Finance

Investors poured an aggregate net total of $11.83 billion into U.S. equity funds during the week ending July 29, ending a consecutive two-week period of negative flows. The significant influx was heavily driven by market participants buying into mega-cap technology funds during recent market pullbacks, betting that strong corporate earnings will sustain the broader market expansion.

Fresh macroeconomic reports indicated that core personal consumption expenditures data remains under control, providing relief that inflation pressures are gradually easing toward the central bank's target. This deceleration in price growth coincided with an advance estimate showing real gross domestic product expanded at an annualized rate of 1.5% in the second quarter, marking a slowdown from the prior quarter's performance.

Global energy markets saw benchmark crude prices experience minor intraday declines but remain firmly on track for an approximate 20% gain over the course of the month. Supply concerns remain elevated due to security threats near major international trade choke points, despite plans for a multinational maritime defense coalition to protect shipping lines.