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As on : 17-Aug-2026

Market Commentary - Foreign Markets
17-Aug-2026 14:07

U.S. stocks see lukewarm movement

U.S. stock futures were mixed, with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropping 59 points (0.11%), while S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% and Nasdaq 100 futures increased by 0.35%. On Friday, the S&P 500 fell by 0.2% due to a report showing decreased spending by shoppers at U.S. retailers. The Dow and Nasdaq also saw declines of 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. Retail sales fell in July for the first time since April, with a revenue decrease of 0.6% to $763.6 billion.

Oil prices increased amid ongoing geopolitical concerns, particularly with the U.S.-Iran conflict unresolved. Brent crude futures rose 0.76% to $89.19 per barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 0.55% to $82.85 per barrel.

The stock market has remained resilient despite tensions in the Middle East and worries over artificial intelligence. Investors await retail earnings, including Walmart's results on Thursday, and will monitor the August Empire State manufacturing index along with the NAHB Housing Market Index.

Asian markets began the week mixed, with Japan's Nikkei 225 unchanged, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 down 0.23%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index up 1.4%, and China's CSI 300 rising 0.13%. South Korean markets were closed for a holiday.

The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note increased on Friday following weaker retail sales data. The 10-year yield rose over 5 basis points to 4.69%, the 2-year yield increased by 3 basis points to 4.17%, and the 30-year yield climbed nearly 6 basis points to 5.26%.

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