The US stock market wrapped up a volatile month with gains across major indexes, but sharp divisions emerged beneath the surface. Amazon delivered standout results, while Apple suffered its steepest single-day loss since April 2025. Bitcoin also ended the week in negative territory, down approximately 2%.
Amazon leads gains, Apple posts steepest fall since 2025
Data from Global Markets Investor highlighted Amazon as the top performer of the week. Shares in the e-commerce and cloud computing company surged 15% on Friday, following a report that revenue from Amazon Web Services grew 37% year over year, the fastest pace since 2021. Amazon stock ended the week up about 17% as traders appeared encouraged by the acceleration in its cloud business.
Despite raising its capital expenditure forecast for 2026, Amazon attracted strong buying momentum. Investors seemed to overlook the higher spending, focusing instead on the rapid growth in its cloud division.
In contrast, Apple experienced significant pressure. Its shares dropped 7% on Friday and 7.24% for the week. The decline was attributed to a weaker company outlook linked to continued component shortages, marking Apple’s largest single-day decrease since April 2025. This sharp movement underscored the widening split among major technology stocks.
Microsoft and Alphabet both finished the week with strong gains, up 21.75% and 11.38% respectively. However, Micron shed 10.63% and AMD fell 8.78%, signaling widening performance gaps within the technology and semiconductor sectors.
Beneath the headline indexes, the equal-weighted S&P 500 reached a new record, reflecting gains across a broad swath of stocks. Yet, a basket of high-growth technology and semiconductor companies suffered a 25% loss in July, representing their worst monthly performance since May 2009.
Cloud companies outpace Nasdaq 100, investors hedge risks
Large US cloud computing firms led market gains for the week, outperforming the Nasdaq 100 by a record margin. Investors reportedly increased the use of options and other hedging strategies in an effort to reduce exposure to possible losses during the market’s volatile period.
The US dollar recorded the week’s largest decline among major asset classes. The DXY index slid 1.3%, its steepest weekly drop in over three months, as some market watchers questioned if the Federal Reserve was adequately addressing ongoing inflation concerns.
Bitcoin finished the week with a drop of 2.1%. Gold advanced 0.9%, while silver posted a loss of 1.6%, reflecting a mixed mood across commodities.
| Asset | Weekly Change |
|---|---|
| Amazon (AMZN) | +17% |
| Apple (AAPL) | -7.24% |
| Microsoft | +21.75% |
| Alphabet | +11.38% |
| Micron | -10.63% |
| AMD | -8.78% |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | -2.1% |
| Gold | +0.9% |
| Silver | -1.6% |
| US Dollar (DXY) | -1.3% |
US stock indexes steady as volatility drops
Major indexes ended the week in positive territory, despite deep performance gaps between companies. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones each climbed about 1%, while the Nasdaq gained 1.6%. The Russell 2000 index finished the week nearly unchanged, highlighting strength in larger companies versus smaller ones.
Market turbulence faded as the VIX fear index dropped around 6%, signaling reduced investor uncertainty after a month marked by sharp swings.
Despite upward moves in headline indexes, much of the market’s activity reflected significant disparities. While some companies achieved record highs, others posted their largest losses in years, revealing a market increasingly defined by divergence rather than broad strength.
