Escalation in the Persian Gulf drives oil prices – Political poker game over crypto legislation in Washington – AeroVironment aims for $500 million laser weapons deal – Visa attacks blockchain competition with its own stablecoin platform – Rude awakening for Netflix despite double-digit growth – SpaceX aborts Starship test flight and falls below IPO price – Historic price jump at Abbott Laboratories – AI superstar Alphabet delays release of Gemini 3.5 Pro – Shock in the operating room at Intuitive Surgical

After the recent trading day on Thursday, July 16, 2026, the US exchanges presented themselves in a noticeable consolidation phase, weighed down by geopolitical tensions and a hard rotation out of the technology sector. The Dow Jones lost 0.20% and closed at 52,553.50 points, while the S&P 500 dipped 0.51% to 7,533.86 points. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite changed by -1.47% to 25,881.95 points. The market activity was overshadowed by escalating threats between the US and Iran, driving oil prices higher, as well as intense political...