The Wednesday Weekly
Financial Market Insight July 15th, 2026
Weekly Market Insight
Welcome to our weekly market update. This newsletter is designed to provide you with current market data, investment insights, and educational information about market trends and strategies. The content herein represents our observations and analysis of market conditions and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute personalized investment advice or a recommendation for any specific security or strategy.
Major Market Indexes
Closing Price as of 07/14/2026
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Items of Interest
The Last 7 Days
Markets Became More Volatile as Middle East Tensions Escalated After beginning the week relatively stable, markets sold off sharply Monday as renewed U.S.-Iran tensions drove oil prices significantly higher and reignited inflation concerns.
Monday (July 13)
Dow Jones: -0.3%
S&P 500: -0.8%
Nasdaq: -1.6% (AP News)
The Nasdaq led declines as semiconductor and AI-related stocks came under pressure.
Technology Leadership Paused
Following months of exceptional gains:
Semiconductor stocks experienced profit taking.
AI-related companies were among the weakest performers.
Investors rotated into more defensive sectors.
Technology fell more than 2% Monday while the energy sector gained over 3%.(Barron’s)
Energy Was the Big Winner
Crude oil posted its largest one-day gain in years after geopolitical developments threatened oil shipments.
Brent crude jumped nearly 10% to above $83/barrel
WTI crude rose over 9%. (MarketWatch)
Energy companies outperformed the broader market.
Treasury Yields Moved Higher
The surge in oil prices caused investors to worry that inflation could remain elevated longer than expected.
Higher oil prices:
increase transportation costs
raise inflation expectations
reduce expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts
Higher Treasury yields weighed particularly on growth and technology stocks.(APNews)
Precious Metals Declined
Interestingly, gold failed to act as a traditional safe haven.
Gold fell below $4,000/oz
Silver also declined sharply
Markets focused more on rising interest rates and a stronger U.S. dollar than on geopolitical risk. (The Wall Street Journal)
Major Geopolitical Developments
U.S.–Iran Conflict Intensified Again
The biggest story of the week was a sharp escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran.
Developments included:
The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade around Iranian ports.
Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed.
Commercial shipping through the Strait dropped dramatically.
Markets immediately priced in higher risks for global oil supplies. (MarketWatch)
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments, making any disruption highly significant for global markets.
Oil Supply Became the Primary Market Concern
Investors are watching:
tanker traffic
potential supply disruptions
possible retaliation
further military escalation
Energy markets remain extremely sensitive to any new developments. (MarketWatch)
China Growth Concerns Continue
Chinese markets weakened as investors balanced:
slowing economic growth
upcoming GDP data
Middle East tensions
softer AI-related stocks
Chinese equities fell to three-month lows during the week. (The Economic Times)
Economic Data Investors Are Watching
This week brings several important catalysts:
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Producer Price Index (PPI)
Major bank earnings
Retail sales
Additional Federal Reserve commentary
These reports will help determine whether inflation pressures from higher energy prices begin showing up in economic data. (Barron’s)
What Markets Are Watching Next
Bullish Factors
Corporate earnings season is beginning.
The U.S. economy remains relatively resilient.
AI investment remains a long-term growth driver.
Consumer spending has held up despite higher rates. (Barron’s)
Risks
Escalation of the U.S.–Iran conflict.
Sustained oil prices above $80 per barrel.
Higher Treasury yields.
Persistent inflation delaying Federal Reserve easing.
Continued weakness in large-cap technology stocks. (MarketWatch)
Bottomline:
Markets became more cautious over the past week as geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns took center stage. While higher oil prices and Treasury yields contributed to weakness in technology stocks, energy shares benefited. Despite the recent volatility, U.S. equity markets remain positive for the year, reflecting continued confidence in the broader economic and corporate earnings outlook.
Speaking of CPI..
The June 2026 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report was a welcome surprise, coming in cooler than economists expected and providing some evidence that inflation pressures eased during the month.
The June Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicated that inflation cooled more than expected. Headline CPI declined 0.4% for the month, the largest monthly decline since April 2020, while the annual inflation rate slowed to 3.5%, down from 4.2% in May. Much of the improvement was driven by lower gasoline and energy prices during the month.
Core CPI, which excludes the more volatile food and energy categories and is often viewed as a better measure of underlying inflation trends, was unchanged during the month and slowed to 2.6% year-over-year. This suggests that broader inflation pressures may also be easing. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
While the report was encouraging, one month’s data does not establish a trend. Recent increases in oil prices associated with renewed geopolitical tensions could place upward pressure on inflation in the months ahead. As a result, investors will continue to monitor upcoming inflation reports, labor market data, and Federal Reserve commentary for additional insight into the path of monetary policy.
Current Strong Tower Model Allocation
Clients Only — Allocation as of 07/14/2026
Bottom Line:
62.00% of our model is currently in the top 4 Industry Groups.
93.00% of our model is currently in the top 8 Industry Groups.
About Us
At Strong Tower Wealth Management, we offer comprehensive wealth management services using a goal-focused and holistic approach that considers each client’s overall financial situation, including their family, circumstances, and objectives. Our services include investment management, insurance planning, and estate planning coordination, provided with an emphasis on clarity and transparency.
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Brett Lewis
Founder / Managing Director
Strong Tower Wealth Management
www.strongtowerwealthmanagement.com