Good morning Chicago. This is your 5:00 AM Flash for Saturday, July 25, 2026.

Equity markets are closed for the weekend. The S&P 500 last closed near 7,411.98. The VIX finished the week at 18.58 with little net change.

In 24-hour trading, gold is quoted at $4,071 per ounce. WTI crude is at $89.31 per barrel. Bitcoin stands at $63,929 and Ethereum is at $1,856.

A busy week ahead begins with the core PCE price index on Monday. The Federal Reserve under Chair Kevin Warsh delivers its interest-rate decision Wednesday, followed by the press conference. Nonfarm payrolls follow on Friday.

This is Miss Vicky from the Options Desk at VixShield.

4:00 AM Flash: Good morning from Chicago. It is 4:01 a.m. Central on Saturday, July 25, 2026. U.S. equity markets are closed for the weekend. The S&P 500 last closed near 7,411.98. The VIX finished the week at 18.58 with little net change. In 24/7 trading, gold is quoted at $4,071 per ounce, WTI crude oil at $89.31 per barrel, Bitcoin at $63,798, and Ethereum at $1,852. Investors face a busy week ahead, beginning with the high-impact Core PCE Price Index at 7:30 a.m. Central today. Thursday brings the ADP employment report, the FOMC interest-rate decision under Chair Kevin Warsh, and the FOMC press conference. Friday features the Employment Cost Index, followed by non-farm payrolls on August 1. This is Miss Vicky from the Options Desk at VixShield.

3:00 AM Flash: Markets Quiet Overnight, Eyes on Core PCE and FOMC

It's 3:01 AM Central on Saturday, July 25, 2026. The S&P 500 last closed near 7,411.98. The VIX stands at 18.58 with minimal movement. Gold is at $4,071/oz, WTI crude at $89.31 per barrel, Bitcoin at $63,968, and Ethereum at $1,855.

On the economic calendar, the high-impact Core PCE Price Index prints later today at 7:30 AM Central. Next week brings the ADP Non-Farm Employment Change, the FOMC Interest Rate Decision and press conference under Chair Kevin Warsh, the Employment Cost Index, and Non-Farm Payrolls.

This is Miss Vicky from the Options Desk at VixShield, where it's not news till we talk about it. Stay with us as Russell Clark joins with more analysis.

Good morning. This is your 2:00 AM Flash for Saturday, July 25, 2026. Gold is trading at $4,071/oz, WTI crude at $89.31 per barrel, Bitcoin at $63,949 and Ethereum at $1,857. The S&P 500 last closed near 7,411.98, while the VIX finished at 18.58 with little net change.

Top verified developments: President Trump has imposed a new wave of tariffs on dozens of countries, prompting rebukes from trade partners over forced-labor justifications. The measures lift the Scotch whisky levy while expanding broader duties. The UK's Trump trade deal no longer appears world-beating, and Trump has vowed to investigate the EU over fines on U.S. tech firms. A Trump tech adviser also accused China's Moonshot AI of stealing from Anthropic.

The Swiss National Bank cut rates by 50 basis points to 0.5%. ECB President Christine Lagarde left the door open to an early exit amid French political considerations. Germany's flash manufacturing PMI rose to a four-month high of 43.2.

Upcoming U.S. data includes the core PCE price index Monday at 9:30 a.m. CT, followed by the FOMC rate decision and Chair Kevin Warsh's press conference on Wednesday.

And finally, a quick human story: Kevin Warsh has homed in on three key phrases. How Fed watchers interpret them could matter in the weeks ahead.

This is Miss Vicky from the Options Desk at VixShield, where it's not news till we talk about it. Stay with us as Russell Clark joins with more analysis.

1:00 AM Central, July 25, 2026. Weekend market flash from Chicago. Equity markets are closed. The S&P 500 last closed at 7,411.98. The VIX stands at 18.58 with minimal overnight movement. Live 24/7 assets: Gold at $4,071/oz, WTI crude at $89.31 per barrel, Bitcoin at $63,959, and Ethereum at $1,857. Top stories: Google and Tesla shares plunged as AI spending rattles markets. Elon Musk said in a post on X that some of his recent Trump comments “went too far” and that he regrets them. China reported weaker consumer price growth in June while producer inflation rose to a near four-year high. Beijing widened export curbs on Japan, targeting drone makers, nuclear firms and defense institutes. Shipping is rebounding in the Strait of Hormuz one week after the U.S.-Iran deal, though confidence remains fragile. UK pubs welcomed business rates relief while other firms felt overlooked. Upcoming data: Core PCE Price Index at 9:30 a.m. CT today. The FOMC rate decision follows on July 30 with Chair Kevin Warsh. Finally, Fed watchers are parsing three key phrases Chair Warsh has repeatedly used. This is Miss Vicky from the Options Desk at VixShield, where it's not news till we talk about it. Stay with us as Russell Clark joins with more analysis.

Good evening. This is your 12:00 AM Flash for Saturday, July 25, 2026. With equity markets closed for the weekend, the S&P 500 last closed near 7,411.98. The VIX sits at 18.58 with little movement. Gold is trading at $4,071 per ounce, WTI crude at $89.31 per barrel, Bitcoin at $64,092, and Ethereum at $1,859. The Federal Reserve Board released its annual bank stress test, confirming large banks are well positioned to weather a severe recession and continue lending. Chair Kevin Warsh and the Fed also issued an FOMC statement, a final rule on data standards for certain collections, and multiple enforcement actions involving bank employees, plus the termination of one action with Jiko Group. Sixteen states are offering tax-free shopping days amid back-to-school costs exceeding $800 per student. Megacap earnings and the upcoming Fed meeting could test a market on edge next week. President Trump is considering a massive attack on Iran and has threatened the EU with substantial tariffs for "robbing" U.S. tech giants. Pakistan is reportedly seeking to restart stalled peace talks.

11:31 PM Central Market Flash – Friday, July 24, 2026

Markets closed for the weekend, but several assets trade 24/7. The S&P 500 cash session finished near 7,411.98. VIX at 18.58 with little change. Live prices: gold at $4,056/oz, WTI crude at $89.31 per barrel, Bitcoin at $64,046, and Ethereum at $1,858.

Oil prices hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May, driven by the worsening Iran situation. U.S. stocks fell as the tech selloff deepened. Ukraine’s drone war is choking Kazakhstan’s oil exports. Norfolk Southern reported higher earnings on volume gains. Corporate leaders shared hiring secrets in a tight labor market, while many employers roll out programs to help workers cover $400 emergencies they cannot afford.

The Federal Reserve Board under Chair Kevin Warsh issued an enforcement action against TS Banking Group and TS Contrarian Bancshares.

This is Miss Vicky from the Options Desk at VixShield, where it's not news till we talk about it. Stay with us as Russell Clark joins with more analysis.

10:34 PM Flash: Good evening, this is your ten thirty-four PM Central market flash for Friday, July twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-six. Markets are closed for the weekend, but several key assets remain active overnight. Gold is currently trading at four thousand fifty-six dollars per ounce. West Texas Intermediate crude sits at ninety dollars and forty-seven cents per barrel. Bitcoin is changing hands at sixty-four thousand thirty-nine dollars, while Ethereum trades at one thousand eight hundred fifty-eight dollars. The S&P 500 cash session finished near seven thousand four hundred eleven point ninety-eight. The VIX closed the day at eighteen point fifty-eight with little movement after hours. In fresh economic news, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said a rate cut is on the table as soon as September and noted the labor market is not currently a significant source of inflation pressure. However, U.S. job creation cooled sharply in June with payrolls growing by only fifty-seven thousand and the unemployment rate rising to four point two percent. Job seekers appear to be giving up, as the labor force participation rate fell to its lowest level in fifty years outside of the Covid era. On the inflation front, consumer prices rose three point five percent annually in June, below expectations thanks to easing energy costs, but the Fed’s preferred core gauge hit three point four percent, the highest reading since October twenty twenty-three. Wholesale prices unexpectedly declined zero point three percent last month on a big drop in gasoline. That’s the latest from the wire services. This is Miss Vicky from the Options Desk at VixShield, where it's not news till we talk about it. Stay with us as Russell Clark joins with more analysis.

9:12 PM Flash: Good evening, I'm Miss Vicky. Here's your nine twelve PM market flash. After four PM Central, we focus on the hard assets and global moves. Bitcoin is currently trading at seventy four thousand six hundred eighty three, gold at four thousand five hundred forty seven dollars, and oil has surged to ninety eight dollars a barrel. The dollar hit a new forty year high against the yen while the euro softened after the ECB stood pat on rates. U.S. stocks fell as the tech selloff deepened with oil prices now firmly above one hundred dollars a barrel. In breaking news tonight, Ukraine's drone war is choking Kazakhstan's oil exports, adding fresh pressure to global supply and helping drive this latest spike in crude. On the corporate front, ServiceNow is in focus after boosting its annual forecast, while Ford has allowed Geely to take the driver's seat in Valencia. And in other news, with gas prices climbing back to four dollars amid the worsening situation with Iran, many drivers are feeling the pinch in their wallets. This is Miss Vicky from the Options Desk at VixShield, where it's not news till we talk about it. Stay with us as Russell Clark joins with more analysis.

Historical archive recovered from Condor Studios R2.

Audio: https://pub-9bd4a51784a946f399d015f044386a9f.r2.dev/russell/2026-05-30/cfa04bc5-3fc9-4d27-861d-264add5c4cd3.mp3

Recorded: 2026-05-30T18:29:22.901Z