As June draws to a close, marking the end of the quarter and the “closing of the books” for the first half of the year, investors have two trading sessions left to settle their accounts.
With losses last week, a negative return for June, and short sellers regaining a competitive edge amid the latest developments in the Middle East, the trading sessions on Monday and Tuesday are of particular interest.
The S&P 500 stands at 7,353.37 points, following a weekly decline of 1.08% and a monthly decline of 2.23%, but is still up 7.42% for 2026. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 are under pressure as a result of sell-offs in Magnificent Seven stocks, but gains in the DJIA and Russell 2000 indicate that some of the interest and liquidity has shifted toward other categories of stocks and listed securities.
According to the latest reports, U.S. forces launched a second wave of strikes against Iran, with Tehran responding. New threats from the Revolutionary Guards regarding strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain, a new message from Trump, and the VIX/CBOE at 18.42 points.
This followed another breach of the 20-point threshold, reaching 20.72 on Friday. The (futures) price of WTI crude stands at $69.23, and Brent at $72.60, as the market does not seem particularly concerned about the “hiccups” arising from the implementation of the (60-day) ceasefire agreement.
On Wall Street, attention is focused on the Fed, the policy Kevin Warsh will pursue, and the release of key economic data. Specifically, this coming Thursday (July 2), the June employment figures will be released, which analysts say will influence estimates regarding the course of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy. For June, the market expects the creation of approximately 115,000 new jobs, with the unemployment rate remaining at 4.3%.
This comes at a time when, according to Manos Hatzidakis, expectations for corporate profitability remain particularly high. Analysts forecast a roughly 22% increase in earnings for the second quarter, following the impressive 29% rise in the first quarter, which far exceeded initial estimates of just a 9% increase.
In European markets, the DAX and CAC40 also posted negative results on both a weekly and monthly basis, with only modest gains projected for 2026.
The DAX stands at 24,671.22, up just 0.74% since the start of the year, while the CAC40 is at 8,384.87, up 2.89% over the same period.
Europe’s many challenges have been compounded by climate issues due to the unprecedented heat wave.
The Greek stock market continues to outperform, with the General Index at 2,449.29 points up 15.49% for 2026, the DTR at 2,734.21 points up 19.20%, and the the FTSE25 at 6,203.62 points. A comparative advantage for long positions is the DTR’s nearly double the change compared to the Eurostoxx Banks. The European index stands at 290.19 points, up 8.706% since the start of the year.
It’s an election season, and the business and investment community—despite the summer lull—is focused on the government’s strategy aimed at… citizens’ wallets. This is also relevant to the measures currently under discussion, with the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (TIF) on the horizon.
However, one of the defining features of the first half of the year is the market’s maturity, combined with increased investment interest from “strong players.”
This is reflected in the simultaneous raising of significant capital without, for the time being, putting significant pressure on listed stocks. With the AKTOR Group having announced the raising of 950 million euros (650 million through a capital increase, 300 million through a bond issue) and ElvalHalcor’s management moving in a similar direction, the total amount raised in the first seven months will exceed 7.5 billion euros. According to securities analysts, the market is finally emerging as a source of capital to finance the growth plans of corporate groups and companies.
This is attracting significant “new capital,” as seen primarily in the case of PPC and, to a lesser extent, ADMIE. Giorgos Fintikakis discusses AKTOR’s plans for batteries, FSRUs, ships, and new LNG deals. A related article covers how the capital increase will be carried out and what applies to ElvalHalcor shareholders.
Investors’ shift toward specific stocks was noticeable during the second quarter, resulting in a trend emerging as the half-year draws to a close, with a detailed breakdown of banking and blue-chip stocks.
Among the highlights of the coming week—primarily for the last two trading sessions of June—the ex-dividend date for Fourlis (0.15 euros/share), Alter Ego Media (€0.12/share) tomorrow, Monday, and GEK TERNA (€0.40/share), Profile (€0.08/share), and Safe Bulkers (€0.06/share) on Tuesday.
In early July, ex-dividend dates are set for HelleniQ Energy (0.40/share), TITAN (1.10/share), Alpha Bank (0.015/share), OTE (0.88/share), and Flexopack (0.18/share) on Wednesday, while Thursday marks the “first” for Attica Department Stores. The oversubscription ratio stands at 3.9 times, with the offering price set at 3.2 euros per share; Alexandra Gitsis highlights both the focus on luxury brands and the new deal involving Lambros Papakonstantinou. Friday: Dividend ex-date for Petropoulos (0.35/share) and Mevaco (0.25/share).