Daily Briefing — July 24, 2026 | Oil Pulls Back From $100, Intel Beats Big, and a Rare Dose of Good PMI News

Brent crude broke above $100 a barrel on Thursday for the first time since the US-Iran conflict began, before easing back this morning as markets caught their breath — alongside a new, smaller flashpoint as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. We cover Intel's after-hours earnings, where a 25% revenue jump and a huge EPS beat were met with a surprisingly muted stock reaction after an already-massive year-to-date run, plus what's behind the improving yields on its 18A manufacturing process. We also look back at Thursday's ECB decision, where Christine Lagarde held rates steady but left the door open to a September hike, and ahead to next Wednesday's Fed meeting and Thursday's Bank of England decision. A genuinely encouraging thread runs through today's flash PMI data out of Germany, the UK, the eurozone, and Japan, all pointing to stronger-than-expected growth. We close with notes on Oracle and SAP, a contrarian bullish call on gold from billionaire investor John Paulson, and where bitcoin stands after an eventful week. This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice.