Updated

Updated · CNBC · Jul 14

Nasdaq 100 Futures Drop 1% as TSMC’s $60 Billion-$64 Billion Spending Plan Hits Chip Stocks

Updated

Updated · CNBC · Jul 14

Nasdaq 100 Futures Drop 1% as TSMC’s $60 Billion-$64 Billion Spending Plan Hits Chip Stocks

Q: With US-Iran talks stalled, what is the next trigger for oil prices in the Strait of Hormuz?

The next clear trigger is whether the fragile US waiver that allows Iranian oil exports and Strait transit is extended when it expires on August 21. If it lapses, traders would likely price in tighter supply and a higher security premium for Hormuz, pushing Brent higher. Before then, oil is most sensitive to any operational change in the Strait itself. The market is watching for direct Iranian enforcement actions against shipping, new attacks on tankers or energy infrastructure, or US naval moves that disrupt traffic or raise war-risk insurance. Because Hormuz carries roughly a quarter of global oil flows, even limited interference can move prices quickly. A second near-term trigger is the durability of the June memorandum that created a 60-day diplomatic window. With talks stalled, any sign that the interim arrangement is breaking down would likely lift prices, while even a modest de-escalation or clearer security guarantees for commercial vessels could cap the rally. Inventories are another pressure point. Emergency stock releases and alternative pipelines from Saudi Arabia and the UAE have softened the shock so far, but if flows stay reduced and global stocks keep falling, the market becomes more vulnerable to a sharper spike. So the market’s focus is narrow: August 21 sanctions relief, any fresh military or shipping incident in Hormuz, and whether the current truce holds long enough to keep oil moving.

3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 14

Nasdaq 100 futures fell 1% and S&P 500 futures lost 0.4% after Taiwan Semiconductor slid 4.6%, outweighing a better-than-expected second-quarter report.
TSMC raised its 2026 capital-spending forecast to $60 billion-$64 billion from $52 billion-$56 billion, and that heavier outlay rattled semiconductor investors.
Chip weakness spread quickly: the VanEck Semiconductor ETF dropped 2.2%, Arm fell 4%, STMicroelectronics lost 3%, ASMI slipped 2.92% and Infineon declined 2.8%.
Dow futures added 17 points as UnitedHealth jumped more than 6% on strong earnings, partially offsetting the tech-led drag.
The pullback followed a winning Wall Street session fueled by softer U.S. producer prices, lower Treasury yields and solid bank earnings that had supported growth stocks.