US Stock Market Summary – August 12, 2026

The three major indexes moved in different directions. The S&P 500 rose 0.26% to 7,748.50 and the Nasdaq climbed 0.54% to 26,588.49. Only the Dow dipped, closing down 0.04% at 53,770.27 (WSJ). That ended a two-day losing streak. Two catalysts drove the session. First, the July Consumer Price Index (a key measure of how much prices have risen) released that morning matched expectations. Prices rose 0.1% from the prior month and 3.4% from a year earlier. Core inflation, which strips out food and energy, came in tame at 2.5% (CNBC). Concerns from the prior day that rising oil prices would push inflation higher stepped back. Second, earnings from AI infrastructure companies revived confidence in the "AI trade" (Bloomberg). The VIX (volatility index) fell 5.37% to 14.46. The Fear & Greed Index (an investor-sentiment thermometer) reads 62, signaling "Greed."

Money rotated out of the "AI spenders" and into the "AI sellers." This shift of funds between sectors is called a rotation. Technology stood alone at the top, while materials and consumer discretionary lagged.

> The next trading day's key events will appear here automatically.

> "An inflation print in line with expectations will reinforce the 'no need to hike' narrative that has taken hold since last week's jobs report."

> — Ellen Zentner, Chief U.S. Economist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

> "These lagging indicators leave the Fed exactly where it wants to be. It doesn't need to do anything. The economy is cooling without breaking down — that is the narrative the Fed wants."

> — Luke Labaer, CEO at Equity Armor Investments

> "The people who wanted to short this thing have already run out of bullets."

> — Ihor Dusaniwsky, Managing Director of Predictive Analytics at S3 Partners

Technical signals landed exactly split: of the 240 names screened, 120 were bullish and 120 were bearish. The notable takeaway is that warning flags are flashing on the long side. SpaceX and Arista pierced their upper Bollinger Bands (the upper boundary of a stock's recent price range), while Nvidia and Microsoft landed on the overbought list (a signal that the stock has risen too far, too fast). On the other side, Tesla and JPMorgan triggered MACD golden crosses (a bullish signal in which a short-term trend line crosses above a longer-term one). For individual stock signals, see Today's Signals. Today was a day for the "AI sellers" to win. Tomorrow, the only question is whether those names catch their breath after their run.