US EQUITY OPEN: Indices open in the red as Trump flaunts no Iranian progress in light trade

OPEN: US indices opened in the red, with sectors mixed, as the equal weighted S&P is currently flat. Newsflow has been light once again in thin summer trading conditions and a lack of tier 1 US data, but the most notable update came recently from US President Trump. He said there are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with Iran and the Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. Following this, immediate risk-off was seen but the moves swiftly pared. Back to sectors, Health outperforms, while the mega-cap sectors of Tech and Communications sit at the bottom of the pile. US yields are rising once again, which is the catalyst for the broader hit to US indices while USD FX performance is mixed against G10 peers. The Aussie ekes out slight gains, while NZD and CHF notice marginal losses. WTI and Brent are firmer by c. USD 0.50/bbl, and precious metals are modestly lower. The calendar ahead is quiet, as private inventory metrics after-hours and pending home sales at the top of the hour are the highlights.

• Fabrinet (FN): Strong Q metrics & guidance were overshadowed by investor concerns around margins, heavy capital spending & pace of future growth, following a strong run in shares
• Home Depot (HD): EPS, rev. & SSS beat
• Einride (ENRD) to deploy 500 TSLA Semi trucks on its SAGA AI platform to serve customers across the US, incl. AMZN
• Bath & Body Works (BBWI) was upgraded at Citi
• Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) was downgraded at Raymond James to Market Perform from Outperform.
• Klarna (KLAR): GMV light w/ dismal next Q & FY outlook

Open commentary of this kind, where a geopolitical headline lands in thin summer liquidity, has a familiar pattern: a headline-driven knee-jerk that fades once it becomes clear nothing operational has changed. Trump statements on Iran have historically oscillated between escalation and conciliation with little predictive value for near-term policy, and the market's habit of paring the initial move reflects that track record. The more durable driver noted here is rising yields rather than the headline itself; sustained moves in indices on quiet sessions have tended to trace the rates move, with mega-cap sectors most sensitive to the long end and equal weight outperforming cap weight when leadership narrows. The mention of a naval blockade remaining in force keeps the crude bid underpinned, and WTI and Brent firmer on the day fits the usual channel of escalation risk pricing into prompt spreads and freight rather than outright supply loss. Follow-ons worth noting are any corroborating administration comment, the private inventory prints after the close, and whether the rates move extends in a data-poor calendar where positioning rather than newsflow tends to dominate. Absent tier one data, sessions of this kind have often meant reversion by the afternoon rather than trend extension.