / PitchBook-LCD, 9 July 2026

4. APAC Markets: Kospi Rebounds Sharply; China's GDP Growth Misses

Asian equities mostly advanced on 15 July, tracking Wall Street's inflation-driven rally. South Korea's Kospi surged 7.1% to 7,343.37 — a sharp reversal after its worst single-day loss on record earlier in the week — as SK Hynix jumped 9.4% and Samsung Electronics rose 6.1%. Japan's Nikkei 225 added 0.9% to 68,353.91 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.6% to 24,721.10. China was the outlier: the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.4% to 3,952.04 after second-quarter GDP growth slowed to 4.3% year-on-year, down from 5.0% in Q1 and below the 4.5% consensus estimate — the weakest expansion since Q4 2022.

Source: CNBC / FX Leaders, 15 July 2026

5. Rates & Credit Conditions: Fed Holds, but Hawkish Commentary Builds Ahead of July Meeting

The federal funds rate remains at 3.50%–3.75%, unchanged since the June meeting. Ahead of the 28–29 July FOMC meeting, Fed Governor Christopher Waller's recent remarks have intensified speculation about a possible hike, with commentary suggesting the committee's focus has shifted from labor-market concerns toward inflation containment; CME FedWatch currently assigns roughly a one-in-four probability to a 25-basis-point increase in July. The Fed's Monetary Policy Report notes inflation projections revised upward to 3.6% for 2026, with several officials citing a case for raising rates further if upside inflation risks persist. A flattening yield curve points to market expectations of slower growth ahead — a backdrop credit investors are watching closely for signs of spread widening.

Source: Federal Reserve, 10 & 17 June 2026; Intellectia, July 2026

This news roundup is produced by 1Oak Research for general informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in it constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security or financial instrument. All investments carry risk, including the possible total loss of capital. 1Oak Research is not a licensed or regulated financial entity.