Monthly Market Wrap: July 2026
Welcome back to YCharts’ Monthly Market Wrap, your data-driven recap of market trends shaping portfolios and client conversations. In July, blue-chip stocks posted slight gains while the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined for the second straight month. Oil prices continued their volatile ways by ascending sharply as longer-term Treasury yields rose above 5%, causing bond funds to fall.
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Market Summary: July Sees Mixed Index and Sector Performance, Oil Prices Spike, Longer-Term Treasury Yields Trend Higher
Markets posted mixed results in July. International Developed Markets rose 2%, while Emerging Markets fell 3% in the opposite direction. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average logged a 0.4% increase, the S&P 500 was off a slight 0.1%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq was the largest laggard for the second straight month, slipping 3.2% in July.
Sector performance was split rather evenly for the second consecutive month, with six of the eleven sectors ending the month higher. Energy led with a 12.1% gain, followed by Financials up 6.2% and Health Care rising 2.5%. Technology was the largest laggard in July, slipping 8%.
Oil prices shot higher in July after plummeting in June. The price of Brent crude soared 30.3% in July to $91.82 per barrel, while WTI ended July up 19.4% to finish the month at $84.25. Mortgage rates logged incremental increases in July as inflation reversed course after three consecutive monthly increases.
Treasury yields moved higher at the longer end of the curve. The 10-year, 20-year, and 30-year spiked 31, 35, and 36 basis points, respectively. Bond funds slipped as a result, with the exception of the shorter-term State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) which rose 0.3% in July. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) sank 4.5% in July.
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Off the YCharts! Big Tech’s Volatile July 2026
July was a big month for Q2 earnings, and at the forefront of this earnings season were the quarterly reports from some of the largest public companies.
Below are the one-month performances of five of the largest companies in July, further illustrating how the slew of big tech earnings reports in the final week of July contributed to performance volatility:
- Tesla (TSLA): -26.0%
- Amazon (AMZN): +14%
- Apple (AAPL): +6.8% (rose as high as 17.5%)
- Meta Platforms (META): -1.2% (rose as high as 21.0%)
- Microsoft (MSFT): +24.6%
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Equity Performance: Major US Indices Post Mixed Results, Energy Sector Soars On Higher Oil Prices While Tech Sector Slumps
Major Indices
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| Index | 1 Month Total Returns | 3 Month Total Returns | 6 Month Total Returns | 1 Year Total Returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI EAFE | 1.97% | 5.30% | 6.44% | 24.92% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 0.38% | 6.13% | 8.22% | 20.91% |
| S&P 500 | -0.06% | 4.19% | 8.56% | 19.56% |
| Russell 1000 | -0.36% | 4.20% | 8.44% | 18.94% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets | -3.03% | 4.93% | 10.48% | 37.06% |
| Russell 2000 | -3.03% | 4.99% | 12.82% | 34.18% |
| Nasdaq Composite | -3.19% | 2.09% | 8.48% | 20.86% |
Value vs. Growth Performance
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| Ticker | Name | 1 Month Total Returns | 3 Month Total Returns | 6 Month Total Returns | 1 Year Total Returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWD | iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF | 3.87% | 9.24% | 15.33% | 30.97% |
| IWN | iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF | 0.02% | 6.88% | 14.84% | 40.27% |
| IWF | iShares Russell 1000 Growth | -4.71% | -0.71% | 1.75% | 7.86% |
| IWO | iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF | -5.91% | 3.12% | 10.37% | 28.37% |
US Sector Movement
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| Ticker | Sector | 1 Month Total Returns | 3 Month Total Returns | 6 Month Total Returns | 1 Year Total Returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XLE | Energy | 12.13% | 0.54% | 18.24% | 40.79% |
| XLF | Financial | 6.21% | 9.61% | 7.47% | 10.40% |
| XLV | Health Care | 2.45% | 11.83% | 5.94% | 26.79% |
| XLP | Consumer Staples | 2.38% | 1.58% | 3.13% | 9.58% |
| XLRE | Real Estate | 2.36% | 2.39% | 10.46% | 12.56% |
| XLC | Communication Services | 1.04% | -6.85% | -9.33% | 2.04% |
| XLB | Materials | -0.79% | -1.65% | 3.19% | 17.05% |
| XLY | Consumer Discretionary | -1.01% | -1.71% | -3.81% | 5.67% |
| XLU | Utilities | -2.18% | -4.73% | 3.91% | 6.40% |
| XLI | Industrials | -2.91% | 3.26% | 9.27% | 19.82% |
| XLK | Technology | -7.96% | 10.07% | 22.17% | 34.17% |
Hot Stocks: Top 10 S&P 500 Performers of July 2026
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| Symbol | Name | 1 Month Price Returns | YTD Price Returns | Industry | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTSH | Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. | 42.91% | -33.31% | IT Services | Information Technology |
| ACN | Accenture Plc | 33.33% | -38.16% | IT Services | Information Technology |
| PYPL | PayPal Holdings, Inc. | 32.49% | -2.00% | Financial Services | Financials |
| WDAY | Workday, Inc. | 30.98% | -25.35% | Software | Information Technology |
| WTW | Willis Towers Watson Plc | 28.52% | 2.23% | Insurance | Financials |
| CBOE | Cboe Global Markets, Inc. | 27.84% | 23.60% | Capital Markets | Financials |
| PSX | Phillips 66 | 25.22% | 64.04% | Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels | Energy |
| MSFT | Microsoft Corp. | 24.58% | -3.91% | Software | Information Technology |
| HPQ | HP, Inc. | 24.29% | 22.40% | Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals | Information Technology |
| DXCM | DexCom, Inc. | 23.91% | 25.73% | Health Care Equipment & Supplies | Health Care |
Laggards & Losers: 10 Worst S&P 500 Performers of July 2026
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| Symbol | Name | 1 Month Price Returns | YTD Price Returns | Industry | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNDK | Sandisk Corp. | -46.57% | 411.77% | Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals | Information Technology |
| GLW | Corning, Inc. | -45.88% | 57.89% | Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components | Information Technology |
| KLAC | KLA Corp. | -39.41% | 50.46% | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Information Technology |
| MRVL | Marvell Technology, Inc. | -37.04% | 120.71% | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Information Technology |
| INTC | Intel Corp. | -35.40% | 144.44% | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Information Technology |
| COHR | Coherent Corp. | -33.36% | 42.43% | Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components | Information Technology |
| GNRC | Generac Holdings, Inc. | -32.68% | 44.54% | Electrical Equipment | Industrials |
| LRCX | Lam Research Corp. | -32.38% | 71.18% | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Information Technology |
| FLEX | Flex Ltd. | -29.81% | 88.27% | Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components | Information Technology |
| AMAT | Applied Materials, Inc. | -29.78% | 97.54% | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Information Technology |
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Economic Data Overview: Oil Prices Rise Sharply As Traders Bet on September Fed Rate Hike
Employment
The unemployment rate ticked down 0.1 percentage point to 4.2% in June, the lowest level in one year, and the U.S. economy added 57,000 jobs according to the most recent nonfarm payrolls report, well below the Dow Jones consensus forecast of 115,000. The US Labor Force Participation Rate decreased another 0.3 percentage points to 61.50% in June, reaching a five-year low.
Consumers and Inflation
The US inflation rate declined 0.7% MoM to 3.5%, ending a streak of three straight monthly increases and coming off its highest level since May 2023. Core inflation decreased by 0.30% MoM to 2.60%. The CME FedWatch tool indicates a 64.5% chance that the FOMC will raise the Fed Funds Rate by 25 basis points to 3.75–4.00% during its next meeting on September 16th, with market pricing increasingly reflecting the possibility of additional hikes in the back half of 2026.
Production and Sales
The US ISM Manufacturing PMI rose 2.3 points in July to 55.60, the highest level in four years. The Services PMI moved in the opposite direction by 0.5 points in June to 54.00. The YoY US Producer Price Index remained at an elevated level of 5.5% in June, its highest reading since December 2022, while US Retail and Food Services Sales logged a fifth-straight positive reading of 0.22% MoM in June.
Housing
Existing Home Sales declined -2.4% MoM in June, while the Median Sales Price of Existing Homes reached a new all time high of $440,600, an increase of 2.2%, or $9,400, MoM.
Mortgage rates rose gradually in July, with the 15-year rising to 6.04% and the 30-year reaching 6.66%, both as of July 30th. US New Single-Family Home Sales increased MoM by 1.62% in June.
Commodities
Gold and Silver price movement was mixed in July after the prices of both precious metals plummeted in June. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 0.86% to end the month at $371.54 per share, while the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) gave up another 2.1% in July to settle at $52.36.
Oil prices continued to whipsaw in July as escalating Middle East conflict, blocked shipping lanes, and tighter global fuel supplies re-applied pressure on prices. Brent crude surged 30.3% in July after plummeting 22.9% in June to $91.82 per barrel as of July 27th. However, Brent remains 33.6% below the high of $138.21 set in early April. The price of WTI ended July 19.4% higher at $84.25 per barrel and 26.5% its recent high of $114.58 reached in early April. The higher oil prices added pressure at the pump, with the US Retail Gas Price rising by 26 cents to $4.23 per gallon in July.
Cryptocurrencies
Major cryptocurrencies rebounded in July following severe drawdowns in June. The price of Bitcoin rose 7.7% to $64,776.94 per coin, while Ethereum surged 19.2% to $1,918.76.
Fixed Income Performance: Insights into Bond ETFs and Treasury Yields
US Treasury Yield Curve
1 Month Treasury Rate: 3.78%
3 Month Treasury Rate: 3.83%
6 Month Treasury Rate: 3.98%
1 Year Treasury Rate: 4.08%
2 Year Treasury Rate: 4.28%
3 Year Treasury Rate: 4.34%
5 Year Treasury Rate: 4.45%
10 Year Treasury Rate: 4.75%
20 Year Treasury Rate: 5.28%
30 Year Treasury Rate: 5.27%
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Bond Fund Performance
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| Ticker | Name | 1 Month Total Returns | 3 Month Total Returns | 6 Month Total Returns | 1 Year Total Returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIL | State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 0.34% | 0.93% | 1.78% | 3.81% |
| BSV | Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF | -0.09% | 0.07% | 0.27% | 2.98% |
| HYG | iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | -0.15% | 0.37% | 0.92% | 4.84% |
| AGG | iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF | -1.30% | -0.75% | -0.81% | 2.72% |
| LQD | iShares iBoxx $ Inv Grade Corporate Bond ETF | -2.24% | -1.29% | -1.73% | 1.86% |
| TLT | iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | -4.47% | -2.84% | -3.46% | -1.05% |
Monitor the most important trends for clients as markets clip along in the second half of 2026. Download the visual aids directly from YCharts, and contact us for customized access to these charts.
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