NASDAQ

Tuesday: Markets Recoup Their Losses

Tuesday 21.07.2026 became a day of recovery for Asian stock markets. After several days of volatility and selling pressure driven by geopolitical risks, investors returned to buying. The main catalysts behind the rebound were lower oil prices and hopes for a diplomatic resolution in the Middle East.

Wall Street ended Monday with moderate losses, but U.S. stock futures pointed to a stronger opening on Tuesday. The technology-heavy NASDAQ, which is particularly sensitive to shifts in investor sentiment, led the advance.

Japan was one of the main beneficiaries of the positive momentum across Asian markets. The ^N225 ... rose by more than 2% after the market was closed on Monday for a public holiday. Investors actively purchased technology stocks, while overall market sentiment remained positive.

However, South Korea’s KOSPI delivered perhaps the most impressive performance. The index rebounded by almost 4% after falling approximately 5% during the previous session. This is a classic example of a “dead cat bounce,” as investors return to oversold stocks, particularly in the technology sector.

Technology Sector Leads the Recovery

Technology companies were the primary drivers of growth across Asian markets. BC94.L ... Electronics shares surged by 6%, while SK Hynix gained 4.5%. This represented a powerful recovery following several days of declines, during which concerns about inflated valuations and geopolitical risks weighed heavily on the sector.

For investors, the rebound may indicate that the fundamental positions of these companies remain strong. Samsung recently forecast a nineteenfold increase in operating profit for the second quarter, and the markets appear ready to believe these projections. Like Samsung, SK Hynix is a major supplier of memory chips used in artificial intelligence applications, and demand for these products remains high.

However, the recovery of Asia’s technology sector is taking place against a backdrop of continued uncertainty....

Monday — the day a small New York company decided to acquire another small company

On Monday, June 14, 2026, Forward Industries Inc., a company that once made medical equipment cases and watch straps, revealed something unexpected. It submitted an acquisition offer for SkyAI Inc. — a company that once did something else and later pivoted to artificial intelligence. The terms: a stock-for-stock exchange. 0.367 shares of Forward for each SkyAI share. A premium of about 20% over SkyAI’s market price at the time of the offer.

SkyAI did not respond. And it did not respond within the deadline — by market close on Friday, June 12. The deadline passed. The offer was left “hanging in the air.”

What kind of deal is this? Why does Forward Industries, with a market capitalization of around $20 million (if the numbers are accurate — and they may be even lower), want to acquire SkyAI, which is also not a giant? And why didn’t SkyAI respond?

The answer lies in the strange, almost surreal transformation of Forward Industries. In September 2025, the company, which previously made insulin pump cases, suddenly announced a “Solana-based treasury strategy.” They began accumulating SOL (the Solana token), staking it, and issuing a liquid token called fwdSOL. They declared themselves the “largest Solana treasury” — although this is likely an exaggeration.

And now they want to acquire SkyAI, which has repositioned itself around artificial intelligence. They are offering SkyAI shareholders a stake in their “larger platform.”

It sounds like the plot of a startup TV series. But it is real.

Let’s break down what is behind this offer, who Forward Industries and SkyAI are, and whether this deal has any future.

What is Forward Industries and why does it deal in cases and Solana?

Forward Industries Inc. was founded...

Hi, this is NorthRay.🆕

Remember when I told you I wanted to buy Apple but couldn't because the market was closed?

Then I opened a trade on the SPX (the S&P 500 index). It closed with a small profit.

And that got me hooked.

Because there's something almost magical about indices. You buy one thing—and instantly get exposure to hundreds of companies. You don't have to guess whether Apple will soar or Tesla will fall. You're simply betting on the entire U.S. economy.

Spoiler: I liked it.

Today I'll explain what indices are, how they work, and why I now watch them almost as often as EUR/USD.

What Is an Index? (The Simple Explanation)

An index is a basket of stocks.

Instead of buying 500 individual stocks, you buy one instrument—the index—and it moves according to the average performance of the companies inside it.

Here's a simple analogy:

Imagine you're a teacher. You don't need to know how every student performed on an exam. You only need to know the class average.

If the average score is high, the class did well. If it's low, the class struggled.

An index is basically the average score of a group of companies.

Some companies inside the index may be rising while others are falling. The index shows the overall result.📉

The Most Important Indices in the World

There aren't that many. I learned five of them, and that's enough to get started.

Why Indices Are More Convenient Than Individual Stocks

I've traded both individual stocks (Apple) and indices (S&P 500). Here's what I've learned.

1. Less Stress

A single company can drop 10–20% because of one bad news story: a management scandal, a failed product launch, or a lawsuit.

An index made up of 500 companies is less likely to suffer such...

Thursday evening on the U.S. stock market was marked by a wait-and-see mood. S&P 500 futures gained a symbolic 0.1%, while the Nasdaq and Dow Jones remained virtually unchanged. This stillness may seem dull on the surface, but it conceals enormous tension. The market has just closed at record highs for the second consecutive session. The S&P 500 reached 7,563 points, while the NASDAQ Composite surged to 26,917. Such milestones are usually celebrated, yet traders are in no hurry to pop champagne today. They are waiting. Waiting to see whether the ceasefire with Iran holds. Waiting for what Trump will say. Waiting for inflation to finally begin easing. And in that waiting lies the essence of the current market environment.

Ceasefire on the Horizon: The Market Wants to Believe

The main catalyst behind the rally that pushed indexes to record highs was reports that the United States and Iran had reached a preliminary agreement to extend the ceasefire for sixty days. Axios reported that the deal includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which would represent a major breakthrough after months of conflict. The market reacted immediately and enthusiastically. Oil prices moved lower, while equities moved higher.

The logic behind the move is straightforward. Reopening the strait means restoring oil supplies. Restored supplies mean lower energy prices. Lower energy prices mean reduced inflationary pressure. Reduced inflation means the Federal Reserve may not need to continue tightening policy—or could even begin considering easing. And easier monetary policy is a favorable environment for equities, especially technology stocks, whose future earnings are discounted at lower rates.

Yet the market is experienced enough to understand that a wide gap exists between a preliminary agreement and lasting peace. The proposed deal still requires President Trump’s approval. Trump is known for unexpected policy shifts. Meanwhile, Iranian media...