July 9 (Reuters) - A surge in energy profits linked to higher oil ​prices is set to drive ‌European blue-chip earnings growth in the second quarter, masking weaker underlying ​momentum across the broader market, ​forecasts showed on Thursday.STOXX 600 (.STOXX), ⁠companies are forecast to report ​earnings growth of 15.3%, according ​to LSEG IBES data, but growth falls to 6.0% when energy companies are ​excluded.Revenue growth shows a ​similar pattern, with second-quarter sales forecast to ‌rise ⁠10.5% overall but just 3.9% outside the energy sector.

LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was at a near standstill on Thursday, according to data and sources, as ​shipping risks escalated after the U.S. renewed airstrikes on Iran, triggering retaliation by Tehran in the Gulf.

July 9 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Thursday as markets assessed the impact of U.S. strikes ‌on Iran that could hinder progress on talks to end their war and allow the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel.

LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - The dollar backed off this week's highs on Thursday as the U.S. ​and Iran carried out renewed attacks, despite a spike in oil prices that rekindled concerns about inflation ‌and boosted expectations the Federal Reserve could soon raise interest rates.

July 9 (Reuters) - Gold edged higher on Thursday on ‌a slightly weaker dollar, though investors remained cautious, closely watching developments in the Middle East for their impact on inflation and monetary policy.Spot gold was up 0.7% at $4,105.40 per ounce ​by 1116 GMT, after dropping to its lowest since July 1 ​on Wednesday.U.S. gold futures for August delivery were up 0.8% at $4,114.80.

July 9 (Reuters) - HSBC cut its average gold price forecasts for 2026 and 2027 on Thursday, citing a hawkish shift in U.S. ​monetary policy expectations and a stronger dollar.

July 9 (Reuters) - Skyrocketing demand from artificial intelligence data centers is exacerbating shortages of critical grid equipment like transformers across the U.S., driving up costs, stretching out wait times and spurring utilities ​and developers to lock in orders far in advance.

NEW YORK, July 9 (Reuters) - Rising optimism over corporate earnings has driven the U.S. stock market to new heights in 2026. The question investors want answered in the coming weeks: can companies deliver on that profit promise?

July 9 (Reuters) - S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures edged higher on ​Thursday as gains in chip stocks helped offset renewed geopolitical jitters after fresh U.S. strikes on Iran, threatened to ‌prolong a four-month conflict and keep markets volatile.The U.S. military said on Wednesday it had launched new strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping. Iran responded with attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, deepening a confrontation that risks derailing already fragile ceasefire efforts.

July 9 (Reuters) - Futures tracking Canada's blue-chip stocks index were mostly flat on Thursday as investors avoided large bets against the backdrop ​of escalating tensions in the Middle East.September contracts tracking ‌the resources-heavy S&P/TSX Composite index were flat 0.06% at 6:57 a.m. ET.The index logged its biggest daily drop in over a month on Wednesday as tensions ​escalated between Iran and the U.S., sparking concerns about ​the economic fallout from the conflict.

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - The global economy has been broadly resilient to the shock from ​the war inthe Middle East, the heads ‌of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group and World Trade Organization said in ​a joint statement on Wednesday.

NEW YORK, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. diesel futures ​were set for their biggest daily gains in four years on Wednesday after Russia announced ‌a ban on exports of the industrial fuel, supercharging supply concerns in a market grappling with uncertainty about Middle Eastern oil flows.

July 8 (Reuters) - Bank of America (BAC.N), opens new tab has extended a $520 million credit line to OpenAI, its first loan to the AI company that is preparing for an initial ​public offering, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on ‌Wednesday.The loan makes BofA one of OpenAI's largest lenders and bolsters its credentials as a market leader in AI-related capital markets financing, the source said, requesting anonymity to ​discuss confidential information.

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - The International Monetary ​Fund hopes to engage with central banks in coming months on changes in their ‌use of forward guidance on monetary policy, a top official said on Wednesday, emphasizing the need for communications in uncertain times.

July 8 (Reuters) - Many Mid-Atlantic U.S. ​businesses aren’t done raising prices due to President Donald Trump’s slate of import tax increases, new ‌research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, released on Wednesday, said.

TORONTO, July 8 (Reuters) - The commodity-linked Canadian dollar strengthened against its U.S. ‌counterpart on Wednesday as oil prices jumped and investors raised bets on a Bank of Canada interest rate hike this year.

Ivanhoe Mines said on Wednesday copper production at its flagship Kamoa-Kakula complex in Democratic Republic of Congo is set to rise in the second half of 2026 as mining rates increase and inventories are drawn down, offering a boost to supply from one of the world’s largest copper operations.Vancouver-based Ivanhoe’s Congo unit is one of the mining industry’s key sources of copper supply growth, as analysts forecast a tighter global market in 2026.The company in April cut its 2026 and 2027 copper output forecasts following seismic disruptions at the Kakula mine.

July 8 (Reuters) - Gold prices fell on Wednesday as oil ​prices surged and inflation concerns intensified after U.S. President Donald Trump said an ‌interim agreement aimed at ending the conflict with Iran was "over."

India’s restrictions on silver imports have created shortages in the world’s biggest market for the precious metal, pushing premiums to their highest levels in six months despite weaker-than-usual demand.Lower imports by India, which meets more than 80% of its silver demand through overseas purchases, could weigh on global prices, while helping narrow the country’s trade deficit and ease pressure on its rupee currency.

BHP on Wednesday awarded a contract worth more than A$200 million ($138.80 million) to China Nerin Engineering to design and supply key processing facilities in South Australia.The contract is a part of BHP’s proposed smelter and refinery expansion project in South Australia, the company said.China Nerin Engineering, a metallurgical engineering design firm, will execute the contract in stages as BHP advances studies on the project ahead of a potential final investment decision (FID) in 2027.