Daily Briefing — July 2, 2026 | Oil Slips to Pre‑War Levels as AI‑Driven Rally Pauses

The July 2 Slotly News Daily Briefing examines a Thursday session defined by falling oil prices, cautious central banks, and an equity market catching its breath after a powerful AI‑driven rally. We start with crude, where Brent and WTI have slid back toward pre‑war levels as the U.S.–Iran ceasefire stabilises shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and traders remove much of the conflict premium. We connect that move directly to the inflation outlook and Federal Reserve policy, outlining Kevin Warsh’s latest message on rates and how Treasury yields and the dollar are responding.From there, we cover the European Central Bank’s dilemma, the Bank of England’s stance as U.K. inflation cools, and Japan’s careful exit from its ultra‑easy regime. On equities, we discuss sector rotation after a strong second quarter for U.S. indices, the durability of trillion‑dollar AI capex plans, and why utilities, banks, defence, and European AI adopters are back on investors’ radar. We also touch on Asia’s divergence, with Japan’s rally, Korea’s export‑led gains and pullbacks, and China’s subdued PMI‑driven recovery. The briefing closes by linking energy, AI investment, supply‑chain adjustments, and fiscal constraints into a single view of global growth and market risk as the second half of 2026 gets underway.