{"id":65716,"date":"2026-07-31T02:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T06:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-earnings-and-yen-intervention-drive-global-market-momentum\/65716\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T02:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T06:08:15","slug":"tech-earnings-and-yen-intervention-drive-global-market-momentum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-earnings-and-yen-intervention-drive-global-market-momentum\/65716\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech Earnings and Yen Intervention Drive Global Market Momentum"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>) shares surged nearly 10%<\/strong> in after-hours trading following a robust Q2 earnings beat, while <strong>Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) fell over 6%<\/strong> despite exceeding revenue estimates.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Suspected currency intervention by Japan and South Korea<\/strong> sent the yen soaring over 3% against the dollar, following comments from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the yen is &quot;very undervalued.&quot;<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Bank of Japan (<a href=\"\/stock\/8301\">8301<\/a>) maintained its short-term interest rate at 1.00%<\/strong> in an 8-1 vote, signaling a cautious but hawkish stance as it monitors inflation risks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>French energy giant Engie (<a href=\"\/stock\/ENGIY\">ENGIY<\/a>) raised its 2026 profit guidance<\/strong> after reporting H1 recurring net income of <strong>\u20ac3 billion<\/strong>, outperforming analyst estimates of <strong>\u20ac2.88 billion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>German semiconductor stocks<\/strong> are poised for a strong open, with <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/movers\/premarket\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Premarket Movers\">pre-market<\/a> gains of <strong>2.6% to 4.8%<\/strong> following a tech-led rally in US markets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tech Giants Diverge in After-Hours Trading<\/h2>\n<p>Global markets are reacting to a split performance from US technology titans. Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>) saw its stock price climb nearly <strong>10%<\/strong> after reporting a <strong>20% increase in net sales to $200.6 billion<\/strong> for the second quarter, driven by strong demand for its AI-integrated cloud services. Jefferies responded to the results by raising its price target for the e-commerce leader to <strong>$330 from $320<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) shares dropped more than <strong>6%<\/strong> in late trading. While the company reported record March quarter revenue of <strong>$111.2 billion<\/strong> and an all-time high for its services division, investor concerns regarding the &quot;memory crisis&quot; and future pricing for the iPhone 18 range appeared to weigh on the stock.<\/p>\n<h2>Currency Markets Shaken by Suspected Intervention<\/h2>\n<p>The Japanese yen stole the spotlight in Asia, surging as much as <strong>3.3%<\/strong> to reach the <strong>158 handle<\/strong> against the US dollar. Market sources indicate that Japanese authorities, potentially in coordination with South Korea, intervened in the foreign exchange market to support the currency after it hit four-decade lows.<\/p>\n<p>US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added fuel to the move, stating that the yen has &quot;substantially overshot equilibrium&quot; and that the US views excess volatility as &quot;unhealthy.&quot; This suspected intervention preceded the Bank of Japan&#39;s (<a href=\"\/stock\/8301\">8301<\/a>) decision to keep interest rates steady at <strong>1.00%<\/strong>, though board member Hajime Takata dissented, calling for a <strong>25-basis-point hike<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>European Energy and Tech Outlook Brightens<\/h2>\n<p>Engie (<a href=\"\/stock\/ENGIY\">ENGIY<\/a>) delivered a strong first-half performance, reporting an <strong>EBIT of \u20ac5.38 billion<\/strong>, which surpassed the estimated <strong>\u20ac5.3 billion<\/strong>. The utility company subsequently raised its full-year 2026 net recurring income forecast to a range of <strong>\u20ac4.9 billion to \u20ac5.5 billion<\/strong>, citing strong natural gas trading and increased transmission tariffs.<\/p>\n<p>In Germany, the semiconductor sector is benefiting from the positive momentum in US tech. Stocks like Infineon Technologies (<a href=\"\/stock\/IFX\">IFX<\/a>) are expected to open significantly higher, building on a year where the company has already seen its stock rise nearly <strong>75%<\/strong> due to its role in the AI infrastructure buildout.<\/p>\n<h2>Industrial Disruptions and Yield Shifts<\/h2>\n<p>On the industrial front, Toyota Boshoku (<a href=\"\/stock\/3582\">3582<\/a>) announced a temporary halt to operations at its Kyushu plant. The move follows a shutdown at Toyota Motor (<a href=\"\/stock\/TM\">TM<\/a>) Kyushu, as the region recovers from a powerful <strong>7.1-magnitude earthquake<\/strong> that struck Kumamoto Prefecture earlier this week, disrupting key automotive and semiconductor supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>Fixed income markets also saw movement, with the <strong>20-year Japanese Government Bond (JGB) yield rising 1.5 basis points to 3.685%<\/strong>. This shift reflects broader market expectations of a gradual tightening in Japanese monetary policy, even as the central bank remains on hold for the current session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Amazon (AMZN) shares surged nearly 10% in after-hours trading following a robust Q2 earnings beat, while Apple (AAPL) 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