US Redbook weekly same-store retail sales YoY for week ended June 27 10.5% vs 10.0% prior.

The Wall Street Journal reports officials say an internal power struggle in Iran is jeopardizing US‑Iran peace talks. Civilian leaders led by President PEZESHKIAN are pressing to unfreeze billions of dollars in assets to ease widespread hardship. Hardline forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), seek full control of the Strait of Hormuz and propose a transit-fee regime to fund armed forces and shape regional security. The IRGC has told mediators in Doha it would close the strait again if it does not receive assurances of exclusive control, and has demanded that the US and other states abandon plans to route vessels through waters south of the strait near Oman.

Standard Chartered's H2 2026 global markets outlook shifts to a risk-on stance for China, recommending overweight positions in technology and communication services on rising domestic chip self-sufficiency and continued AI commercialization. Healthcare is downgraded to neutral due to limited earnings visibility; consumer staples cut to underweight for similar reasons. Utilities are raised to neutral on improving power demand and policy support. Globally, the bank says investors in H2 2026 will face volatility from energy prices, equity issuance, investor positioning and central bank policy, and expects risk assets to remain supported under a macro soft landing.