Bitcoin Rose To $66,000

The US stock indices ended Tuesday with confident gains, fully driven by a powerful rebound in the semiconductor sector. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones Index (US30) rose by 0.74%. The S&P 500 Index (US500) increased by 0.89%. The tech‑heavy Nasdaq (US100) closed Tuesday in the green at 1.93%. Against this backdrop, the “chip” segment became the leader of the rally: Micron shares surged by 12.2%, Sandisk by 14.3%, AMD by 8.1%, and Intel added 8.6% on news of upcoming staff reductions. Nvidia shares rose by 2% thanks to reports of deliveries of the latest chip models to clients. The market demonstrated this growth ahead of Alphabet’s quarterly report, from which investors expect key signals regarding investments in AI infrastructure, despite the fact that shares of the search giant fell by 1.4%.

Bitcoin rose to $66,000, reaching a five‑week high at the end of July. The driver of growth was the return of institutional optimism: US spot bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of $75.7 million last week. This is already the second consecutive week of inflows after nearly two months of continuous outflows, strengthening market hopes for the formation of a price bottom.

European indices closed Tuesday higher. By the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) rose by 0.66%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.28%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) gained 0.90%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed up 0.58%. The ongoing US strikes and the resulting rise in oil prices are forcing investors to price in two additional ECB rate hikes by December, including the almost fully priced‑in tightening in September. At the upcoming meeting this week, however, the regulator is expected to keep rates unchanged as it assesses the impact of the June hike.

Crude‑oil prices (WTI) continued their confident rise, increasing by 2.6% to around $84.7 per barrel and reaching their highest level since mid‑June. Prices have shown positive dynamics for the third consecutive session amid escalating US-Iran tensions, which have turned into a continuous series of strikes by Washington and harsh statements from US leadership following the deaths of American service members. Additional pressure on the energy market comes from new logistical incidents and threats to maritime transport. Reports of an attack on another oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz and the blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea announced by Yemen’s Houthis have already forced some tankers to change routes or turn back.

Palladium prices stabilized around $1,260 per ounce, correcting after recent gains amid escalating US-Iran tensions. The new wave of instability – reflected in statements by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps about strikes on US targets and the Houthi‑announced maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia – triggered a jump in Brent crude prices to monthly highs and intensified overall inflation concerns. At the same time, further declines in palladium are limited by the fundamental factor of supply shortages, as South African producers continue to face high operating costs and rising electricity tariffs. Since the beginning of the year, palladium has remained down 22.81%.

On Tuesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) gained 3.26%, China’s FTSE China A50 rose by 2.41%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) fell by 0.04%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) closed Tuesday up 0.02%.

The New Zealand dollar (NZD) consolidated at 0.582, holding near a six‑week high amid persistent expectations of tight monetary policy. The release of Q2 inflation data – which accelerated to 4.1%, exceeding both market expectations and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s target range of 1-3% – continues to serve as the main driver for the national currency. Swap markets are pricing in the inevitability of a 25‑basis‑point rate hike in September, and also projecting continued tightening in October, December, and February.

Hong Kong’s annual inflation rate in May 2026 increased to 2.0% compared to 1.7% a month earlier, reaching its highest level since April of the previous year. On a monthly basis, consumer prices in June 2026 remained unchanged, maintaining zero dynamics for the second consecutive month.

• S&P 500 (US500) 7,509.20 +65.92 (+0.89%)

• Dow Jones (US30) 52,224.64 +385.38 (+0.74%)

• DAX (DE40) 25,011.35 +164.66 (+0.66%)

• FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,585.91 +61.15 (+0.58%)

• USD Index 101.18 +0.23 (+0.23%)

News feed for: 2026.07.22

• Japan Trade Balance (m/m) at 02:50 (GMT+3) – JPY (MED)

• UK Inflation Rate (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3) – GBP (HIGH)

• US Crude Oil Reserves (w/w) at 17:30 (GMT+3) – WTI (HIGH)