Crude Oil Prices Declined Noticeably

On Tuesday, the US stock markets ended the session with confident gains. The rally was led by the technology sector, which recovered recent losses amid falling Treasury yields triggered by the correction in oil prices. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones (US30) rose by 0.30%. The S&P 500 (US500) gained 0.35%. The tech‑heavy NASDAQ (US100) closed Tuesday in the green at 0.66%. Shares of companies tied to artificial‑intelligence infrastructure and semiconductors rebounded. Additional support came from expectations of major IPOs by AI giants (Anthropic and OpenAI). Nvidia shares rose 2.2% ahead of Wednesday’s key earnings report, Microsoft added 0.9%, Meta gained 2%, and AMD jumped 4.9%.

The Canadian dollar (CAD) continued to decline, stabilizing around 1.38 per US dollar after reaching a three‑month high. The main driver of the drop remains the escalation of the trade conflict between Canada and the US following the collapse of bilateral negotiations. Ottawa imposed mirror tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on roughly $20 billion worth of US imports annually, affecting metals, agricultural goods, and motorcycles. This was a response to Washington’s aggressive tariff measures. Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that starting January 1, 2027, tariffs on all Canadian cars (passenger and commercial), auto parts, and steel would be raised to 50%, in addition to already‑implemented restrictions in other sectors.

On Tuesday, European stock markets showed positive dynamics, ending the session with modest gains and recovering part of recent losses. By the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) rose by 0.61%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down 0.16%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) fell 0.21%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) finished up 0.29%. Semiconductor manufacturers and data‑center equipment suppliers recovered after the previous session’s decline.

Crude oil prices declined noticeably (WTI fell toward $80 per barrel) as investors reassessed escalation risks. Markets concluded that Washington’s newly announced package of harsh measures and sanctions against Iran is primarily economic in nature and intended to replace the risk of a large‑scale military confrontation.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 0.50%, China’s FTSE China 50 closed down 0.37%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) gained 0.02%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) closed Tuesday up 0.68%.

The Australian dollar (AUD) strengthened to around $0.72, reaching a three‑month high. The catalyst for the rise was fresh July inflation data, which exceeded analysts’ outlooks and reinforced expectations of possible monetary tightening by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). The monthly CPI rose 1.0% in July (vs. 0.8% expected). Annual inflation slowed to 3.5% (from 3.8% a month earlier), but still exceeded market predictions (3.2%). Core inflation (trimmed mean) increased 0.5% for the month, settling at 3.6% year‑over‑year. Strong data prompted traders to revise the probability of a rate hike at the next meeting – it rose from 17% to 27%, while the likelihood of tightening by February next year is estimated at roughly 80%.

On Wednesday, the New Zealand dollar (NZD) fell to around $0.595, correcting after yesterday’s 0.3% rise. Weak retail‑sales data released earlier this week pointed to persistent challenges in the country’s economic recovery, causing investors to doubt the sustainability of aggressive rate hikes by the regulator. Next week, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) will hold its meeting. Markets are pricing in a 25‑basis‑point rate hike, with expectations of reaching 3.0% by year‑end.

• S&P 500 (US500) 7,679.90 +27.04 (+0.35%)

• Dow Jones (US30) 53,577.45 +160.29 (+0.30%)

• DAX (DE40) 26,266.14 +159.54 (+0.61%)

• FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,886.16 +31.84 (+0.29%)

• USD Index 98.93 -0.07 (-0.07%)

News feed for: 2026.08.26

• Australia Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 04:30 (GMT+3) – AUD (HIGH)

• US PCE Price Index (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3) – USD (HIGH)

• US GDP (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)

• US Durable Goods Orders (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)

• US Crude Oil Reserves (w/w) at 17:30 (GMT+3) – WTI (HIGH)