{"id":65933,"date":"2026-08-04T08:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T12:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-us-iran-hormuz-deal-progress-tesla-china-growth-and-major-q2-earnings\/65933\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T08:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T12:08:17","slug":"global-markets-digest-us-iran-hormuz-deal-progress-tesla-china-growth-and-major-q2-earnings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-us-iran-hormuz-deal-progress-tesla-china-growth-and-major-q2-earnings\/65933\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Digest: US-Iran Hormuz Deal Progress, Tesla China Growth, and Major Q2 Earnings"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent<\/strong> signaled a potential breakthrough with <strong>Iran<\/strong> to reopen the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, a move that could significantly lower global energy prices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tesla (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSLA\">TSLA<\/a>)<\/strong> reported a robust <strong>37.8% year-over-year increase<\/strong> in China deliveries for July, totaling <strong>93,579 units<\/strong>, according to preliminary PCA data.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Caterpillar (<a href=\"\/stock\/CAT\">CAT<\/a>)<\/strong> delivered a massive earnings beat with <strong>Adjusted EPS of $8.17<\/strong> (vs. $6.17 estimate) and raised its full-year sales guidance to <strong>mid-to-high teens growth<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pfizer (<a href=\"\/stock\/PFE\">PFE<\/a>)<\/strong> and <strong>Merck &amp; Co (<a href=\"\/stock\/MRK\">MRK<\/a>)<\/strong> posted strong Q2 results, with Pfizer raising its full-year revenue guidance to a range of <strong>$60.5B to $62.5B<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>McDonald\u2019s (<a href=\"\/stock\/MCD\">MCD<\/a>)<\/strong> saw a slight miss in <strong>U.S. comparable sales (+0.8%)<\/strong> relative to expectations, reflecting a cooling consumer environment despite an earnings-per-share beat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Geopolitical Breakthrough and Energy Outlook<\/h2>\n<p>In a major development for global trade, <strong>US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent<\/strong> announced during a CNBC interview that a deal with <strong>Iran<\/strong> to reopen the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> could be reached as early as today or tomorrow. The proposed deal focuses on <strong>&quot;freedom of movement&quot;<\/strong> with no tolls, a move Bessent expects will cause energy prices to <strong>&quot;settle back down&quot;<\/strong> globally.<\/p>\n<p>Bessent also addressed recent currency market volatility, noting he has a <strong>&quot;good working relationship&quot;<\/strong> with his international counterparts. He specifically assured European officials that recent <strong>Yen interventions<\/strong> were merely a <strong>reallocation of reserves<\/strong> rather than a fundamental shift in policy.<\/p>\n<h2>Tech and Automotive: Tesla\u2019s China Surge<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Tesla (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSLA\">TSLA<\/a>)<\/strong> demonstrated continued momentum in the world&#39;s largest EV market, with July China deliveries reaching <strong>93,579 units<\/strong>. This represents a <strong>37.8% jump<\/strong> compared to the previous year, suggesting that the company&#39;s recent pricing strategies and incentives are effectively capturing demand despite fierce local competition.<\/p>\n<p>In the private sector, a <em>New York Times DealBook<\/em> report revealed new details regarding <strong>OpenAI\u2019s<\/strong> ownership structure. Founders and employees currently hold the largest stake in the AI powerhouse, with those holding vested shares possessing <strong>Class A common stock<\/strong> equal to <strong>48.93% of the company<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Industrial and Energy Earnings<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Caterpillar (<a href=\"\/stock\/CAT\">CAT<\/a>)<\/strong> shares are in focus after the industrial giant reported <strong>Q2 revenue of $20.54B<\/strong>, beating the <strong>$19.01B<\/strong> estimate. While the company raised its sales outlook, it cautioned that <strong>Adjusted Operating Profit Margins<\/strong> for the year would likely be near the bottom of its target range.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cummins (<a href=\"\/stock\/CMI\">CMI<\/a>)<\/strong> reported <strong>Net Sales of $9.5B<\/strong>, edging out estimates of <strong>$9.32B<\/strong>. The company was aggressive in its forward-looking statements, raising its <strong>Full-Year Revenue guidance<\/strong> to be up <strong>10% to 13%<\/strong>, while expecting <strong>EBITDA<\/strong> growth of up to <strong>18.5%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the energy sector, <strong>Marathon Petroleum (<a href=\"\/stock\/MPC\">MPC<\/a>)<\/strong> beat quarterly profit estimates, driven by a <strong>refining margin boom<\/strong>. Conversely, <strong>NRG Energy (<a href=\"\/stock\/NRG\">NRG<\/a>)<\/strong> reaffirmed its 2026 guidance despite a miss on <strong>Adjusted Basic EPS ($1.49 vs. $1.86)<\/strong> and revenue.<\/p>\n<h2>Healthcare and Consumer Staples<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Pfizer (<a href=\"\/stock\/PFE\">PFE<\/a>)<\/strong> reported <strong>$15.03B in revenue<\/strong>, surpassing the <strong>$14.41B<\/strong> analyst consensus, and raised the midpoint of its annual revenue guidance. <strong>Merck &amp; Co (<a href=\"\/stock\/MRK\">MRK<\/a>)<\/strong> also beat top and bottom-line estimates, fueled by <strong>Keytruda sales of $8.37B<\/strong>, though it significantly lowered its <strong>Full-Year Adjusted EPS guidance<\/strong> to <strong>$2.66 &#8211; $2.76<\/strong> (down from over $5.00).<\/p>\n<p><strong>McDonald\u2019s (<a href=\"\/stock\/MCD\">MCD<\/a>)<\/strong> reported <strong>Adjusted EPS of $3.38<\/strong>, beating the <strong>$3.32<\/strong> estimate. However, the stock faced pressure as <strong>Global Comparable Sales (+1.3%)<\/strong> and <strong>U.S. Comp Sales (+0.8%)<\/strong> both fell short of expectations, signaling that price-sensitive consumers may be pulling back on fast-food spending.<\/p>\n<p><strong>BioNTech (<a href=\"\/stock\/BNTX\">BNTX<\/a>)<\/strong> struggled in the second quarter, reporting revenue of <strong>\u20ac105.6M<\/strong>, significantly missing the <strong>\u20ac153.9M<\/strong> estimate. The company subsequently lowered its <strong>Full-Year Revenue guidance<\/strong> to a range of <strong>\u20ac1.60B to \u20ac1.90B<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled a potential breakthrough with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a 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