Market Overview

Investors saw U.S. equity markets slip on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 shedding 0.3% to close at 7,516.35 points, the Nasdaq Composite slipping 0.7% to 25,946.08 points, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.3% to 52,913.16 points. The Nasdaq‑100 fell 1.3%, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index dropped 4.3% and the broader S&P 500 technology sector lost 1%. Memory‑chip heavy names such as Intel, SanDisk, Western Digital and Marvell were among the biggest percentage losers on the Nasdaq.

Samsung Earnings Impact

Samsung Electronics reported preliminary Q2 results, projecting consolidated operating profit of about 89.4 trillion won (≈ $59.01 billion) on consolidated sales of roughly 171 trillion won. The profit figure would represent a 19‑fold increase from the same quarter a year earlier, marking a record for the company. Despite the headline‑grabbing growth, Samsung’s shares closed nearly 7% lower, pulling SK Hynix down more than 6% and dragging the KOSPI index down almost 5%.

Oil Price Surge and Geopolitical Tensions

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported attacks on three oil tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz over the previous 24 hours. Two vessels were struck by unknown projectiles and a third was hit by a drone; no casualties were reported. While Iran has not publicly claimed responsibility, Axios cited U.S. officials saying Iran’s military fired on the ships. Qatar identified one of the vessels as the Al‑Rekayyat and held Iran fully legally responsible, urging an immediate cessation of actions that threaten maritime navigation.

Against this backdrop, Brent crude futures for September delivery rose about 3% to $74.10 per barrel, keeping prices near pre‑war levels. The latest attacks revived concerns about regional security after an interim U.S.–Iran peace agreement in mid‑June had temporarily eased tensions.

NATO Summit Highlights

The NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum in Ankara announced a $40 billion commitment to develop counter‑drone capabilities over the next five years, new co‑production initiatives, and a procurement plan for up to five Triton aircraft from Northrop Grumman. U.S. President Donald Trump attended the summit, delivering a bilateral remarks session with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Trump criticized NATO for what he described as inadequate support during the U.S. campaign against Iran, noting that Italy, Germany and France had declined to assist. He also floated the possibility of selling Lockheed Martin’s F‑35 fighter jets to Turkey, despite a 2019 U.S. congressional ban linked to Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian S‑400 system, and hinted at lifting earlier sanctions on Turkey.

Nasdaq‑100 Addition and Other Movers

SpaceX officially joined the Nasdaq‑100, but its class A shares fell more than 5% on the first day of inclusion. The debut coincided with a wave of analyst rating initiations from Bank of America, Citi, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs. Rivian’s stock slumped over 15% after the company announced a share offering, despite posting strong preliminary quarterly results.

Additional Market Data

Other index movements included the Nasdaq‑100 down 1.28%, the S&P 500 down 0.26%, the Dow down 0.25%, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) down 5%, Samsung Electronics (ticker 000660) down 6.06%, and SK Hynix (ticker 005930) down 6.92%. Tesla‑related ticker RIVN fell 15.07%.