U.S. corn futures and cash prices were fractionally lower at midday Thursday, with both nearby contracts and new-crop cash posting small declines. Forecasts call for 1 to 2 inches of rain over the next 7 days across key Midwest and Northern Plains areas, which could improve soil moisture. Weekly export sales for 2025/26 totaled 362,916 MT, within trade expectations, while 2026/27 bookings were reported at 1.062 MMT and above the trade range.

Intel released its second-quarter results on July 23, 2026, reporting revenue of $16.1 billion, up 25% year over year and its strongest quarterly growth in 15 years. The figure sharply exceeded the market expectation of $14.4 billion. Data Center and AI (DCAI) revenue rose 59% to $6.3 billion, while Client Computing revenue increased 13% to $8.9 billion. The results point to a marked improvement in the fundamentals of Intel’s core legacy asset, INTC stock.

JPMorgan Chase reported a record net profit of $21.2 billion for Q2 2026, with adjusted EPS of $6.14 beating analysts’ expectations. The results were driven by a 35% jump in markets revenue, a 30% increase in investment banking fees, and a one-time gain from its Visa stake. The shares rose 2.5% on July 14, the day after the earnings release.

Bloom Energy (BE) reported second-quarter revenue of $1.065 billion, up 165.5% year over year and well above the $815.6 million consensus. Adjusted EPS came in at $0.78, nearly double the $0.40 estimate. The company also raised its full-year outlook, with the midpoint implying 100% year-over-year growth. The results helped lift BE shares in early trading.

Wheat futures were mixed on Wednesday, with Chicago SRW down 0.75–2 cents while KC HRW rose 1–2 cents and Minneapolis spring wheat gained 2–3.25 cents. Trading in hard red months held firmer. Black Sea shipments remained constrained as Ukraine and Russia continued striking ports and some inland logistics infrastructure, limiting regional export movement.

Cocoa exports from Ivory Coast are up 21% year on year this season, and Nigeria’s June shipments rose 30% from a year earlier. Even so, early assessments for the 2026/27 crop year suggest output in key producing countries may average only 1.8 million tons, down 18% from 2025/26. The supply outlook is unfolding as Europe’s second-quarter cocoa grindings hit a six-year low, sharpening the market’s supply-demand tension. The combined signals are feeding directly into cocoa futures, acting as a supply-side catalyst for the commodity.

Verizon Communications raised its FY 2026 full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $4.99–$5.04 after the market close on July 24, and lifted its free cash flow growth forecast to 9%–10%. The company posted Q2 2026 revenue of $34.3 billion, below consensus, but reported 184,000 net additions in postpaid phones and adjusted EPS of $1.30, both ahead of expectations. The stock rose 5.8% on the day and is up 18.4% year to date, outperforming the S&P 500 Index.

Fortinet (FTNT) reported fiscal Q1 2026 results on May 6, posting adjusted EPS of $0.82 versus analysts’ expectations of $0.61. Revenue came in at $1.9 billion, ahead of the $1.7 billion estimate. The stock surged 20% in the next trading session. Fortinet’s market cap stands at $111.6 billion, and the shares are up 88.9% in 2026, outpacing the S&P 500’s 8.5% gain over the same period.

Core Scientific has signed an AI infrastructure hosting agreement with AMD, with initial capacity of about 530 megawatts that is expected to generate more than $14 billion in revenue for Core Scientific. Core Scientific will issue AMD 30 million warrants with an exercise price of $23.47, vesting in stages tied to the rollout of hosted capacity. The partnership strengthens AMD’s downstream compute deployment assurance for its AI chips and is positioned as a key commercial step in its AI strategy.