Finance

Bitcoin rallied past the $72,000 threshold to record multi-month highs, sparking an optimistic wave across the digital asset space and triggering massive short liquidations. The surge was fueled by executive support for the Clarity Act alongside recent government bond buyback initiatives aimed at tempering long-term interest rates.

Shares of Walmart plunged over 9%, severely dragging down major stock benchmarks despite beating Wall Street's second-quarter expectations. Investors reacted negatively to soft forward guidance and weaker-than-anticipated comparable store sales growth, with management noting that elevated fuel costs are weighing heavily on consumer behavior.

Global energy benchmarks continued to march higher, with West Texas Intermediate futures jumping nearly 3% to settle above $88 a barrel and Brent crude climbing past $93. The persistent upward momentum follows escalating tensions in Iran and stalled negotiations regarding the critical Strait of Hormuz shipping route.