Geopolitical tensions intensified after Iran struck U.S. facilities and former President Donald Trump renewed criticism over alleged Chinese interference in U.S. elections. Taiwan’s TSMC reported 77% earnings growth, but its shares fell 4%. Semiconductor-related futures in Europe weakened sharply, with EUROSTOXX 50 futures down 0.9% and DAX futures down 0.6%. The developments underscore the chip supply chain’s geopolitical vulnerability and add near-term pressure on chipmaking and equipment assets.

Wipro shares fell more than 2% in a single session after the company reported its FY2024 first-quarter results. The decline was attributed to the Q1 performance coming in below market expectations, raising investor concerns over near-term earnings visibility and the sustainability of growth. As a bellwether among India’s IT services majors, Wipro’s results are seen as an indicator for the Nifty IT index and broader sentiment toward Indian technology stocks.

Sky Gold subsidiary Starmangalsutra Private Limited lost about 10.70 million rupees after employees’ devices were hijacked and used to deliver director-impersonation instructions for unauthorised transfers. The incident was discovered on July 15, 2026, and the company said it has filed a complaint and is working with banks to trace and recover the funds. Sky Gold said its core IT systems were not breached, but the operational risk event weighed on confidence in governance and financial controls. The stock fell 3% to 603 rupees.

SpaceX scrubbed the Starship Flight 13 attempt after an automated abort triggered when four Raptor engines failed to ignite with three seconds left in the countdown, leaving the rocket on the pad. The setback came days after the US Federal Aviation Administration completed its review of a prior booster return failure and cleared the company to proceed with the flight. SpaceX shares closed at $131.11, slipping below the IPO price for the first time and extending a roughly 13% decline since the stock joined the Nasdaq 100.

MCX gold August futures rose 0.26% to ₹1,40,718 per 10 grams, while MCX silver September futures fell 0.23% to ₹2,15,512 per kg around 9:05 am on 17 July. Prices were volatile in morning trade amid weak global cues and tepid spot demand. The article said US-Iran tensions have pushed up crude oil prices, reviving inflation worries and reinforcing bets on a near-term US Federal Reserve rate hike. Expectations of higher rates can weigh on gold because it is a non-yielding asset.

Caliber Mining & Logistics opened its Rs 450-crore IPO on July 17, 2026, setting a price band of Rs 402–424 per share, with the grey market indicating a premium of about Rs 105 (~25%). The company provides mining and logistics services to Coal India subsidiaries, including WCL and NCL. It plans to use proceeds for debt reduction and machinery-led capital expenditure.

HCL Tech said it has signed a seven-year AI-led modernization agreement with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and will acquire Guardian’s India global capability centre, bringing nearly 2,000 employees into HCLTech. The company also reported a 20% year-on-year rise in Q1 consolidated net profit to Rs 4,624 crore, while revenue from operations grew 13% to Rs 34,579 crore. The results came in above expectations. HCL Tech shares have fallen about 30% over the last six months.

Wipro will be in focus on Friday after its June-quarter results drew mixed reactions from brokerages. While Nomura retained its 'Buy' rating, citing scope for margin recovery and an attractive dividend yield, Jefferies stayed 'Underperform' warning of weak organic growth.