17/08/2026 Daily Reports
Asian Equities Rise as Fed Rate Hike Fears Fade
- Asian Markets Lead the Rally: Chinese blue-chips and the Hang Seng index surged ahead of key July activity data. The optimism is spilling over globally, with US futures (S&P 500 and Nasdaq) also flashing green.
- Dollar Dips to 2-Month Lows: A soft run of US economic data—including an unexpected drop in retail sales—has markets heavily scaling back bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike. The probability of a move next month has plummeted from 50% down to just 30%.
- Oil Caught in Geopolitics: Crude prices are seeing a mixed reaction following last week’s massive 6% surge. With ongoing tensions in the Middle East, analysts expect oil to remain highly reactive but trapped within a $70–$100 range for now.
- Gold Shines Brighter: Taking full advantage of the weaker dollar and lingering geopolitical uncertainties, gold bounced back to trade strongly around $4,391 an ounce.
- The Week Ahead: The market’s focus now shifts to the true strength of the US consumer. Keep a close eye on major retail earnings (Walmart, Target, Home Depot) and the upcoming August PMI data to gauge business activity.
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Global Market News Briefing — 17 August 2026
- Nasdaq. US futures were little changed at the start of the week. The S&P 500 is coming off three consecutive weekly gains and fresh record highs following a strong earnings season, though Wall Street retreated on Friday after consumer sentiment fell more sharply than forecast and retail sales posted their steepest drop in over a year; the dollar sank to its weakest level since May as traders pared September rate-move expectations. This week brings results from Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s and TJX, with the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole conference and Nvidia earnings to follow.
- DAX. The index closed Friday up 141 points, or 0.53%, at 26,440, a fresh record, led by Scout24 (+3.98%), Rheinmetall (+2.86%) and SAP (+2.75%), the latter amid speculation over a potential takeover of Workday. E.ON fell 4.38%, Merck 2.92% and Vonovia 1.71%. The EURO STOXX 50 and DAX are trading near record highs, and Goldman Sachs raised its 12-month price target for the STOXX 600.
- Nikkei. Japan’s economy grew 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in April–June, or 1.1% annualised, below expectations on weak consumption and corporate investment. Capital spending contracted 1.2% against forecasts of a 0.4% rise, private consumption stagnated, while net external demand added 0.5 points. The Nikkei 225 rose 0.43% after the release, the 10-year JGB yield stood at 2.88% and the yen traded at 159.1. South Korean markets were shut for Liberation Day.
- Gold. Bullion trades near $4,400 an ounce. Softer US data has lowered September Fed hike bets, while Middle East tensions and a weaker dollar support demand. China added roughly 20 tonnes in July, a 21st consecutive month of accumulation; central banks bought an estimated 289 tonnes globally in the second quarter.
- Brent. Crude edged higher as renewed Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the prospect of fresh US sanctions on Iran added to geopolitical uncertainty. Brent rose above $88 last week, gaining more than 5%, after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would impose unprecedented economic measures while maintaining its naval blockade of Iranian ports. The IEA forecast the widest global supply deficit in five years, and Iran and Oman have yet to agree on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
