Market Close: Mixed July for Markets, Amazon Soars, Oil Higher • 7/31/26

Market Trends and Stock Performance - Major stock averages showed a mixed month in July, with the Dow finishing in the green while other indexes closed in the red [1], and all major averages up 9% year-to-date [2] - Technology giants experienced significant stock movements, including Amazon's best week in 10 years, Microsoft's best week in 25 years [1], and Alphabet recovering all post-earnings losses [1] - On a specific Friday, the Dow rose 276 points (0.5%) [1], the S&P 500 gained 52 points (0.7%) [2], and the Nasdaq increased 251 points (1%) [2] - Gold recorded its first positive month in five during July [3], while US crude oil surged 21% over the month to surpass $85 a barrel due to escalating US-Iran tensions [8] Company Financials and Corporate Updates - Amazon shares soared 15% [2] following earnings and an increased spending outlook [4], driven by confidence in future profitability [6] and AWS reaching a $169 billion annualized run rate with its fastest growth in 18 quarters [6] - Amazon received $600 million in Trump tariff refunds, with plans to pass a portion to customers [7] - Apple shares fell 7% on Friday [3] and over 9% overall [4], as lower-than-expected current quarter growth guidance raised market concerns regarding supply constraints or lower margins [5] Macroeconomic Indicators - Consumer sentiment for July improved slightly to a reading of 55.2%, up from the mid-month headline number of 54.4% [8] - Inflation expectations remained elevated, with the University of Michigan's one-year inflation indicator showing Americans expecting inflation at 4.2% [8]