Jul 19, 2026 – 1.00pmWaves of strikes unleashed by the United States and Iran over the Australian weekend are expected to drive up energy prices and cause more uncertainty in the local sharemarket, disrupting the usual calm before the August reporting season.Meanwhile, the rush late last week on Wall Street to dump chipmaker stocks – the so-called picks and shovels of the artificial intelligence boom – has renewed fears of an investment bubble, with potential for a further fallout this week.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles