The United States Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) announced on Monday that US troops will enforce a naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels on July 14, at 20:00 GMT (3:00 pm ET).

"All neutral vessels are hereby warned and have a period until enforcement begins to depart the blocked area. The blockade encompasses the entirety of the Iranian coastline to include but not limited to Iranian ports and oil terminals. The blockade applies to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag," it was said in a statement.

(Continue Reading – Baha)

US June CPI figures are due on Tuesday at 08:30 EST (12:30 GMT). The headline print is widely expected to have fallen 0.1% m/m from 0.5% in May, largely reflecting a sharp drop in energy prices after the US and Iran agreed a ceasefire on 17 June. This would be the softest monthly reading since June 2025 and would mark the first negative print for the series since May 2020.

Most banks expect CPI to have softened in June, though they differ on the main drivers. HSBC’s Global Economics Research team estimate headline inflation fall 0.2% m/m leaving the annual rate at 3.8%, The drop is expected to be led by a 9.6% decline in motor fuel prices, partly offset by higher food and household energy costs.

For core CPI, HSBC highlighted “risks in both directions”, with lower airfares potentially counterbalanced by firmer hotel prices amid increased travel linked to the FIFA World Cup, resulting in a modest 0.2% m/m increase. More generally, economists cited fading tariff effects, lower used-vehicle prices, and weaker energy prices following the mid-month US-Iran ceasefire. Analysts at TD Securities note softer goods prices and a stabilising housing market as downside risks, though higher oil prices could push airfares up.

(Continue Reading – LiveSquawk)

The Federal Reserve is still expected by futures traders and prediction markets to maintain the status quo at its July meeting, leaving interest rates unchanged once again. However, it’s going to be a close call.

The odds are rising Monday that the central bank makes a move to hike.

There’s now a 46.5% chance that the Fed hikes interest rates by a quarter point on July 29, according to CME’s FedWatch tool. That’s up from 34% on Sunday.

On prediction market platform Kalshi, traders now see a 36% chance of a hike, up from under 20% on Sunday and under 10% earlier this month.

(Continue Reading – CNBC)

As the big banks prepare to kick off the Q2 2026 reporting cycle this week, the S&P 500 is positioned to demonstrate massive fundamental strength. Corporate profits are projected to log a staggering 23.6% year-over-year EPS growth rate, according to FactSet, marking the index's second consecutive quarter of 20%+ profit expansion and its seventh consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Impressive earnings growth is anticipated to be supported by a robust 12.3% YoY increase in revenues. Leaders on both the top and bottom-line include Energy and Tech, while Health Care currently remains the only laggard with EPS expected to decline 9.0% from Q2 2025.

(Continue Reading – Wall Street Horizon)