Global markets showed mixed signals on August 2, 2026, as investors digested a flurry of earnings reports and macroeconomic data. While some companies delivered stellar results, others faced headwinds from supply chain issues and shifting investor sentiment.
Intel's Mixed Quarter
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) closed at $90.20, down 2.3% from July 24, despite reporting a 25% increase in quarterly sales. The company's server segment saw prices surge 48% on 9% unit growth, while client pricing rose 27% even as shipments declined 8%. Revenue reached $16.13 billion, beating expectations, with adjusted EPS of $0.42. Data-center and AI sales contributed $6.26 billion. However, external foundry revenue remains a small portion of total sales, and investors seemed focused on future growth prospects.
Coca-Cola's Strong Performance
Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) shares climbed 6.5% last week, outperforming the S&P 500 by 5.5 percentage points. Global case volume increased 5%, with price and mix up 2%. Second-quarter revenue advanced 7% to $13.4 billion, while EPS rose 11% to $0.97. Management raised its full-year outlook, now expecting 9%-10% comparable EPS growth and $12.4 billion in free cash flow, supported by World Cup campaigns and resilient demand.
MercadoLibre and Bloom Energy
MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI) rose 4.2% ahead of its August 5 earnings, even as EPS forecasts have dropped 22.4% over the past three months. Analysts anticipate Q2 revenue of $9.74 billion, a 43.5% increase, but EPS of $8.67, a 15.9% decline year-over-year. The stock remains 26.3% below its 52-week high, pressured by margin compression and slower fintech growth.
Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) surged 291% in 2025, reaching a valuation near $100 billion on $2 billion in revenue. Shares have since pulled back to roughly $205. A recent $25 billion partnership with Brookfield Asset Management aims to boost revenue to $4 billion and operating income to nearly $1 billion in 2026, supporting the current $60 billion market cap.
South Korea's Market Turmoil
South Korea's Kospi index tumbled 22% in July, its worst monthly decline since the global financial crisis. Despite an 18% rally on the last trading day, retail investors offloaded a record amount of stock amid extreme volatility. President Lee's reforms and the introduction of leveraged ETFs had drawn over 78 trillion won ($54.2 billion) into equities in May and June, but subsequent circuit breakers and price swings fueled discontent.
Crypto and Other Movers
XRP held at $1.08, with bulls facing resistance at $1.11. The cryptocurrency rose 1.8% after Ripple unlocked 1 billion XRP from escrow, though 700 million were quickly relocked. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) reported record quarterly revenue of $109.4 billion, up 16%, with EPS of $2.02, but warned of supply bottlenecks that could impact September quarter sales, leading to a $362 billion market value drop in premarket trading.
Emerging markets experienced a rough July, and analysts warn of further challenges ahead. The Nasdaq formed a doji candlestick on Friday, signaling potential volatility and caution for bulls.
