Business & Markets
US stocks mostly rise as July inflation cools
US stocks mostly rose Wednesday after US consumer inflation slowed in July, though rising Treasury bond yields showed continuing concern about price pressures.
Consumer inflation eased to 3.4% in July from 3.5% in June. Analysts cited by AFP said the report likely gave the Federal Reserve more room to delay any imminent interest rate increases, even as inflation remained above the Fed's target.
The S&P 500 closed up 0.3% at 7,748.50, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.5% to 26,588.49. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down less than 0.1% at 53,770.27.
Semiconductor shares helped support the market after strong earnings reports from CoreWeave and other artificial intelligence companies.
Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare said the rise in 10-year and 30-year Treasury yields after the consumer price index report showed that “market participants are still looking for inflation to continue.” He also pointed to US Treasury data showing the July deficit rising to $432.3 billion, the highest monthly figure since 2021, as a reminder of large bond supply.
US markets are due to receive July wholesale inflation data on Thursday, another input for expectations about the Fed.
European markets closed slightly lower, with the FTSE 100 down 0.1%, the CAC 40 down 0.5% and the DAX down 0.2%. Energy shares weighed on trading in Europe.
Oil prices stabilised after recent swings linked to US-Iran war tensions. Brent crude rose 0.1% to $88.98 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose 0.1% to $83.27.
The International Energy Agency cut its forecast for global oil demand this year, saying the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and high fuel prices were weighing on consumption. It said demand was expected to fall by 1.6 million barrels per day, compared with a one-million-barrel-per-day decline forecast in July.
Update
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed higher, while the Dow ended slightly lower.
The 10-year and 30-year US Treasury bond yields climbed after the CPI report.
Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare said Treasury yields showed investors were still watching inflation.
US markets were set to receive July wholesale inflation data on Thursday.
Final listed prices put Brent crude at $88.98 a barrel and WTI at $83.27.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 20:50:08 UTC.
Update
US index moves were updated around 1540 GMT, with the S&P 500 up 0.2%, Nasdaq up 0.4% and Dow down less than 0.1%.
London, Paris and Frankfurt closed lower.
CoreWeave rose 18% after reporting strong revenue, while Nvidia and other technology shares also gained.
Oil prices stabilised, with Brent at $89.00 and WTI at $83.22 around 1540 GMT.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 15:50:51 UTC.
Update
New York's three main indexes remained higher in morning trading.
The dollar slipped slightly against peers.
Paris and London were lower in mid-afternoon European trading, while Frankfurt was higher.
Oil prices eased as traders tracked Middle East developments.
The International Energy Agency reduced its global oil demand forecast for this year.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 13:47:17 UTC.
Update
US stocks rose in early Wednesday trading after July inflation data showed annual CPI slowed to 3.4%.
The Dow was up 0.2%, the S&P 500 was up 0.4% and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.7% about 10 minutes into trading.
CoreWeave shares rose 22% after the AI company reported revenue more than doubled to $2.6 billion.
Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments said the CPI report eased pressure on markets and the Federal Reserve.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 13:42:28 UTC.
Update
Financial markets largely steadied before the US inflation data release.
The dollar was little changed against major rivals, while oil prices dipped.
European and Asian stock markets were calmer after recent volatility linked partly to technology and AI spending concerns.
Florian Ielpo said the odds of a September Fed rate increase were about 50 percent.
The International Energy Agency reduced its global oil demand forecast, expecting demand to slump by 1.6 million barrels per day.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 11:21:20 UTC.
Update
Around 0810 GMT, West Texas Intermediate was up 0.8 percent at $83.89 per barrel and Brent was up 0.6 percent at $89.48.
The International Energy Agency reduced its forecast for global oil demand this year, citing supplies crimped by the Middle East crisis.
London and Paris were down in morning trade, while Frankfurt rose.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 08:17:00 UTC.
Update
Around 0715 GMT, West Texas Intermediate was up 0.4 percent at $83.53 per barrel and Brent was up 0.4 percent at $89.26.
London and Paris were barely changed at the open, while Frankfurt rose.
Mumbai was also listed among markets in the red.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 closed up 0.8 percent at 67,524.06, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.9 percent.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 07:31:08 UTC.
Update
Both main crude contracts rose Wednesday, with West Texas Intermediate up 0.7 percent at $83.78 and Brent up 0.6 percent at $89.40 around 0210 GMT.
Asian stock markets were mixed ahead of the US consumer price index release.
Seoul's Kospi rose more than three percent, helped by gains in SK hynix and Samsung.
Strong earnings reports from US AI companies CoreWeave and Super Micro Computer eased some concerns about AI investment returns.
The United States military said a US helicopter fired missiles into the engine room of a Panama-flagged cargo ship that tried to break the American blockade of Iran's ports.
Pakistan's defence minister said the United States and Iran were close to some sort of arrangement, but the optimism later faded.
A report that Iran and Oman were in advanced talks on reopening Hormuz to some maritime shipping drew little major market reaction.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 02:28:30 UTC.
Update
Brent North Sea crude closed up 1.4 percent at $88.91 per barrel around 2010 GMT.
West Texas Intermediate closed up 1.3 percent at $83.20 per barrel around 2010 GMT.
All three major Wall Street indices ended lower, with the S&P 500 down 0.3 percent.
Paris and London closed marginally lower, while Frankfurt ended higher.
Additional analyst comments linked the inflation outlook to oil prices, labor-market cooling and Federal Reserve interest-rate expectations.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 20:36:55 UTC.
Update
Oil contracts were higher again around 1540 GMT after earlier giving up gains.
Brent was up 0.5 percent at $88.28 per barrel and WTI was up 0.6 percent at $82.54.
Paris and London closed marginally lower while Frankfurt closed higher.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the US military fired on a Panama-flagged ship trying to get past the US blockade of Iranian ports.
US President Donald Trump and Iranian leaders each said Monday that the other side owed reparations.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 15:51:24 UTC.
Update
About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.4 percent at 54,193.86.
The S&P 500 was unchanged at 7,752.26 and the Nasdaq Composite Index declined 0.3 percent to 26,523.91.
Treasury yields and oil prices eased ahead of Wednesday's US consumer price index report.
Art Hogan of B. Riley Wealth Management described the August trading period as low-volume and light on catalysts.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 13:56:27 UTC.
Update
Oil prices fell back after initially rising more than two percent.
Brent North Sea crude was down 0.7 percent at $87.12 per barrel around 1340 GMT.
The Dow and S&P 500 edged higher, the Nasdaq opened lower, and Frankfurt, London and Paris were slightly higher in mid-afternoon trading.
Crude contracts remained up around 10 percent over five days and near their highest levels since early June.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 13:48:23 UTC.
Update
Around 1045 GMT, Brent North Sea crude was up 1.6 percent at $89.13 a barrel after briefly topping $90.
West Texas Intermediate was up 1.8 percent at $83.62 a barrel around 1045 GMT.
Paris stocks fell in midday trading, while London and Frankfurt were flat; Asian markets ended mixed, with Tokyo closed for a holiday.
The source reports a surprise loss of more than 20,000 US jobs last month, which eased fears of a Federal Reserve rate hike.
Patrick Munnelly at Tickmill Group said energy-driven inflation could undermine Fed patience if it lifts headline CPI, gasoline prices and household inflation expectations.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 11:08:28 UTC.
Update
Brent North Sea crude reached $90.02 a barrel on Tuesday.
Brent was up more than 2.5% from Monday.
West Texas Intermediate rose 2.7% to $84.32 a barrel.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 08:42:40 UTC.
Update
Brent North Sea crude topped $90 per barrel.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 08:28:33 UTC.
Update
Around 0810 GMT, West Texas Intermediate was up 2.2% at $83.97 per barrel and Brent North Sea crude was up 2.2% at $89.65 per barrel.
Brent was edging back towards $90 a barrel.
London and Paris slipped in morning trade, while Frankfurt was flat.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 08:18:02 UTC.
Update
Around 0715 GMT, West Texas Intermediate was up 1.5% at $83.37 per barrel and Brent North Sea crude was up 1.3% at $88.85 per barrel.
Both main crude contracts rose more than 1% on Tuesday after jumping around 5% on Monday.
Updated equity moves showed Hong Kong, Shanghai, Wellington, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta lower, while Seoul, Sydney, Singapore, Taipei and Manila gained.
London and Frankfurt opened higher, Paris was flat and Tokyo was closed for a holiday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 07:23:02 UTC.
Update
Oil prices extended gains on Tuesday after both main crude contracts jumped around 5% on Monday.
Around 0215 GMT, West Texas Intermediate was up 0.3% at $82.40 per barrel and Brent North Sea crude was up 0.3% at $87.97 per barrel.
Crude had risen around 10% over the past week.
Donald Trump's demand for conflict compensation from Iran was described as a response to Tehran's demand for US war reparations as a precondition to resolving the crisis.
Cleveland Fed official Beth Hammack told Yahoo Finance that one 25-basis-point move probably would not do much for the economy and that several moves could be needed.
Asian equity markets were mixed on Tuesday, with Tokyo closed for a holiday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 02:32:38 UTC.
Update
The S&P 500 closed down 0.1%, the Dow closed down 0.1% and the Nasdaq Composite closed down 0.3%.
Paris and Frankfurt closed slightly higher, while London slipped.
Tokyo rose 2.1%, with Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Mumbai also closing higher.
The dollar advanced against the yen after earlier losses linked to US and Japanese intervention.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 20:30:29 UTC.
Update
Brent oil gained 5.0% to $87.72 a barrel.
West Texas Intermediate rose 5.1% to $82.13 a barrel.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 19:10:18 UTC.
Update
Oil prices finished up 5% as the US-Iran dispute over the Strait of Hormuz continued.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 19:05:12 UTC.
Update
US stocks were little changed in midday trading, with the Dow and S&P 500 down less than 0.1% and the Nasdaq down 0.3%.
Paris and Frankfurt closed marginally higher, while London closed down 0.4%.
Brent crude rose 3.5% to $86.41 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate rose 3.4% to $80.90.
Analysts commented on Federal Reserve rate expectations, AI-sector debt exposure and market concern over the Iran conflict.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 15:51:58 UTC.
Update
US stocks dipped early Monday, with the Dow down 0.2%, the S&P 500 down 0.1% and the Nasdaq down 0.2% about 10 minutes into trading.
Crude prices rose about 1.5% after Iran said it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States met demands including compensation for war damage.
David Miller of Catalyst Funds said markets faced the risk of an economy too weak to generate jobs but not weak enough to eliminate inflation.
A July retail sales report is also due this week.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 13:49:47 UTC.
Update
Wall Street opened little changed, with the Dow and S&P 500 down 0.1% and the Nasdaq down 0.2% around 1340 GMT.
European trading was mixed later in the session, with London down 0.6%, Paris flat and Frankfurt up 0.1%.
Brent crude was up 1.5% at $84.81 and West Texas Intermediate was up 1.4% at $79.29 around 1340 GMT.
The dollar recovered some losses from Friday, trading at 158.95 yen around 1340 GMT.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 13:47:03 UTC.
Update
European markets were subdued around 1100 GMT, with Frankfurt up 0.3%, Paris flat and London down 0.3%.
Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate were both up 1.7% around 1100 GMT.
The dollar traded at 158.78 yen around 1100 GMT, compared with 157.50 yen on Friday.
The item adds analyst comments from Swissquote and AJ Bell on US jobs, inflation pressure and Iran-related market concerns.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 11:30:53 UTC.
Update
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed up 1.1% at 25,937.49.
London and Paris dipped while Frankfurt edged higher around 0810 GMT.
West Texas Intermediate was up 0.1% at $78.23 a barrel and Brent was up 0.2% at $83.69 a barrel around 0810 GMT.
The dollar traded at 158.49 yen, up from 157.50 yen on Friday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 08:17:02 UTC.
Update
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 closed up 2.1% at 66,970.22.
London dipped at the open while Paris and Frankfurt edged higher.
Key figures around 0715 GMT showed Hang Seng up 0.9%, Shanghai Composite up 0.7%, WTI up 0.5% and Brent up 0.7%.
The dollar was quoted at 158.44 yen, up from 157.50 yen on Friday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 07:29:28 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The source did not provide named sources for the analyst forecasts it said July inflation matched.
The future path of Federal Reserve interest rates remains unresolved.
Source
AFP news report published on .