News Bulletin
Monday, August 17, 2026
Evening Edition

Economic Numbers:

Time	Event	Actual	Forecast	Previous
Monday, August 17, 2026
8:30	NY Empire State Manufacturing Index (Aug)	20.60	10.60	15.60
10:00	NAHB Housing Market Index (Aug)	35.00	33.00	34.00
11:30	3-Month Bill Auction	3.72%		3.74%
11:30	6-Month Bill Auction	0.04		0.04

Indices

	CLOSE	50 DMA	200 DMA
DJIA	53,459.78	52,381.51	49,440.62
NASDAQ	26,644.91	25,903.30	24,193.10
S&P 500	7,745.06	7,515.77	7,077.67

Earnings Calendar:

(EPS: Earning Per Share / Rev: Revenue / Mkt Cap: market Capital/ BMO: Before Market Opening /AMC: After Market Close)

COMPANY	EPS Act	EPS Fore	Rev Act	Rev Fore	Mkt Cap	Time
AimcoAIV:US	-	-	-	-	52.76M	PM
HUBHUBG:US	-	0.29	-	941.12M	905.6M

Market News:

Wall Street on Monday ended lower, as traders took a breather after a record-setting week. Sentiment took a hit as oil prices rose amid little signs of a diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East.

The week ahead will be highlighted by the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s last monetary policy meeting and scheduled earnings from retail giants.

The benchmark S&P 500 index shed 0.5% to close at 7,748.14 points, the tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite declined 0.3% to settle at 26,644.91 points, and the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.5% to finish at 53,460.02 points.

Inflation data powers Wall Street to all-time high

U.S. stocks are coming off a mostly positive week in which the S&P topped 7,800 points for the first time ever. The return to record levels has been powered by a solid earnings season and a rebound in the technology sector. Sliding oil prices also helped, though crude benchmarks have climbed again recently as the Middle East conflict shows little signs of ending.

The economic calendar was one of the primary drivers of sentiment last week, showing a moderation in annual consumer and producer inflation across both headline and core measures in July. Coming after an unexpectedly weak July nonfarm payrolls report, and coupled with a soft retail sales reading on Friday, the data together suggests some breathing room for the Fed in terms of not immediately tightening policy.

Inflation data powers Wall Street to all-time high

Middle East impasse

It should also be noted that the deceleration in price pressures in July were driven in part by falling oil prices. But crude benchmarks have risen since, which likely means inflation will tick up again in August.

Oil prices gained more than 2% on Monday, with Brent crude futures, the global benchmark, trading above $90 a barrel after a nearly 6% surge last week.

The advance came as the U.S. and Iran continued to remain at loggerheads over the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides have independently asserted control over the vital waterway, while Tehran has demanded that Washington fulfill conditions such as ceasing hostilities across all fronts and unfreezing Iranian assets before the chokepoint can be reopened.

Meanwhile, Iran has been working on a framework for management of the strait with Oman. Fox News on Monday quoted President Donald Trump as saying: "If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s--- out of them."

Monday also marks the expiration of the memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. and Iran in mid-June, which effectively collapsed in July after the two sides exchanged tit-for-tat strikes over attacks on commercial ships in the strait.

"Today, the U.S. and Iran’s 60-day truce expires, and it does so without a meaningful peace deal or plan of action for the Strait of Hormuz in place. To make matters more fraught, the U.S. has announced it intends to impose unprecedented economic measures against Iran. Tensions across Lebanon and Israel remain – it appears this conflict is far from over," Orynbayev, former World Bank governor of Kazakhstan, told Investing.com.

"The fact is that the market will struggle to stabilise while this uncertainty looms. Yes, inflation cooled in July, but only a touch, and there is still time for the recent surge in missile strikes to show up in energy CPI readings. Any escalation in the conflict can easily send inflation ballooning again, renewing pressure on the Fed to hike rates, and deterring investment," he added.

Home Depot and Walmart to provide a look at the U.S. consumer

Away from the Middle East, the earnings calendar this week will be headlined by Home Depot and Walmart.

Home Depot, the world’s largest home-improvement retailer, is expected to deliver revenue growth despite greater consumer uncertainty and housing affordability pressure.

"While housing affordability and elevated mortgage rates remain headwinds, analysts believe Home Depot’s professional customer heavy business model will allow it to outperform peers. Recent data on shingles roofing shipments showed signs of stabilization, suggesting homeowners are finally getting around to fixing that leaky roof and making other urgent repairs," AJ Bell analysts said last week.

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