Pre-market briefing August 12, 2026

Pre-Market Briefing — August 12, 2026

Today at a Glance

Briefs · earnings · signals, first Telegram · KakaoTalk channels

Previous Session Recap

All three major U.S. indexes fell on the 11th. The S&P 500 dropped 0.32%, the Nasdaq 0.60%, and the Dow 0.34%. Energy, lifted by stronger oil prices, was the strongest sector with a 1.25% gain, while real estate lagged, down 0.72. Heavyweight tech names pressured the indices — Alphabet fell 3.84%, and Oracle and Dell each lost 3.69% — but semiconductor equipment stocks such as KLA and ASML moved in the opposite direction, climbing nearly 4%.

Current Market Mood

Futures gains are modest. Index futures with heavy tech weight are leading the way, with yesterday's beaten-down large-cap tech names attempting a rebound. After-hours strength in CoreWeave and Super Micro Computer is helping to underpin sentiment across AI-related names. That said, with the 10-year Treasury yield hovering near 4.7% and the Strait of Hormuz blockade keeping oil prices elevated, risk appetite remains limited. A single inflation print will likely dictate the day's direction.

Pre-Market News Roundup

Today's Events

Macro Schedule

Consensus is 3.4%, versus a prior print of 3.5%. This is the number that will tell us whether price pressures have eased for the first time in a month. A hotter-than-expected reading would revive the case for a rate hike in September and could roil the broader market.

Consensus is 0.1%, versus a prior print of -0.4%. Last month's decline was driven largely by falling oil prices, so the question is whether prices have swung back to the upside this month. The Strait of Hormuz blockade and elevated oil prices pose a risk.

Consensus is 2.5%, versus a prior print of 2.6%. The core index strips out the volatile food and energy components and is the metric the Federal Reserve weighs more heavily when setting policy.

Consensus is 0.2%, versus a prior print of 0%. A print of 0.3% or higher could be read as a sign that inflation is re-sticking, with Treasury yields and tech names selling off together.

Dividend Watch

Names in Focus

Microsoft's Relative Strength Index has climbed to 77.7. The RSI compares recent gains and losses on a scale of 0 to 100, and a reading above 70 is viewed as short-term overbought. Yesterday the stock dipped 0.44% to $503.81 to catch its breath, and a hotter-than-expected inflation print could deepen any pullback.

Arista Networks has an RSI of 76.1 with shares at $223.86. Funds have rotated into defense as the Strait of Hormuz blockade drags on, but even a single headline about progress in negotiations could trigger a reversal.

Bank of America has an RSI of 70.3 with shares at $64.00. The bet that persistently high rates will support net interest margins has pushed the stock higher, but with it already in overbought territory, it is safer to wait for the inflation print before stepping in.

Today's Action Plan

Stay calm today, and have a good one.