GLOBAL BRIEFING: Trump announces agreement for disarmament of Hamas

31. Jul 2026

(AWP Alliance News) - Stocks in Europe are called to open higher after US President Donald Trump said a "historic" agreement was reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.

Here is what you need to know before the European market open on Friday:

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MARKETS

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CAC 40: called up 47.3 points, 0.6%, at 8,532.94

DAX 40: called up 123.9 points, 0.5%, at 25,735.93

FTSE 100: called up 47.0 points, 0.4%, at 10,944.27

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Hang Seng: down 0.1% at 25,830.58

Nikkei 225: up 3.8% at 64,193.11

S&P/ASX 200: up 0.3% at 8,991.70

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DJIA: closed up 613.92 points, 1.2% at 52,208.06

S&P 500: closed up 121.48 points, 1.7%, to 7,437.63

Nasdaq Composite: closed up 679.24 points, 2.8%, at 25,122.18

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US 10-year Treasury yield: 4.65% (4.67%)

US 30-year Treasury yield: 5.19% (5.21%)

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EUR: lower at USD1.1513 (USD1.1516)

GBP: higher at USD1.3450 (USD1.3439)

USD: higher at JPY160.69 (JPY159.44)

GOLD: lower at USD4,076.84 per ounce (USD4,099.23)

OIL (Brent): lower at USD87.96 a barrel (USD89.84)

(changes since previous London equities close)

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ECONOMIC CALENDAR

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08:30 EDT Canada GDP

11:00 EDT Canada budget balance

11:00 CEST eurozone CPI

08:45 CEST France CPI and PPI

08:00 CEST Germany export and import prices

09:55 CEST Germany unemployment

10:00 CEST Italy consumer confidence

11:00 CEST Italy CPI

14:00 SAST South Africa trade balance

10:00 CEST Spain current account

08:30 CEST Switzerland retail sales

08:30 EDT US employment cost index

09:45 EDT US Chicago PMI

10:00 EDT US Michigan consumer sentiment index

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TOP ECONOMIC NEWS

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US President Trump announced an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas, calling it a critical step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza. Senior Hamas officials told AFP that the agreement reached with Israel includes provisions addressing the group's weapons and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. Trump's announcement came after sources familiar with the ongoing talks with mediators in Cairo told AFP that the Palestinian Islamist movement was progressing towards a deal involving the decommissioning of its weapons. The thorny issue of Hamas's disarmament has been one of the key sticking points in the advancement of the ceasefire deal that has been in place between Israel and the group in Gaza since October.

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China's factory activity slumped in July, official data showed, as leaders in the world's second-largest economy struggle to reignite domestic demand. The manufacturing purchasing managers' index, a closely watched gauge of industrial health, fell into contraction territory at 49.2 points, data by the National Bureau of Statistics showed. That was well below the 50.1 points expansion forecast by Bloomberg based on a survey of economists, and also down from June's reading of 50.3 points.

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The Bank of Japan decided to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged. Following the latest July monetary policy meeting, the central bank's policy board left the uncollateralised overnight call rate at around 1.0% in an eight-to-one vote. The decision was widely expected based on the consensus forecast cited by FXStreet. Takata Hajime was the lone dissenter among policymakers, calling for the central bank to lifts its benchmark rate to around 1.25%. In its updated outlook for economic activity and prices, the BoJ said it expects Japan's economy to continue growing moderately in financial year ending March 31, albeit at a slower rate.

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Japan's unemployment rate was unchanged in June, official data showed. According to the Statistics Bureau of Japan, the jobless rate held steady at 2.5% in June, matching May's reading and the consensus forecast cited by FXStreet. Meanwhile, preliminary figures from the Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry showed industrial production rose 4.2% year-on-year in June, reversing a 2.1% decline the previous month. On a monthly basis, industrial production grew 1.3% in June from 0.1% in May, beating the 0.7% rise that was expected based on the FXStreet-cited consensus forecast. A separate data from METI showed that Japanese retail sales grew 0.5% annually in June, slowing from a downwardly revised 5.0% rise in May, and missing the consensus cited by FXStreet of a 3.1% gain. Month-on-month, retail sales fell 4.1% from a downwardly revised 1.7% growth in May.

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Australian producer price growth strengthened in the second quarter, coming in above market expectations, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported. In the second quarter of 2026, the final demand producer price index rose 1.3% quarter-on-quarter, accelerating from 0.4% in the first quarter. The reading came in ahead the 0.3% consensus forecast cited by FXStreet. Final demand PPI increased 3.6% in the twelve months to the end of the second quarter from 3.0% in the twelve months to the end of the first quarter.

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COMPANY CALENDAR

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AbbVie Inc - half year results

Advantest Corp - GM

Amadeus IT Group SA - half year results

Ameren Corp - half year results

AXA SA - half year results

Cameco Corp - half year results

Cboe Global Markets Inc - half year results

Cellnex Telecom SA - half year results

Central Japan Railway Co - Q1 results

Chevron Corp - half year results

Clariant AG - half year results

Colgate-Palmolive Co - half year results

Credit Agricole SA - half year results

Danaher Corp - dividend payment date

Dell Technologies Inc - dividend payment date

Dominion Resources Inc - half year results

Edison International - dividend payment date

Engie SA - half year results

Exxon Mobil Corp - half year results

Fuchs SE - half year results

Hensoldt AG - half year results

Holcim AG - half year results

IG Group Holdings PLC - half year results

IMI PLC - half year results

Imperial Oil Ltd - half year results

Intermediate Capital Group PLC - dividend payment date

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA - half year results

Intertek Group PLC - half year results

ITV PLC - half year results

JD Sports Fashion PLC - dividend payment date

Linde PLC - half year results

Melrose Industries PLC - half year results

Moderna Inc - half year results

Murata Manufacturing Co Ltd - Q1 results

NatWest Group PLC - half year results

OMV AG - half year results

Patria Private Equity Trust PLC - dividend payment date

Rightmove PLC - half year results

Siemens Healthineers AG - Q3 results

Umicore SA - half year results

Veralto Corp - dividend payment date

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TOP COMPANY NEWS

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Apple reported record June quarter revenue, with double-digit growth across iPhone, Mac and in every geographic segment, although growth in China and in Services fell short of forecast. The earnings are Chief Executive Tim Cook's last before he hands over the baton to John Ternus in September. Cupertino, California-based technology company Apple said net income rose 27% to USD29.79 billion in the quarter, the third of Apple's financial year, from USD23.43 billion the year prior. Revenue jumped 16% to USD109.42 billion from USD94.04 billion on-year beating USD108.86 billion FactSet consensus. Diluted earnings per share improved to a record USD2.02 from USD1.57 a year ago. By product iPhone sales reached USD54.25 billion, up 22% from USD44.58 billion, ahead of USD53.6 billion consensus.

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Amazon.com reported stronger than expected second quarter earnings and revenue as Wall Street hailed its "booming" Amazon Web Services business. The Bellevue, Washington-based e-commerce and cloud computing company said second quarter net income multiplied to USD62.65 billion from USD18.16 billion a year prior. Diluted earnings per share jumped to USD5.75 from USD1.68. Revenue totalled USD200.61 billion, up 20% from USD167.70 billion and better than the USD196.4 billion consensus.

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Sony raised its annual profit and sales outlook as is reported a strong start to its financial year. The Tokyo-based electronics company said attributable net income climbed 32% to JPY342.16 billion in the three months to June 30, approximately USD2.13 billion, from JPY259.03 billion a year ago. Basic earnings per share increased to JPY58.07 from JPY43.08, while diluted EPS rose to JPY57.82 from JPY42.84. Sales grew 8.2% to JPY2.838 trillion from JPY2.622 trillion. For financial year ending March 2027, Sony lifted its attributable net income guidance to JPY1.210 trillion from JPY1.160 trillion previously, and sales was raised to JPY12.500 trillion from JPY12.300 trillion. Sony expects annual dividend of JPY35 per share compared to last year's total dividend of JPY25.

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Enel said its international operations drove first-half growth, offsetting weaker margins in Italy, while it forecast 2026 earnings per share at the top end of guidance. Revenue edged up by 0.3% to EUR40.92 billion from EUR40.82 billion a year earlier. Growth in electricity distribution and generation in Spain and Latin America offset lower Italian revenue, reflecting reduced prices for residential and small-business customers and lower wholesale volumes. Enel's net profit rose 2.8% to EUR3.93 billion from EUR3.82 billion. Ordinary earnings per share increased 5.3% to EUR0.40 from EUR0.38.

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Bank of America announced plans to acquire MDSec Consulting, an information security specialist based in Macclesfield, England. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based lender did not disclose the financial details of the deal, which is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026. BofA said MDSec provides "deeply technical information security-related consultancy services" with a team of 65 cybersecurity professional

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Oracle said it has expanded its partnership with Alphabet's Google Cloud in order to bring Gemini artificial intelligence models to Oracle's portfolio of enterprise applications. The Austin, Texas-based software and cloud infrastructure company said the addition of the Gemini models from Mountain View, California-based technology conglomerate Alphabet will complement its existing developer offerings, which grant access to Gemini models available via OCI Enterprise AI through integration with Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. The expanded agreement includes the 3.1 Flash-Lite and 3.5 Flash Gemini models.

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HSBC announced it will sell the Australian home and personal loans portfolio of HSBC Bank Australia to Virgo BidCo, an entity owned by funds managed by affiliates of Blackstone. The portfolio carries a book value of about AUD36 billion as at March 31, 2026, approximately USD25.29 billion. Completion is expected in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory, competition and other approvals.

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Fortescue lifted its annual production in financial year 2026 while accelerating works to eliminate fossil fuels from its operations. The Perth, Australia-based iron ore-focused mining company said total ore mined rose 3.0% to 246.0 million wet metric tonnes in the financial year ended June 30 from 238.9 million wmt a year earlier. Total ore processed increased slightly to 201.3 million wmt from 201.1 million wmt. Total ore shipped edged up 1.5% to 201.3 million wmt from 198.4 million wmt, while Fortescue's share of shipments edged up 1.2% to 198.5 million wmt from 196.2 million wmt. Looking ahead to the current financial year, Fortescue expects annual total shipments between 197 million to 200 million tonnes and hematite C1 unit cost between USD20.50 and USD21.75 per wmt.

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DexCom reported improved quarterly results, supported by firm demand for its glucose monitoring systems and steadier operating performance. The San Diego, California-based glucose monitoring systems maker said net income climbed 39% to USD249.1 million in the three months to June 30 from USD179.8 million in the same period a year ago. Basic net income per share increased 41% to USD0.65 from USD0.46. Revenue rose 13% to USD1.31 billion from USD1.16 billion, with cost of sales growing 2.2% to USD478.4 million from USD468.3 million. DexCom raised the midpoint of its annual revenue guidance to USD5.18 billion to USD5.25 billion from USD5.16 billion to USD5.25 billion previously.

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Leonardo reported a sharp rise in first-half earnings and new orders, driven by defense demand and the acquisition of IDV, prompting the group to raise its full-year targets. Net profit adjusted rose 74% to EUR476 million for the first six months of 2026 from the same period a year earlier. New orders reached EUR16.30 billion in the first half, up 45% on a reported basis and 39% on an organic basis compared with the first half of 2025. Revenue rose 12% to EUR10.00 billion from the previous year. Following the results, Leonardo raised its 2026 guidance to include the contribution from IDV. The group now expects full-year orders of approximately EUR28.20 billion, up from the previous forecast of EUR26.20 billion, and Ebita of around EUR2.21 billion, compared with the prior target of EUR2.15 billion.

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IG Group reported increased revenue and earnings for its first half-year, and announced its agreement to acquire US sports prediction market operator Underdog Sports. The London-based online trading platform's total revenue for the first six months of 2026 increased 18% to GBP642.8 million from GBP545.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025. On an organic continuing basis, revenue increased 17% to GBP623.7 million from GBP534.8 million. Net trading revenue increased 21% to GBP588.8 million from GBP485.4 million. Organic continuing revenue rose 20% to GBP574.2 million. IG Group proposed a 14.46 pence interim dividend for the first half.

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Bitcoin holder Strategy said it swung to a net loss in the second quarter amid the cryptocurrency's price decline. The Tysons Corner Virginia-based firm reported revenue of USD122.4 million in the three months to June, up 6.9% from USD114.5 million a year ago. Net loss totalled USD8.22 billion, swung from income of USD10.02 billion a year ago. Bitcoin holdings increased 11% to 846,000 in the three-month period. The company currently holds 843,775 Bitcoin, up 25% in the six-months to June. Year-to-date BTC yield is 4.5%.

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Amplifon reported a rise in adjusted net profit for the first half of 2026, driven by accelerating organic growth and margin expansion, as the hearing care company confirmed its full-year guidance. Adjusted net profit rose 12% to EUR101.6 million from EUR90.5 million, while adjusted earnings per share advanced 9.9% to EUR0.442. However, reported net profit fell to EUR49.1 million from EUR68.1 million, heavily impacted by EUR19.0 million in non-recurring, non-cash charges from the recycling of accumulated foreign exchange differences to the income statement following the UK business divestment. For the six months ended June 30, consolidated revenue edged up 0.4% to EUR1.19 billion from EUR1.18 billion in the same period last year.

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Capricorn Metals posted record annual gold production in financial year 2026 despite reporting weaker results for the June quarter. The Western Australia-focused gold producer is headquartered in Perth and operates two projects in the region. Capricorn said production at the Karlawinda gold project declined 5.5% to 30,437 ounces in the three months ended June 30 from 32,216 ounces a year prior. However, the company also reported record annual production with a 5.6% increase to 123,589 ounces from 117,076 ounces, achieving the upper end of the guidance range of 115,000 to 125,000 ounces. All-in sustaining cost stood at AUD1,629 per ounce, which was 11% higher than AUD1,468 per ounce in the previous year. Looking ahead, Capricorn expects gold production to be between 137,000 to 147,000 ounces in financial year 2027, with AISC between AUD1,900 and AUD2,100.

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Catalyst Metals delivered "record" quarterly Plutonic gold output as it it met its annual production guidance. The Melbourne, Australia-based gold producer said Plutonic gold production rose 17% to 31,886 ounces in the three months to June 30 from 27,317 ounces a year ago. All-in sustaining cost was AUD2,666 per ounce. For financial year 2026, Catalyst produced 103,761 ounces, in line with its 100,000 to 110,000 ounces guidance, but declining 3.9% from 108,000 ounces in financial 2025. AISC was AUD2,738 per ounce, missing its AUD2,750 to AUD2,950 per ounce guidance.

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By Judy Amaca, Alliance News reporter Asia-Pacific

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