Stock Market Today: Live Updates 01.08.2026

There's a number keeping me up tonight: 4.3%. That's Yamanashi Chuo Bank's return on equity — and yet the shares trade at 19.8 times earnings, well above the 15-times average for Japanese banks. The TSE:8360 board approved a stock split for October 1, riding a 58.43% year-to-date surge and a 131.51% total return over twelve months. Either earnings catch up, or gravity eventually does.

The AI Anchor That Holds Everything Up

As reported by TechStock², Microsoft delivered Q4 revenue of $90 billion, up 17.8%, with Azure up 43% and now clearing $100 billion a year. The contracted AI services backlog hit $678 billion. Thirty million Copilot seats. Eleven thousand models hosted. Satya Nadella calls it the leading AI platform — and this time, the numbers don't embarrass him. Strip Microsoft out of the S&P's recent tape and tell me what you're actually holding.

Two British Wins, One Crypto Ouch

Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) climbed 3.9% on H1 figures. A 17.1% return on tangible equity beat the Street. NIM of 3.19% and CET1 of 13.1% came in just shy of estimates, but analysts see 125p — roughly 8.7% upside plus a 29.5% dividend boost, turning £5,000 into £5,641 over twelve months.

Greggs (LSE:GRG) popped on 7.2% sales growth and a 19.7% jump in profit before tax to £76m. A £5,000 stake from a month ago is already £6,200. Short sellers are running for the exit. A 16 P/E and stubborn market headwinds put a ceiling on this rally — enjoy it while it lasts.

Meanwhile, in crypto: Coldcard hardware wallets — Mk3, Mk4, Mk5, and Q firmware — were breached, draining roughly 1,000 Bitcoin ($70 million) across about 1,200 addresses. Emergency firmware is out. Bitcoin wobbles above $60,000. "Not your keys, not your coins" cuts both ways when the keys live on compromised silicon.

What I'm Watching Next

Braze (BRZE) posted 30.2% year-over-year revenue growth — but insiders sold 51,440 Class A shares. The number isn't huge; the pattern is. Concurrent Technologies (LSE:CNC) logged £23.1m in revenue and £46.9m in orders for H1, riding defence tailwinds while the Middle East keeps FTSE small caps jumpy.

Translation: keep an eye on Microsoft's gross-margin trajectory, treat the Coldcard breach as a custody reminder, and don't confuse a Greggs sausage roll with a structural thesis.