How did US markets close on Thursday?

S&P 500 +0.81% to 7,543.64, Nasdaq +1.30% to 26,206.89, Dow +0.27% to 52,487.41 — broad risk-on after earlier Middle East tensions faded.

What's the top geopolitical risk heading into the weekend?

Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral final stage (LVL 7/10) — Tehran remains tense. Ukraine struck Russian ships near Crimea. Big drop in Hormuz shipping traffic after new strikes.

When does Delta report Q2 earnings?

Friday July 10, before market open (BMO). Estimate: $1.50 EPS. Airlines facing scrutiny on summer demand and international routes.

How did defense stocks close?

Mixed to lower: RTX +0.15%, GD +0.08%, BA -0.82%, LMT -1.84%, NOC -2.36%, PLTR -2.41%. Defense premium cooling as Hormuz tensions stabilize.

Evening Brief: Markets Close Strong, Khamenei Funeral, Delta Earnings Friday

Thursday, July 9, 2026 — Market Close

MARKETS CLOSE

US Indices:

S&P 500: 7,543.64 (+0.81%)
Nasdaq: 26,206.89 (+1.30%)
Dow: 52,487.41 (+0.27%)
Russell 2000: 2,992.54 (+1.22%)
VIX: 15.84 (-6.27%) — fear subsiding

Futures (after hours):

S&P: 7,587.75 (-0.01%)
Dow: 52,742 (-0.04%)
Nasdaq: 29,937.75 (flat)
Russell 2000: 3,005 (-0.11%)

Strong close, tech led. VIX down sharply = risk-on tone returning.

GEOPOLITICAL INTEL

ThinkCreate Global Threat Intercept — 2026-07-10 00:00 UTC

Priority Intelligence

[LVL 7/10] — Final Stage of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Funeral Begins After Delay Thu, 09 Jul 2026 21:59:16 +0000 — NYT, 3 sources
Coords: 38.907, -77.036
Tehran proceeding with final funeral rites — regional tensions remain elevated.

[LVL 5/10] — Big fall in oil, gas and cargo ships taking US-backed Hormuz route after new strikes Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:41:54 GMT — BBC, 1 source
Shipping traffic through alternative Hormuz corridor down sharply — insurance costs rising.

[LVL 5/10] — Ukraine strikes Russian ships near Crimea, escalating attacks on fuel supplies Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:21:17 GMT — BBC, 3 sources
Coords: 49.487, 31.272
Ukraine hitting logistics hard — fuel infrastructure targeted.

[LVL 5/10] — Palestinians mourn Gaza World Cup screenings organiser killed in Israeli strike Thu, 09 Jul 2026 21:04:09 GMT — BBC, 1 source
Coords: 31.046, 34.851
Civilian casualties continue in Gaza operations.

[LVL 5/10] — Former U.S. envoy reacts to Iran strikes and NATO summit Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:02:31 -0400 — NPR, 2 sources
Coords: 32.427, 53.688
Diplomatic efforts ongoing but no breakthrough yet.

DEFENSE SECTOR

Close prices (from ThinkCreate Global Markets panel):

RTX: $195.20 (+0.15%)
LMT: $518.26 (-1.84%)
NOC: $532.23 (-2.36%)
GD: $374.60 (+0.08%)
BA: $223.11 (-0.82%)
PLTR: $129.04 (-2.41%)

Commodities:

WTI Crude: $71.86 (-0.31%)
Brent: $76.10 (-0.26%)

Defense premium cooling — oil stable. Market digesting Middle East developments without panic.

LIVE DATA SNAPSHOT

Commercial flights: 5,357 | Military: 158 | Private: 1,762
Tracked/flagged aircraft: 1,154
Vessels (ships): 25,495
Active satellites: 542
GPS jamming events: 11
Earthquakes (24h): 32
Global incidents (GDELT): 1,094

Aviation and shipping returning to normal volumes. GPS jamming persists but localized.

COMMODITIES & CRYPTO

Commodities:

Gold: $4,133.50 (-0.18%)
Silver: $60.44 (-0.51%)
Copper: $6.25 (-0.27%)
Natural Gas: $3.01 (flat)

Crypto:

Bitcoin: $63,183.88 (+1.52%)
Ethereum: $1,743.96 (+0.12%)
Solana: $78.00 (+0.31%)

Crypto rallying on risk-on sentiment. Gold flat — safe-haven demand easing.

BONDS & CURRENCIES

US Treasuries:

10-Yr: 4.539% (-0.66%)
5-Yr: 4.269% (-0.91%)
2-Yr: flat
30-Yr: 5.05% (-0.24%)

Yields down = bond rally. Flight-to-quality bid fading.

Currencies:

EUR/USD: 1.1436 (+0.02%)
USD/JPY: 162.35 (flat)
USD/CAD: 1.4168 (+0.02%)
GBP: $0.7455 (-0.07%)

Dollar Index: 100.91 (+0.01%) — holding steady.

EARNINGS PREVIEW — FRIDAY, JULY 10

DAL (Delta Air Lines) — Q2 2026

Time: Before Market Open (BMO)
Estimate: $1.50 EPS
Market Cap: $58.47B

What to watch:

Summer leisure demand vs. international headwinds
Business travel recovery vs. corporate cost-cutting
Fuel hedge positioning with oil at $72
Boeing delivery delays impact on capacity plans

Analysts flagging “constructive setup” for airlines. DAL up +3.27% today to $17.06 on pre-earnings positioning. Strong quarter could lift sector; miss on international routes would pressure.

Other Friday earnings:

BMNR (Bitmine Immersion Tech) Q3, AMC
USAU (U.S. Gold Corp) Q4, AMC
Several micro/small caps AMC

GLOBAL MARKETS RECAP

Asia (overnight close):

Shanghai SSE: 4,036.59 (+1.65%)
Nikkei 225: 67,743.85 (+1.38%)
KOSPI: 7,291.91 (+0.62%)
Hang Seng: 24,030.18 (-0.70%)

Europe (close):

EURO STOXX 50: 6,284.27 (+1.28%)
DAX: 25,118.27 (+0.89%)
CAC 40: 8,326.62 (+0.90%)
FTSE 100: 10,472.45 (-0.16%)

Global risk-on — Asia and Europe both green.

SECTORS

Top performers:

Technology: +1.76%
Consumer Cyclical: +1.59%
Financials: +0.94%
Industrials: +0.93%

Laggards:

Utilities: -0.38%
Healthcare: -0.11%

Tech dominated. Value lagged. Growth trade back in play.

BOTTOM LINE

Markets shrugged off Middle East escalation — VIX -6%, S&P +0.81%, Nasdaq +1.30%. Khamenei funeral at final stage but no new strikes overnight. Oil flat, defense stocks mixed. Delta earnings Friday morning (est. $1.50) = key read on summer air travel demand. Risk-on tone holding into the weekend, but geopolitical tail risk still present. Watch Hormuz shipping data and Tehran developments.

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