Public Markets 3h Briefing
×Last updated: August 12, 2026, 5:40 AM ET
US Markets
U.S. stock futures wsj.com rose ahead of the key July inflation report, as technology earnings buoyed sentiment. Results from Super Micro and Core Weave rekindled the AI trade wsj.com ahead of the consumer price index release. Meanwhile, Foxconn reported a 35% profit beat driven by AI hardware sales wsj.com as the Taiwanese company ramped up production of servers for the global artificial-intelligence build-out.
European & Global Equities
European indexes opened mostly lower as Middle East tensions wsj.com weighed on sentiment. However, Vestas Wind Systems wsj.com shares surged 18% after the wind-turbine maker posted higher second-quarter earnings and raised its full-year margin guidance. ABN AMRO Bank wsj.com boosted its guidance as net interest income climbed 11% in the second quarter. In Africa, Shoprite Holdings bloomberg.com jumped the most in 11 months after forecasting up to 14.7% earnings growth driven by its e-commerce unit. In Japan, machinery maker DMG Mori bloomberg.com is aiming to raise ¥48.2 billion ($302 million) through a global share sale, tapping solid investor appetite for Japanese stocks. Separately, Tata chair ft.com N Chandrasekaran will step down from India’s largest conglomerate amid a succession dispute with Noel Tata.
Commodities & Energy
Oil prices extended gains as markets remained skeptical that a Hormuz deal wsj.com to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was imminent. The IEA warned that the standoff could derail the oil supply recovery and deepen the demand slump wsj.com, forecasting a deeper contraction this year as higher fuel prices weigh on consumption. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. bloomberg.com is shuttling Iraqi crude through the Strait of Hormuz to bypass disruptions and reach Asian refiners. Gold wsj.com rose ahead of the U.S. inflation report as traders positioned for potential rate signals.
Fixed Income & Currencies
Eurozone government bond yields wsj.com rose as investors exercised caution ahead of the U.S. CPI release. The yen remained under pressure despite repeated warnings, with analysts arguing that intervention by Japan and the U.S. has had limited impact given the role of import prices in driving up household living costs. The dollar wsj.com traded steady but faces more volatility from the inflation data and the ongoing Middle East conflict, according to Commerzbank.
Policy & Regulation
UK Prime Minister Burnham ft.com will hold an emergency Cobra meeting in response to extreme heatwaves, as several areas contend with wildfires and drought. The grid operator warned that power supplies will be stretched during a solar eclipse on Wednesday evening, calling for extra generation capacity to be made available. In South Korea, regulators will require new investors in single-stock leveraged ETFs bloomberg.com to undergo mandatory mock trading exercises, further tightening rules on risky products that have amplified market volatility.