Account
New to ADSS? Open an
account now to get started.
Already have an account?
Add funds to your ADSS account
Account
New to ADSS? Open an
account now to get started.
Add funds to your ADSS account
News
Friday, August 14, 2026
What’s happening: US stocks edged higher on Thursday, with the S&P 500 logging a record closing high.
What happened: Gains in SanDisk, Micron Technology and other major tech stocks provided a boost to US stock indices.
The latest producer price inflation data raised speculations of the US Federal Reserve not hiking interest rates next month.
Why it matters: US producer prices came in unchanged in July amid lower goods prices and an increase in the cost of services. Producer prices rose 4.7% year-on-year, decelerating from 5.5% in the previous month and below market estimates of 4.9%.
US initial jobless claims rose moderately in the first week of August, signalling some stability in the jobs market.
Data released on Wednesday had also showed consumer inflation easing for the second straight month to 3.4% in July.
The latest US inflation data lowered speculations of the Federal Reserve hiking its benchmark increase rates in the near term.
Upbeat projections from tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft over the past few weeks have eased market concerns over their massive AI spending.
Shares of memory chipmakers rose on Thursday. Shares of SanDisk jumped around 14%, while Micron Technology’s stock rose more than 4%. Shares of Meta Platforms climbed 2.8% and Microsoft’s stock rose almost 1%.
Netflix’s shares added around 5.4% after Bill Ackman disclosed a new holding in the company.
Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed higher on Thursday, with communication services and real estate stocks among the top performers.
The S&P 500 gained 0.65% to close at 7,798.99 on Thursday, surpassing last Friday’s record close. The Dow Jones index rose 0.13% to 53,839.99, while the Nasdaq 100 jumped 1.15% to settle at 30,084.50.
What to watch: Investors will keep an eye on the recent developments in the US-Iran situation.
Data on retail sales (1630 UAE Time), Michigan consumer sentiment (1800 UAE Time) and business inventories (1800 UAE Time) will be released by the US today. Retail sales in the US, which climbed 0.2% in June, are expected to rise by 0.1% in July. Analysts expect the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index to decline to 54.5 in August from 55.2 in July, while business inventories are projected to rise by 0.1% in June following a 0.3% gain in May.
Context: The New Zealand dollar rose versus the US dollar this morning as investors assessed the latest economic data.
Details: Data released this morning showed that the Business NZ Performance of Manufacturing Index declined to 54.3 in July from a revised reading of 60.1 in the previous month. The latest reading signalled growth in manufacturing activity for the 21st straight month and remained above the long-term average of 52.5.
Visitor arrivals to New Zealand jumped 8.1% year-over-year to 201,855 in June, accelerating from 6.7% in the previous month. The latest growth was the largest in three months, boosted mainly by an increase in arrivals from Australia.
The latest report followed data that showed one-year inflation expectations easing to 2.6% from 3.4% in the prior quarter, while the two-year measure slowed to 2.3% from 2.5%.
Inflation expectations remaining contained indicated that markets expect a lower risk of higher crude oil prices impacting broader inflation. However, investors continued to speculate on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand hiking its interest rate in September.
Weakness in the US dollar provided a further boost to the NZD/USD pair this morning. The US dollar index, which measures the greenback’s performance versus a basket of major peers, fell around 0.1% to 99.90.
The NZD/USD forex pair gained more than 0.2% to 0.5862 this morning, while the S&P/NZX 50 Index edged lower to 13,818.89.
What to watch: Investors await the release of data on services NZ PSI (0230 UAE Time), electronic retail card spending (0245 UAE Time) and food inflation (0245 UAE Time) from New Zealand on Monday. New Zealand’s BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index, which climbed to 50.6 in June, is expected to rise further to 51.4 in July. Analysts expect electronic card transactions in New Zealand to decline 0.6% in July following a 1.4% plunge in June, while annual food inflation is expected to slow to 2.4% in July from 2.5% in the previous month.
Other Markets: European indices closed lower on Thursday, with the FTSE 100, DAX 40, CAC 40 and STOXX Europe 600 Index down by 0.56%, 0.12%, 0.28% and 0.04%, respectively.
Ukraine proposed an agreement with Russia to halt strikes on civilian vessels in the Black Sea. The news sent the USD/RUB pair lower in forex trading this morning.
Australia’s housing lending declined 1.9% to A$60.5 billion in the second quarter, exerting pressure on the AUD/USD forex pair.
India’s passenger vehicle sales jumped 31.2% year-over-year in July. This being a significant acceleration from the previous month’s 18.2% sent the USD/INR pair lower in forex trading this morning.
South Korea’s export prices jumped 49.1% year-over-year in July. This being the highest growth since 1998 exerted pressure on the USD/KRW forex pair.
Eurozone’s industrial production came in unchanged in June, following a 0.3% gain in the previous month. However, the EUR/USD pair rose in forex trading this morning.
ADSS
8th floor, CI Tower
Corniche Road
PO Box 93894
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Trading Services
ts@adss.com
+971 2 657 2414
Investing in CFDs involves a high degree of risk that you will lose your money due to the use of leverage, particularly in fast moving markets, where a relatively small movement in the price can lead to a proportionately larger movement in the value of your investment. This can result in loses that exceed the funds in your account. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and you should seek independent advice if necessary.
ADS Securities L.L.C – S.P.C (“ADSS”), a limited liability company – sole proprietorship company incorporated under United Arab Emirates law. Registered under Commercial License No.1190047. ADS Securities L.L.C S.P.C is regulated and authorised in the UAE by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) under Category 1 License No.305027 (Trading Broker, Trading and Clearing Broker, Trading Broker in the International Markets, Trading Broker of OTC Derivatives and Currencies in the Spot Market, Financial Products Dealer) and Category 5 License No.20200000217 (Introduction). Registered Office: 8th Floor, CI Tower, Corniche Road, P.O. Box 93894, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The information presented is not directed at residents of any particular country outside the United Arab Emirates and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country where the distribution or use is contrary to local law or regulation.
ADSS is an execution only service provider and does not provide advice. ADSS may publish general market commentary from time to time. Where it does, the material published does not constitute advice, or a solicitation, or a recommendation to a transaction in any financial instrument. ADSS accepts no responsibility for any use of the content presented and any consequences of that use. No representation or warranty is given as to the completeness of this information. Anyone acting on the information provided does so at their own risk.
