Monday, August 10, 2026

U.S. equities edged lower on Monday, slipping from record highs as geopolitical tensions and cautious sentiment weighed on the market. The S&P 500 dipped 0.06% to 7,753.11, the Dow Jones shed 0.11% to 53,975.98, and the Nasdaq fell 0.32% to 26,605.357, while the small-cap Russell 2000 lagged with a 0.56% drop to 3,017.397. Market tone was decidedly defensive, reflected by a 3.76% bump in the VIX to 15.46, as investors braced for crucial inflation data following a recent 23,000-job contraction in July payrolls that has fueled debate over a September Fed rate hike.

Sectors in focus:

• Energy surges on Middle East turmoil: Drilling Oil & Gas Wells (+9.51%), Oil & Gas Field Services (+6.40%), and Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (+5.08%) dominated the tape. WTI Crude spiked 5.30% to 82.32 after Iran demanded U.S. reparations to reopen the closed Strait of Hormuz, compounded by reports of Houthi strikes on Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery. Safe-haven Gold also climbed 1.13% to 4,449.3.
• Tech and travel lag: Semiconductors & Related Devices tumbled 4.03%, pressured by Intel's announcement of a massive $15 billion stock offering to fund AI expansion. Scheduled Air Transportation dropped 5.33% against the backdrop of soaring fuel costs.
• Corporate standouts: Berkshire Hathaway bucked the broader market weakness, rising on stronger-than-expected Q2 profits and new stock investments revealed under CEO Greg Abel.

On the radar: Investors are looking ahead to a gauntlet of macroeconomic data that will heavily shape the Federal Reserve's next policy move.

• Aug 11: NFIB Business Optimism Index.
• Aug 12: July Consumer Price Index (CPI), with markets expecting a 3.4% year-over-year print.
• Aug 13: July Producer Price Index (PPI) and Weekly Jobless Claims.
• Aug 14: Retail Sales and Consumer Sentiment data.
• Earnings watch: Major corporate reports hit the tape throughout the week, headlined by Cisco (CSCO), JD.com (JD), and Super Micro (SMCI).